Clarien Bank Ltd today made it official, in announcing the appointment of former Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mark Pettingill, as chief legal officer.

The company said the appointment comes after an extensive local and international recruitment process.

The statement noted that Mr Pettingill brought more than 20 years of experience to the position, including extensive conduct of criminal and civil trials. The appointment comes one month after the launch of Clarien, Bermuda’s newest privately held financial institution.

The statement continued: “The appointment reaffirms the bank’s commitment to recruit experienced and specialised talent to support the ongoing local and international growth of Clarien in the pursuit of its mission to be a leading provider of financial services in Bermuda and globally.”

Ian Truran, co-chief executive officer, commented: “Mark’s expertise will enable the creation of a sound legal framework to mitigate risk to the bank and its clients. This, in turn, will support the senior management and banking teams in their objective to deliver world-class financial services to ultra high net worth individuals, families and institutions, across our wealth management and investment banking business worldwide.

“Mark will add significant expertise as we utilise the strengths of the Bermudian jurisdiction, along with our unique blend of international banking experience, thorough risk controls and access to major global capital and financial markets, to deliver a compelling offering to clients. I look forward to welcoming Mark to the team, and working together to bring the strengths of Bermuda to a global client base.”