Batten, Blundy & Meyer Called To Bermuda Bar
James Batten, Katie Blundy and Carl Meyer were called to the Bermuda Bar.
A spokesperson said, “Appleby is pleased to announce Associates James Batten, Katie Blundy and Carl Meyer were called to the Bermuda Bar on 19 and 20 December 2022 before Chief Justice Narinder Hargun.
“James works primarily on insolvency and restructuring, corporate governance and general commercial litigation. He is an experienced advocate and litigator and has co-authored Bermuda law articles featured in global publications such as the South Square Digest, and local publications on topics such as provisional liquidation, directors’ duties and digital asset litigation.
“James practised as a Barrister in London for numerous years before moving to Bermuda. He first worked for the UK Business Department’s insolvency prosecutions and insolvency legislation teams, where he had input on the development of anti-corruption policies and was a drafting lawyer of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, a major overhaul of the insolvency regime in the UK. He then moved into self-employed practice from London Chambers, appearing in many trials and applications before the High Court, County Court and Crown Court.
“James holds an LLB degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from City Law School. He was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 2013. James joined Appleby in 2021.”
John Wasty, Head of Appleby Bermuda’s Dispute Resolution practice, said: “James is yet another terrific addition to our strong and growing team. He is an exemplary and astute barrister whose contributions have been valued immensely by our clients and our team since joining our practice. His legal acumen and strategic nous, particularly his strength in the insolvency sphere, have seen him shine at our firm – and he will undoubtedly continue to shine now as a formal member of the Bermuda Bar. I congratulate James on his efforts to date and welcome him officially in joining the wider Bermuda legal community.”
The spokesperson said, “Katie practices in all areas of corporate and commercial law, including capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, private placements and corporate finance. She also advises clients on a wide range of complex regulatory, compliance and licensing issues including matters related to the Bermuda investment business legislation, economic substance regime and anti-money laundering and sanctions rules and regulations. She is a valued member of each of the Corporate and Regulatory teams at Appleby. She has successfully liaised with the Bermuda regulators on various corporate transactions and licensing applications. She has co-authored Bermuda law guides featured in Legal 500 and Mondaq on the topic of mergers and acquisitions as they relate to the local market.
“Katie practised at a top tier Canadian law firm in Vancouver, British Columbia as a corporate and securities lawyer before moving to Bermuda, gaining extensive experience in advising public and private companies on merger and acquisition, and financing transactions.
“Katie holds a Juris Doctor with a business law concentration from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Law, and a Bachelor of Engineering Science from the University of Western Ontario. She was called to the bar in British Columbia, Canada in 2016 and is also a non-practising member of the Law Society of British Columbia. Katie joined Appleby in 2021.”
Sally Penrose, Partner, said: “Since joining Appleby, Katie has quickly become an invaluable member of the corporate team. Her exceptional technical ability together with her enthusiasm, professionalism and integrity make her a highly valued colleague. Katie joined Appleby with 5 years of blue-chip experience as a corporate and securities lawyer in Canada. That experience is evident in her outstanding contribution to date working with some of Appleby’s most important clients and some of the largest transactions on island. The Bermuda legal community is fortunate to add a lawyer of Katie’s quality and talent. I congratulate Katie for becoming a member of the Bermuda Bar Association and I look forward to many years of working with her.”
The spokesperson said, “Carl specialises in corporate and commercial law with particular focus in technology, corporate restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets and corporate finance. He regularly advises on complex cross-border corporate restructurings and high-value corporate finance transactions. He is a key member of the Technology and Innovation practice, leveraging his extensive experience in the technology sector to quickly become an integral figure in Bermuda’s rapidly growing digital assets sector where he routinely advises on all aspects of carrying on digital asset business in Bermuda. He is an active contributor to our Tech Talks podcast series on such topics as NFTs from a regulatory perspective, and digital asset licence procurement.
“Carl practised as an Associate in South Africa for numerous years before moving to Bermuda. He worked in the Corporate department of a top-tier international law firm, specialising in cross-border mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and technology transactions. He then worked at a leading managed legal services firm which services some of the world’s largest multinational companies, with a specific focus on the technology, media, and telecommunications sector. While there, he was seconded to an in-house legal team of a large multinational media company based in London.
“Carl holds an LLB degree from the University of Cape Town and is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He is also a member of the Bermuda Business Development Agency’s Technology Legal and Regulatory Sub-Committee. Carl joined Appleby in 2021.”
Jerome Wilson, Partner, said: “Carl has been a fantastic addition to the team. His wealth of knowledge and experience has been an immense asset to the firm. We are pleased with his excellent work and know that he will continue to grow and provide further value to our clients. I congratulate Carl on achieving this milestone and am pleased to welcome him as a fellow member of the Bermuda Bar Association.”
