About Us
Miles Greeves Fitzpatrick
(12th Jan, 1936- 12th Mar, 2019)
Completed his secondary education at Queen’s College in British Guiana in 1954, and was admitted to the bar in 1956 after completing his legal education at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in England.
David Francis deCaires
(31st Dec, 1937 – 1st Nov 2008)
Attended Stonyhurst College in the United Kingdom, then went on to study at Bibson and Weldon Law School in Chauncey Lane where passed his Solicitor exams, gaining the highest mark of any Commonwealth Student in the 1957 cohort.
Both Messrs. Fitzpatrick and deCaires qualified before the age of 21, making them two of the youngest practicing lawyers in the history of the Caribbean. On returning to the then British Guiana, Mr. Fitzpatrick took up chambers with this father, Maxwell Stoll Fitzpatrick who was a Solicitor and Magistrate, whilst Mr. deCaires joined his uncle, J. Edward deFreitas at the law offices of Cameron and Shepherd.
On their return home, they both entered politics – Fitzpatrick a stout Marxist in the Peoples Progressive Party, and deCaires a founding member of The United Force. However, by 1962 they had both left their respective parties.
In the early 1960’s they shared chambers at 216 King St. Georgetown and in 1967 they acquired an office complex at 215 King St. and established the law offices of deCaires and Fitzpatrick Legal Practitioners, which they shared for over thirty years.
Miles Fitzpatrick and David deCaires shared the same passion for social justice and press freedom. They started the New World Quarterly in 1963 and after the closure of the New World Independence Issue in 1966 the duo founded the Stabroek News Paper with Mr. Fitzpatrick serving as Director of its publisher – Guyana Publications Inc.
Bayney Karran joined the firm in 1991 as a Partner and so the practice was renamed “deCaires, Fitzpatrick and Karran”. However, he retired from practice shortly thereafter in 1992 on his appointment as Guyanese Ambassador to the United States.