The seventh annual Conference on Offshore Funds kicks off at the Fairmont Southampton Princess today.

The conference, which is open to registered attendees only, will feature a presentation on the opportunities and obstacles in setting up offshore insurance companies.

That session will be followed by "Taxing issues for offshore funds", and a presentation where a panel - comprising financial services professionals from various jurisdictions, and including James Keyes, a partner at Appleby Spurling & Kempe practicing in the area of company and commercial law - will compare and contrast different offshore jurisdictions - including the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Dublin and the Netherland Antilles.