Bertha Cooper

Published On:Tuesday, December 01, 2009

BERTHA Cooper-Rousseau, a Bahamian attorney-at-law called to the Bar of England and Wales and the Bahamas Bar, had already had a long and very successful career in the legal profession when she was highly honoured once more.

Last month, Ms Cooper-Rousseau was called as Master of the Bench last month at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in United Kingdom.

Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court in England and Wales that have the right to call men and women to the Bar. The position of Bencher or Master of the Bench conferred on Ms Cooper-Rousseau by Middle Temple is granted to persons elected in recognition of the contribution they have made as a barrister to the life of the Inn or to the law.

Speaking before other Masters of the Bench and the High Commissioner of the Bahamas Paul Farquharson following acceptance of her Bench Call by the Master Treasurer of Middle Temple Sir George Newman, Ms Cooper-Rousseau shared her vision of the Bahamas as, "a competitive international arbitration centre" and a country that she hopes will develop "a vibrant and feasible renewable energy sector."

Members of the Royal Family, distinguished jurists from other countries and non-members of the legal profession that have distinguished themselves in their careers may also be elected as Benchers. For example, in July 2009, Prince William was appointed a Royal Bencher. Having been called to the Bench, Ms Cooper-Rousseau will be recognised as a senior member of an Inn of court in England and Wales, and is a position she will hold for life.

Ms Cooper-Rousseau was among a distinguished group elected as Benchers, which included Professor Carol Harlow QC, Bailiff of Jersey; Michael Birt; Professor Stuart Bridge; the Lord Guthrie; the Commonwealth Deputy-Secretary General Masekgoa Masire-Mwamba; Dame Professor Jean Thompson, and Professor Kate Malleson.

Ms Cooper-Rousseau came to a career in the law following education and training in France. In Paris, she studied French at the Sorbonne and obtained Bachelor and Masters Degrees in International Relations at L'Institut d'Etude des Relations lnternationales.

She also undertook studies in Maritime Law at L'Universite de Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, France. An engagement at as maritime officer in the Maritime Division of the Bahamas High Commission in London, followed.

In 1991, Ms Cooper-Rousseau obtained an LLB Degree from the University of London, following which she successfully completed the Bar.

She obtained a pupilage with James Dingemans, QC, at I Crown Row, now 3 Hare Court, where she is today a Door Tenant. As a Door Tenant, she is a barrister granted permission to join the Chambers of James Guthrie QC, and work with them from premises outside the chambers themselves.

In the Bahamas, Ms Cooper-Rousseau established the Chambers of Rousseau and Cooper in 1999. The firm's primary concentration is in commercial and business Law. Ms Cooper-Rousseau's practice frequently requires her to work with lawyers in other jurisdictions on multi-jurisdictional matters ranging from trusts, tracing and fraud to corporate governance and regulatory issues.

To help prepare her for aspects of the legal services she renders, Ms Cooper-Rousseau successfully completed the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) 7.

Ms Cooper-Rousseau is a member of the Bahamas Association of Securities Dealers, and served as the Association's vice-president in 2009.

She is also an associate member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; chair and founding member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Caribbean Branch - the Bahamas Chapter; member of the Bahamas Middle Temple Society (BMTS); the Connecticut Maritime Association and the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce.

Fully committed to the Bar, Ms Cooper-Rousseau is keen to work with BMTS and the Bahamas Bar Association on the implementation of mandatory continuing education for members of the Bahamas Bar.

Ms Cooper-Rousseau said that she was particularly pleased that her call was by Sir George Newman, who is presently Justice Newman of the Bahamas Court of Appeal.

She accepted her call on behalf of her fellow Bahamians who are Members of Middle Temple. Ms Cooper-Rousseau said that she considers her achievement an indication of what Bahamians can achieve and the depth of talent in the law and other areas in her country.

Ms Cooper-Rousseau is the daughter of the Rev Dr Reuben E Cooper, Sr, and Florence Edgecombe Cooper, both deceased. She is the mother of two daughters, Alexandra and Veronique.

The Honourable Society of Middle Temple extended best wishes to Ms Cooper-Rousseau on her Bench Call, and for continued success, and in the contribution she is making to the further development of the legal profession in the Bahamas.