(CNS): The first major offshore legal firm to take the plunge in Switzerland, Appleby confirmed yesterday that its latest office has opened in Zurich. Located in Bahnhofstrasse 52, the expansion into the Swiss jurisdiction will enable the firm to extend the services it offers and provide clients and contacts in Switzerland with greater access to the range of jurisdictions in which Appleby operates, said Huw Moses (left), Appleby’s Cayman office Managing Partner.
“Our driving strategy is to be the leading provider of legal, fiduciary and administration services in the offshore world. We see significant opportunities to expand our private wealth and corporate business in the Swiss market. The new office will provide our corporate, institutional and private clients with greater resources and a broader choice across the key offshore jurisdictions to suit their needs. We believe that the move will reinforce Appleby’s position as the first choice for clients investing in or through the offshore sector,” added Moses.
Appleby is one of the very few offshore firms to open in Switzerland and is the first of the major offshore firms to do so. Appleby’s expansion strategy has included a focus on establishing in major financial centres with significant institutions and private wealth. The new offices will provide clients with direct access to most of the world’s leading offshore jurisdictions, including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jersey and Mauritius.
The new Swiss office will beled by Jonathan Vanderkar, a Partner in the firm, who has been a member of the Banking and Asset Finance Team in the firm’s Corporate Commercial Practice Group. Jonathan has extensive experience in corporate lending, project finance, asset based lending, acquisition finance and securitization. His clients include HSBC, Barclays, Bank of America, Miramax, The Walt Disney Company and Paramount Pictures. He joined Appleby in 2006 from Olswang in London where he specialised in banking and structured film financing.
he Zurich office will continue Appleby’s focus in high growth international corporate and private wealth markets, providing private banks, wealth management and other institutions, as well as European, Middle Eastern and Asian based clients whose funds are managed in Switzerland, with direct access to high level offshore services. On the corporate side the office will focus on the insurance and funds sectors to provide direct access to the firm’s specialist expertise in the Bermuda, Cayman, Mauritius, Jersey and B.V.I. markets.
