A trio of lawyers at Appleby have been called to the Bermuda bar.

James Batten, Katie Blundy and Carl Meyer started off the new year as members of the Bermuda legal community after they were Called to the Bar on December 19 and 20 last year.

Mr Batten specialises in insolvency and restructuring, corporate governance and general commercial litigation.

He practised as a barrister in London for several years before moving to Bermuda and initially worked for the UK Business Department’s insolvency prosecutions and insolvency litigation teams.

Mr Batten helped draft several anti-corruption laws and was involved in creating the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, which majorly overhauled how insolvency was handled in the UK.

While later practising independently, Mr Batten appeared in many trials before the UK’s High Court, County Court and Crown Court.

Since joining Appleby in Bermuda in 2021, he has co-authored Bermuda law articles featured in global publications, such as South Square Digest, and Bermudian publications.

Each article revolved around provisional liquidation, directors’ duties and digital asset litigation.

John Wasty, the head of dispute resolution practice at Appleby, called Mr Batten “yet another terrific addition to our strong and growing team”.

He said: “He is an exemplary and astute barrister whose contributions have been valued immensely by our clients and our team since joining our practice.

“His legal acumen and strategic nous, particularly his strength in the insolvency sphere, have seen him shine at our firm – and he will undoubtedly continue to shine now as a formal member of the Bermuda Bar.”

Ms Blundy came to Bermuda from a top tier law firm in Vancouver, Canada, where she worked in the corporate and securities sectors.

She has experience in all areas of corporate and commercial law, with her most recent position involving advising public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, as well as financing transactions.

While at Appleby, Ms Blundy offered advice on regulatory, compliance and licensing matters, including matters relating to anti-money laundering and sanctions rules and regulations.

She has successfully liaised with Bermuda-based regulators on corporate transactions and applications, and has co-authored Bermuda law guides featured in the publications Legal 500 and Mondaq.

Sally Penrose, an Appleby partner, said that Ms Blundy had become “an invaluable member of the team” since joining.

She explained: “Her exceptional technical ability together with her enthusiasm, professionalism and integrity make her a highly valued colleague.”

Ms Penrose added: “Katie joined Appleby with five years of blue-chip experience as a corporate and securities lawyer in Canada.

“That experience is evident in her outstanding contribution to date working with some of Appleby’s most important clients and some of the largest transactions on island.”

Mr Meyer specialises in corporate and commercial law, with a focus on technology, corporate restructuring, capital markets and corporate finance.

He worked as an associate based in South Africa in the corporate department at a top-tier international law firm.

Mr Meyer has also worked at a leading legal services firm, which has advised some of the largest multinational companies in matters of technology, media and communications.

He was seconded to the in-house legal team of a multinational company based in London during this time.

Mr Meyer advises on cross-border corporate restructurings and high-value corporate transactions.

He is a key member of the firm’s technology and innovation practice and advises on the growth of digital asset business in Bermuda.

Mr Meyer often contributes to Appleby’s Tech Talk podcast, where he tackles topics such as the regulation of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, and receiving digital asset licences.

Jerome Wilson, a partner at Appleby, called Mr Meyer “a fantastic addition to the team”.

He said: “His wealth of knowledge and experience has been an immense asset to the firm.

“We are pleased with his excellent work and know that he will continue to grow and provide further value to our clients.”