New Managing Partner to Head Appleby's Expanding BVI Office

The Managing Partner of Appleby Hunter Bailhache Group has announced on February 9, 2007 the appointment of Alex Erskine as Office Managing Partner for the BVI office of Appleby Group.

Alex Erskine is to take up residency in the British Virgin Islands, and will succeed Huw Moses, who has occupied this post since the time of BVI office establishment in 2004. Mr. Erskine joined the Group in 1999, after his work as Deputy Legal and Compliance Director of the asset management division of UBS AG, and became a Partner of the firm on the 1st April 2006. He got his practice as the local Team Leader of the Funds and Structured Finance team within the Corporate Commercial practice group in Bermuda. He was educated in Ghana and England, studied law at the University College of Wales, and passed his professional exams in 1987. In 1996 he was invited to the Bar of England and Wales, and in 2006 he was invited to the Bermuda Bar.

Alex Erskine is to play a leading role in the Appleby firm's expansion of its office in the Caribbean territory, as a practitioner in the areas of corporate and commercial law and as a specialist in advising on structuring and operating investment vehicles, including mutual funds, hedge funds, unit trusts, partnerships, and close ended funds. Alex Erskin provides general advice on securities offerings, listings, investment banking, asset management issues, brokerage, custody and financial services.

Mr. Erskine has commented his appointment as the head of Appleby's BVI office by saying, “We are looking to expand the office, with the addition of further lawyers practising in the corporate commercial and litigation practice groups, building on the capability which is already well established in the BVI office".

The Group's managing Partner Peter Bubenzer has said, “Appleby has been established in BVI for over three years and Alex arrives at a period of growth for the British Virgin Islands office.”

Appleby Hunter Bailhache, which after the merger between the two offshore law firms has approximately 600 lawyers and staff in the major offshore jurisdictions of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Jersey and in the financial centres of Hong Kong and London, also has recently announced the launch of its new office in Mauritius.