Q&A with Legal Extraordinaire Jivaan Bennett
Jivaan Bennett, barrister at Temple Tax Chambers
1. You began your legal career in the Caribbean, practising in Trinidad & Tobago before retraining as a solicitor in London. How has your experience across practising in different jurisdictions shaped your outlook as a practitioner today?
My memories practising in the Caribbean are some of my fondest. Having had that experience, it has helped me to understand professional practice across different cultures. That has served me well today as I build an international practice. Concretely, it has equipped me with an appreciation for the fact that not all legal systems function as efficiently as the system in the UK. There are often very proficient legal professionals doing their best to support cross-border transactions in less “sophisticated" jurisdictions and a degree of grace needs to be extended where the legal system in some jurisdictions is not as efficient as expected.
2. Your practice primarily spans tax advisory and contentious tax matters, as well as broader commercial disputes through litigation and arbitration. What do you find most rewarding about working across these areas, and how do you balance the strategic demands of both advisory and disputes work?
I enjoy problem solving. For this reason, I find my job very interesting as no two problems are ever identical. I enjoy the strategic dimensions of litigation in particular. I find that working on litigation enhances my capabilities as an advisor and vice versa.
3. As a former member of Linklaters' Latin America Group and Head of its Caribbean Desk, in what ways did being in this role allow you to act as a bridge between the firm and the Caribbean region?
I was pleased when the firm accepted my proposal to launch its first ever Caribbean Group which I led during my last four years at the firm. This afforded me an opportunity to strengthen my links with a region which I still consider home both personally and professionally. It has helped me grow professionally especially as I do work in this region now.
4. Linklaters' Caribbean Legal Internship in partnership with the University of the West Indies and the Norman Manley Law School, was awarded the SOCAL’s Legal Initiative of the Year 2024 award. Why was accepting this award on behalf of the firm personally meaningful to you, and what impact do you hope this initiative has on Caribbean students' career aspirations and global exposure?
Having been able to enjoy the experience of working in the London and New York offices of a Magic Circle firm, I wanted others to be able to have this experience as well. I have learnt so much from this experience as a lawyer and it is my hope that the interns, albeit through the wonders of Teams, have been able to get a taste of what life at an international firm is like. The Caribbean is the home to some amazing intellectual talent and through the internship, it is my hope that my now former colleagues have grown to appreciate this both when recruiting but also when working on joint projects. For the interns, many have gone on to excel in their careers both locally and internationally. I am pleased that the internship has played a role in broadening their horizons.
5. As a visiting lecturer on the International Tax Law LLM at King’s College London, what do you find most rewarding about engaging with students of the next generation? How does your academic work complement your practice as a tax lawyer?
I do enjoy my role at King’s College London (even if I find the marking of exams less fun). I enjoy engaging with the students and understanding their different perspectives. I learn as much from our classes as I hope they learn from me. I see my academic work as complementing my work as a practitioner. My academic work has been quoted now by courts in Belize and Trinidad And Tobago and I am pleased that my research has helped to shape regional jurisprudence in whatever small way. Knowledge is to be shared (it is not the possession of any of us) and my hope is that others in the region will share their knowledge through publications to create more vibrant discourse within the Caribbean legal community.
6. You’ve founded/co-founded DEI programmes like Headstart and Get Ahead and you've even supported rehabilitation for prison-leavers through Project ReMake. What fuels your commitment to increasing access, equity, and social mobility within the legal profession?
Two things can be true at the same time. We can recognise that an authority (be it a firm’s management, a professional body, the Government) has a responsibility to support more equitable conditions within the profession while also recognising that each of us can make a difference. We are never too junior or too powerless to make an impact in some small way to those around us. Service to others, for me, is a reward in itself.
7. Congratulations on your recent transition from solicitor to barrister. What made you decide to take that step and how has the experience been thus far?
Thank you. I am very fortunate to have an excellent team behind me at Temple Tax Chambers and I am enjoying the experience so far. For me, the Bar was always the aim professionally. I was called to the Bar long before I trained to become a solicitor in 2016. At the Tax Bar, it is not uncommon for barristers to first spend some time as a tax advisor, solicitor or at HMRC before moving into Chambers. Being a solicitor, which I enjoyed thoroughly, has helped me immeasurably as I prepare for this next phase of my career.
8. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future in your career, and how do you hope to continue driving impact in the legal profession, both in the UK and the Caribbean?
Even though I may not have the same platform as before, I do hope to continue to contribute to the legal profession in whatever way I can. My focus, for now, is settling into my new professional life. You can’t pour from an empty cup. In the short term, my aspirations are simply to learn and grow further as an advocate and advisor while assisting my clients and others in whatever way I can.
