Françoise (pronounced frahn-swaz) is an attorney-at-law with over ten (10) years call to the Barbados Bar who specialises in international tax, trade, economic and investment law.  As the present Director of International Business for the Government of Barbados, a post which she has held since 2003, she has rare experience in the orientation and implementation of public policy in relation to international business and financial services.   In that capacity she also leads the Barbados Tax and Treaty Negotiating Team which over the last six years has successfully concluded a number of new tax and investment treaties including agreements with Austria, Italy, Spain, Mauritius, Botswana, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Mexico, Ghana and the Seychelles.

Prior to her appointment as Director, Francoise worked in New York City as a foreign legal consultant. Her clients included the lawyers of the Drobenko, Piddoubny, Frlan Chambers.  She provided advice on international business, tax and trade in relation to emerging economies. More particularly her advice was focused on advising the U.S legal counsel to the Russian caviar industry about approaches to lifting the U.S embargo on Baltic caviar. She also consulted with Damani Dada Inc., a U.S foot and active wear company grossing over one million dollars per year in revenues.  Her international trade planning advice led to the company expansion into China and South America to improve their supply chain logistics.

After winning a British Commonwealth Scholarship in 1996, Francoise read for a masters degree in law from the University of London and in 1997 received her LL.M (with merit) with a concentration in international economic law. An alumnus of the University of the West Indies , she received her bachelor of law degree (with honours) after pursuing her studies at the Cave Hill Campus.  In 1999, at the age of 27, she returned to the Faculty of law, this time as a Law Lecturer where she had responsibility for the design and delivery of graduate and post-graduate courses in Foreign Investment Law and International Economic Law.

Francoise has been described as an unapologetic lateral thinker with a quick wit and sharp intellect. Her strength is her ability to quickly and logically assimilate complex information with a view to providing client-centred solutions.  A strategic planner, capable yet personable manager, Francoise is a confident, articulate and persuasive writer and public speaker.

 

Françoise L.M Hendy ◦ 211 Cassia Drive Husbands St. James Barbados ◦ (246) 831-3214/438-3429 ◦