Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts and the Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) Group, has secured a definitive legal victory in the Supreme Court of Jamaica, providing a powerful affirmation of corporate governance stability for the Caribbean’s most influential business entities.
The court has granted crucial declarations sought by Stewart, effectively immunizing him against a tactical “legal gag order” attempted by the Executors of his father’s estate. This ruling ensures that Stewart can vigorously defend his professional integrity and management of the multi-billion-dollar empire founded by the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart without risk to his personal inheritance.
By granting these orders, the court has dismantled a procedural trap designed by the Executors to force Stewart into an untenable choice: either defend his leadership and forfeit his bequests under a “No Contest Clause,” or maintain his inheritance while allowing baseless allegations of mismanagement to go unchallenged.
The Supreme Court’s evaluation centered on the strategic use of a “No Contest Clause”—a provision in the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart’s will intended to discourage beneficiaries from challenging the estate. Justice Cresencia Brown Beckford’s ruling on Stewart’s Ancillary Claim provides a critical safeguard, confirming that his participation in the Fixed Date Claim initiated by the Executors does not trigger a forfeiture of his interests.
This ruling is a significant strategic victory, as it removes the threat of financial retribution that the Executors sought to use as a weapon of intimidation. Justice Brown Beckford highlighted specific instances of procedural misconduct and bad faith that necessitated Stewart’s legal intervention:
• Documented Bad Faith: The court noted that the Executors’ actions suggested a pattern of bad faith, particularly through the use of highly personal attacks.
• Targeted Defamation: Affidavits filed by the Executors contained aggressive language intended to “impugn [Stewart’s] conduct, judgment, and integrity,” reaching far beyond relevant factual background.
• Procedural Obstruction: The Executors actively sought to sideline Stewart by refusing to serve him with proceedings and objecting to his joinder in the claim, despite the litigation’s direct impact on his leadership.
• Explicit Threats: The court recognized that two specific Executors, Mr. Patterson and Ms. Hamersmith-Stewart, had issued correspondence explicitly threatening to invoke the “No Contest Clause” in circumstances where it was legally inapplicable.
By granting Stewart the right to make applications and provide evidence, the court has ensured that the “trap” set to silence his defense has been broken.
The legal dispute originated with a request by the Executors, including Cheryl Hamersmith-Stewart, for an “urgent ‘red flag’ audit” of Gorstew Limited and the ATL Group. These allegations of financial malfeasance were framed as a critique of Adam Stewart’s management. Recognizing the necessity of rebutting these claims to maintain international investor and consumer confidence, Stewart successfully moved to be joined in the claim to contest the charges.
The procedural attempts to sideline Stewart have been decisively dismantled. The court’s findings suggest that the Executors’ claims were not rooted in legitimate corporate oversight but were instead characterized by personal attacks intended to undermine his executive standing. With the protection of the court now firmly in place, these allegations must face the scrutiny of evidence which has already been characterized as “baseless” in parallel regional jurisdictions.
The Jamaican ruling aligns with a consistent legal pattern established across the Caribbean, reinforcing the stability of Sandals Resorts’ multinational operations. This victory mirrors a critical decision reached by the Bahamas Supreme Court last year regarding the Cromwell Trust Company, the entity responsible for the administration of Sandals Resorts.
In the Bahamian matter, Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder dismissed similar motions—also involving Cheryl Hamersmith-Stewart—which alleged that the trust was subject to “undue influence” by Adam Stewart and that assets were at risk of “misuse” or being “stolen.” Chief Justice Winder’s conclusions were absolute:
1. Fiduciary Capability: The directors of the sole trustee are fully capable of exercising proper fiduciary oversight.
2. Absolute Lack of Risk: There is “no material risk” of asset misuse or theft.
3. Categorical Rejection: The court dismissed the claims as both “baseless” and “insufficient,” nullifying any suggestion of improper influence.
The correlation between these legal vindications and Adam Stewart’s professional standing is clear. As the Executive Chairman successfully defends the Stewart legacy against internal challenges, his external impact continues to be recognized by the global business community.
This professional momentum was recently validated by Caribbean National Weekly (CNW), which named Adam Stewart the “Businessman/Philanthropist of 2025.” This accolade underscores his continued influence on the region’s economic landscape and his commitment to philanthropic excellence.
Under the Executive Chairmanship of Adam Stewart, the future of Gorstew Limited and the ATL Group remains secure, stable, and positioned for continued regional dominance.