Appleby, the offshore law firm, has appointed Mike Ellis, former European legal and compliance head for the hedge fund administrator GlobeOp Financial Services, as deputy general counsel.

Ellis is an experienced UK corporate lawyer who has spent eight years at a US law firm in London and the last five years with GlobeOp.

Ellis will work with current general counsel Michael Burns, who is office managing partner of Appleby’s British Virgin Island office as well as a partner with client responsibilities. He will also work with Peter Bubenzer, group managing partner. Ellis – now based in Appleby's BVI office – will take over the position of GC after a period of transition, said the firm.

Appleby has 800 lawyers and professional specialists based in Bermuda, the BVI, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Mauritius and the Seychelles, as well as London, Hong Kong, Zurich and Bahrain.

“Mike’s appointment is a strategically important step for Appleby. The group’s rapid growth over the last six years, and its future ambitious plans, merits the appointment of a dedicated general counsel to deal with our growing needs and complexity,” the firm said.

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