October 2, 2023 – BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS – O'Neal Webster is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Vanessa King has been elected as a STEP Worldwide Council representative for the Caribbean and Latin America Region. In this role, she represents the interests of thousands of STEP members across multiple jurisdictions, including the BVI, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman, Bermuda, Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Panama, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and elsewhere. STEP (formerly Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) is a global professional body with more than 21,000 members in 100 countries comprised of lawyers, accountants, trustees and other practitioners that sets and upholds high standards, informs public policy, promotes education and connects practitioners globally to share knowledge and best practices in estate planning and related disciplines.

"This election demonstrates the extremely high regard in which Vanessa is held by her peers throughout an especially diverse Region with many competing interests," commented Chris McKenzie, head of O'Neal Webster's Trusts and Estates Department. "Having worked closely with Vanessa on STEP issues over the years, I am thrilled about this news, knowing as I do that Vanessa will represent all our interests very well."

Ms. King's involvement in STEP over the course of her career is noteworthy. She is a 2016 global recipient of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners' ninth annual Founder's Award, the current chair of the Caribbean and Latin America Region and the outgoing chair of the STEP BVI Branch. She also sits on the STEP Caribbean Conference Committee and was appointed to judge the prestigious STEP private client awards in 2023.

Ms. King stated: "Thank you to the Caribbean and Latin America Regional Committee members for their continued confidence in my representation of our interests. I look forward to being a voice at the table for our members."

About STEP Worldwide Council:
Council members are the primary channels for communication and representation between STEP members and central governance bodies, acting as a consultative body that advises the Board of Directors on aspects of STEP's strategic journey and matters of interest to the wider membership. The Council is elected by members or their representatives from branches and chapters globally, with regional representation proportionate to membership numbers.

About O'Neal Webster:
Versatile, accessibleand collegial,O'Neal Websterlawyers provide sound, practical advice and prompt serviceto international and domestic clientsfrom its British Virgin Islands and London offices.In 1989, O'Neal Webster was among the first law firms to establish exclusively in the BVI to serve onshore and offshore corporate, commercial, finance, banking, business, property, and trust and estate clients in transactional, regulatory and litigation matters in the jurisdiction. Learn more here: www.onealwebster.com.