The new office of “magic circle” offshore law firm Appleby, reported in WealthBriefing in September, will open in Zurich on 15 December headed by partner Jonathan Vanderkar, who has been a member of the banking and asset finance team in the firm's corporate commercial practice group.

The firm says its presence in Zurich will enable it 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.

It will also strengthen its focus on international corporate and private wealth markets, providing direct access to offshore services for private banks, wealth managers and other institutions, as well as European, Middle Eastern and Asian clients whose funds are managed in Switzerland.