Appleby has announced the retirement of James Jardine as CEO after 20 years at the law firm.Mr Jardine stepped down on March 31.Following an election held earlier this month, Peter Bubenzer has been appointed as chairman of the group and will assume the responsibility immediately.Mr Bubenzer has been with the company since 1980 and became a Partner in 1986. He became head of the corporate and commercial department in 1993 and has also served as Managing Partner of the Bermuda office and the group.On May 5, the group members also elected Michael O’Connell as the group Managing Partner of the Appleby Group, replacing Mr Bubenzer who has been in the role since 2002. During this period of transition, Mr O’Connell will serve as the group Managing Partner elect.Judith Collis will continue in her role of global head of the corporate and commercial practice group and David Lines, a Partner in the Bermuda insurance team has been elected to the group management board that replaces the executive board.Shaun Morris, Bermuda Managing Partner, said: “I am delighted that Peter has been elected chairman of the group. As group Managing Partner, Peter has for some time played an integral role in the strategic development of the group and I am looking forward to working closely with him in his new role to cement our position as the world’s leading provider of offshore legal, fiduciary and administration services.”