Alana has over 30 years of experience in the practice of civil litigation. Upon her admission to practice in October 1993 she joined the firm of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj & Co., a former Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago and Senior Counsel at the Civil Bar. In May of 1995 she joined the chambers of de la Bastide & Jacelon, a predecessor of the Firm of Pollonais, Blanc, de la Bastide & Jacelon (hereinafter ‘the Firm’). She is now the Partner who heads the Firm’s Dispute Resolution Service Line.
Alana deals principally with the Firm’s specialized litigation relating to medical negligence, aviation and construction law. She acts for National Regional Health Authorities, for Private Medical Institutions and for Medical Practitioners in medical negligence matters, for our National airline carrier and international airline carriers as well as for one of the country’s largest state owned special purpose companies involved in construction. Alana also acts in all areas of personal injury litigation servicing several of the largest insurance companies in Trinidad and Tobago, in respect of motor vehicular property damage, personal injuries and non-motor claims. Her practice also includes contentious probate including fraudulent wills and contentious estates. She has acted in defence of Attorneys as well as banking officials in professional negligence actions. Alana has instructed both local Senior Counsel as well as foreign King’s Counsel. She has also appeared at and/with Counsel in commercial civil litigation, administrative law and constitutional action, as well as Election Petitions. She has also instructed Privy Council agents in the conduct of Appeals at the Privy Council. Further, she has considerable experience in arbitrations and mediations involving State-owned bodies as well as Private companies, both locally and before the International Chamber of Commerce/International Court of Arbitration.
Alana has overall management of the civil and corporate litigation of the Firm including research and drafting of pleadings, preparation of procedural documents, including applications for injunctions, to make minors wards of the Court to obtain consent for emergency surgical procedures, witness statements, costs assessments and opinions on liability and quantum.