Abuna honed his expertise at Harrison & Harrison Attorneys-at-Law. As a Commercial Associate, he provided essential daily guidance on compliance and regulatory matters for one of the region’s leading securities dealers. Abuna’s ability to navigate complex regulatory frameworks shone as he successfully liaised with key regulators including the Financial Services Commission, Bank of Jamaica, Special Economic Zone Authority, Jamaica Stock Exchange, and Companies Office of Jamaica. His efforts were pivotal in facilitating the issuance of operating licenses, securing approvals for critical transactions, and ensuring listings compliance, all while meticulously adhering to legal requirements.
Abuna’s legal acumen extends to offering comprehensive opinions and counsel on a spectrum of matters, from data protection and banking to securities, corporate, and commercial issues. His contribution to the capital market landscape is notable, as he has advised on and drafted legal documents to facilitate several private placement transactions, merger & acquisition deals, and initial and additional public offerings on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (“JSE”). He also negotiated a wide range of legal documents, including several: Lease Agreements, Software License Agreements, Service Agreements, Non-disclosure Agreements, Employment Agreements, Loan and Security Documentation, Joint Venture Agreements, Shareholder Agreements, Share Purchase Agreements, Asset Purchase Agreements and various other Legal Documentation.
In addition to his legal career, Abuna is an active member of the Jamaica Bar Association, and he also serves as an independent director and as company secretary for several private companies. His dedication to continuous growth and professional development is evident through his possession of the JSE Securities Course Certificate and his current pursuit of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1 designation.
Abuna’s Recent Transactions
• 2023- Acted as joint counsel to Arranger in the issue of a J$566 million secured bond and refinancing of J$2.3 billion secured bond.
• 2023 – Acted as counsel to client in refinancing by client of unsecured promissory note in the amount of US$20 Million.
• 2023 – Acted as joint counsel to Arranger in leveraged buyout of 100% of the issued ordinary shares of target car rental company for US$20 Million.
• 2023 – Acted as counsel to client in issuing by client of US$7 million promissory note to single noteholder.
• 2022 – Acted as counsel to purchaser in the acquisition of 100% of business assets of target LPG business.
• 2022 – Acted as counsel to client in issuing by client of J$1.6 billion dollar (US$ Equivalent) Unsecured Fixed Rate USD Indexed Bond.
• 2022 – Acted as counsel to investor in cross border private equity transaction deal valued at US$1.5 million for a 20% equity stake in a Guyanese private company.
• 2021 – Acted as junior counsel to client on successful listing of 500 million of its ordinary shares for a price per share of J$0.80 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
