Appleby’s Bermuda office earned a Tier 1 ranking in five categories in the Legal 500 Caribbean guide.

The top ranking came for banking, finance and capital markets; corporate and commercial; insurance/reinsurance; regulatory and compliance; and trusts/private client. Appleby also gained a Tier 2 ranking in dispute resolution.

Appleby also has the most women ranked in Bermuda in the Leading Individuals, Next Generation Partners and Rising Stars combined categories.

Legal 500, one of the leading international legal directories, has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world in well over 100 jurisdictions for more than 40 years. The rankings are based on feedback from 250,000 in-house peers, client feedback and independent assessment of law firms’ deals and cases.

Appleby is the only Bermuda firm ranked Tier 1 in Legal 500’s newly created regulatory and compliance category. Appleby has 23 lawyers recognised by Legal 500, with 17 specifically ranked in the ‘Leading Individuals’, ‘Next Generation Partners’ and ‘Rising Stars’ combined categories.

Tim Faries, Bermuda managing partner, said: “Congratulations to our Bermuda team for continuing to be recognised so highly by Legal 500 and our many clients and referrers. We have one of the world’s largest offshore regulatory and compliance teams, comprised of experts who not only have first hand knowledge of local regulation, but who have in many cases, helped to shape it.

“Our Bermuda regulatory team is at the forefront of changes in the regulatory landscape and offers best-in-class advice on the regulatory issues facing businesses in Bermuda.

“For this reason, we are especially pleased with our regulatory practice Tier 1 ranking. We are also delighted that we continue to have the most women ranked in the ‘Leading Individuals’, ‘Next Generation Partners’ and ‘Rising Stars’ combined categories in Bermuda.”

Testimonials from clients, referrers and peers include the below.

The banking, finance and capital markets team is praised for their “responsive, excellent communication and technical skills, practical and commercial outlook”.

The corporate team is praised for “practical advice and being easy to reach”. The team has an enviable track record in large-scale M&A work, corporate restructurings, and joint ventures, regularly assisting FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies in the insurance, banking, technology, funds, transport, energy and natural resources sectors.

Praise for the dispute resolution team includes: “Appleby’s litigation team provides a first-rate service. The combination of their skills running heavyweight international litigation and their experience and knowledge of local courts makes the firm a force to be reckoned with.”

The insurance/reinsurance team has a “strong knowledge of the Bermuda regulatory system, the regulator, and the market” has a notable track record in assisting clients with the establishment of structured ILS products and the operation and regulatory compliance of life insurance and life assurance companies.

The department is highly regarded locally for its non-contentious capabilities, which range from advising on catastrophe bonds and other insurance-linked securities to the structuring, establishment and winding down of entities.

The regulatory and compliance team are described as “knowledgeable, practical in their approach to problem-solving and make themselves very available”.

Appleby’s regulatory group provides clients with compliance, corporate governance, regulatory and risk advisory services, primarily on business and financial services regulation.

The trusts and private client team advises on a range of matters, including the establishment, administration, restructuring and termination of private, charitable, purpose and commercial trusts.

The practice in Bermuda is led by Vanessa Schrum who has a global client roster of ultra-high-net-worth clients who she regularly advises on the use of Bermuda private and commercial trust structures, including purpose trusts, unit trusts, pension trusts, and trust restructurings.

Listed lawyers include:

Banking, Finance and Capital Markets:

•Leading Individual: Clive Langley, Partner; Tammy Richardson-Augustus, Partner

•Next Generation: Jerome Wilson, Partner

•Rising Star: Tiffany Boys, Counsel

•Recommended: David Clark, Partner

Corporate and Commercial:

•Leading Individual: Tim Faries, Managing Partner; Steven Rees Davies, Partner

•Next Generation: Matthew Ebbs-Brewer, Partner

•Rising Star: Josephine Noddings, Senior Associate

•Recommended: Alan Bossin, Partner; David Clark, Partner; Clive Langley, Partner; Sally Penrose, Partner; Tammy Richardson-Augustus, Partner; Jerome Wilson, Partner

Dispute Resolution

•Leading Individual: John Wasty, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution

•Next Generation Lawyer: Steven White, Partner

•Rising Star: Hannah Tildesley, Counsel

•Recommended: John Riihiluoma, Senior Counsel; Sam Riihiluoma, Senior Associate; Lalita Vaswani, Senior Associate

Insurance/Reinsurance

•Leading Individual: Tim Faries, Bermuda Managing Partner; Brad Adderley, Partner

•Rising Star: Matthew Carr, Counsel

•Recommended: Alan Bossin, Partner; John Wasty, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution; Josephine Noddings, Senior Associate

Regulatory and Compliance

•Leading Individual: Sally Penrose, Partner

•Recommended: Steven Rees Davies, Partner

Trusts/Private Client

•Leading Individual: Vanessa Schrum, Partner

•Rising Star: Caljonah Smith, Senior Associate

•Recommended: John Riihiluoma, Senior Counsel; Michael Mello QC, Counsel; Hannah Tildesley, Counsel