Appleby Set To Expand Into China
Bermuda-headquartered international law firm Appleby is set to make its first foray into mainland China with the opening of a Shanghai office in April.
The new base, which will provide fiduciary and administration services, comes in addition to the offshore law firm’s longstanding Hong Kong office.
According to a report at Legalweek.com today [Feb.20] Scott Reid, Appleby’s head of business development and corporate services in Hong Kong, will manage the Shanghai operation, supported by a corporate administrator.
A spokeswoman told Legalweek the two branches will operate “very much in tandem”, adding: “We are recruiting local talent and as we grow our client base and look to broaden our offering to the Chinese market we expect the office to grow rapidly.”
Global group managing partner Michael O’Connell added: “We have chosen Shanghai because it is the commercial and financial centre of mainland China.”
Appleby, which operates 12 offices around the world, has grown from a Bermuda base via mergers and organic growth to have a presence in Guernsey, the British Virgin Islands and Mauritius, among other jurisdictions.
The firm has around 80 partners and 800 employees around the world, with onshore offices located in London, Hong Kong and Zurich.
