Date: December 19, 2003
Contact: Angela Johnson
Phone: 340-773-6449
angelaborchert@yahoo.com
PARTIES SUCCESSFULLY MEDIATE DISPUTE
OVER USE OF NAME 'CARIBBEAN SUN AIRLINES'
A legal dispute regarding the Lieutenant Governor's authority to accept
or reject applications by foreign corporations to register and conduct
business in the U.S. Virgin Islands was resolved Friday afternoon at
the conclusion of court-ordered mediation. The Lieutenant Governor had
invited the corporations that would be affected to participate in the
mediation.
After lengthy negotiations, Sun Airways - a domestic corporation -
consented to the plaintiff transacting business in the territory using
its corporate name Caribbean Sun Airlines.
Caribbean Sun Airlines - a foreign corporation - likewise consented
to Sun Airways continuing to use its business name. The corporations
have agreed to make every effort to ensure that the public is not confused
over the use of these corporate names.
This mutual consent eliminates the possibility of any legal action
against the Virgin Islands Government regarding the use of corporate
names, paving the way for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Division
of Corporations and Trademarks, to immediately issue a certificate of
authority to Caribbean Sun Airlines.
"I want to thank the court, the mediator Henry C. Smock and the
parties for resolving this dispute," Lieutenant Governor Vargrave
Richards said. "I welcome Caribbean Sun to our business community
and look forward to their service in the territory, especially to the
island of St. Croix."
The Lieutenant Governor said he plans to suggest amendments to the
territory's corporate code to further safeguard existing business names.
