JULIE Thompson-James has resigned as a director of JFP Limited effective August 5 as she tackles her estranged husband Marcus James in a marriage dissolution/divorce lawsuit in the Broward County Circuit Courts in Florida.

According to Unicourt.com, Thompson-James filed as the petitioner for the case ending 4445 at Broward County Central Courthouse on April 5 against James and Adept Property Holdings, LLC, with Stephanie Matalon overseeing the case as the presiding judge. The docket entry included an e-summons issuance to James and Adept and a notice of confidential information within court filing. An affidavit under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act was filed by Thompson-James and a petition for the dissolution of marriage and related relief. The case is currently pending, according to Unicourt.com

Thompson-James had filed a freezing order affidavit against James’ assets on February 24 in the Supreme Court of Jamaica’s civil division, with the case number being SU2022CV00346. The hearing was held via videoconference with Justice Chester Stamp as the presiding judge. Hylton Powell was listed as the firm seeking the freezing order.

James is listed as a connected party of St Lucian international business company (IBC) Springhill Holdings Limited, which holds the 47.33 per cent direct interest in listed company Access Financial Services Limited (AFS). James is the founder and executive chairman of Access Financial Services, which was established in September 2000.

Adept Property is a Florida-managed LLC according to its divisional corporation filings found on Sunbiz.org. James is listed as the registered agent and manager while Aeric Investments Limited is listed as the initial manager. Aeric is a St Lucian IBC incorporated in 2014. Aeric’s annual returns listed it as in default for parts of 2019 and 2020, and compliant as of October 2020.

Thompson-James’ departure comes following her appointment ahead of the company’s February initial public offering. She served as the chair of the corporate governance, remuneration and nomination committee and as a member of the company’s audit committee. Both committees only have two members remaining. Along with the other three independent directors, JFP was able to secure a waiver for the appointment of a mentor to its board. JFP restated its first-quarter financials after its balance sheet was overstated and other items needed to be corrected. Cristina Matalon is listed as the company secretary according to Companies Office of Jamaica records.

Thompson-James is an attorney-at-law and is the founder of Cube Corporate Support Limited, which currently serves as the company secretary for FosRich Company Limited. She served as the vice-president, business support, Caribbean Central for Scotia Group Jamaica Limited and worked at Finsac Limited many years prior to forming Cube Corporate Support.

Access Financial Services’ net income was down 13 per cent to $77.56 million for the first quarter. Its balance sheet stands at $5.84 billio, comprising $4.65 billion in loans and advances, with shareholders’ equity at $2.86 billion. Access Financial Services’ licence to operate as a microcredit institution was approved by the Bank of Jamaica recently.