Appleby has appointed Michael Burns, a senior Corporate Partner in Bermuda and member of the Appleby Global Executive Board, as Managing Partner of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) office.

His appointment is effective from the start of October and he will assume the leadership from Alex Erskine, who has been serving in that role on secondment from the Bermuda office for 18 months.

Mr. Erskine will return to the Bermuda office, where he will resume his leadership of the funds team.

The Appleby BVI office has been in existence since early 2004, when it started operating with one member of staff.

Over the course of Mr. Erskine's leadership, the office has increased in size to seven lawyers, with four more lawyers, including Eliot Simpson, who is to head Appleby's BVI litigation team as litigation partner, and Andrew Willins, a London-based commercial litigation barrister, scheduled to join the office imminently.

These and other recruitment efforts currently in progress will bring the number of personnel in the BVI office to 32 in total.

Under Mr. Erskine''s leadership, Appleby was designated by the BVI Chamber of Commerce as the BVI Commercial Firm of the year for 2007 and he has built strong relationships with Government officials as well as industry and peers in the profession.

He has also overseen the promotions to Partnership of two of his colleagues in the BVI, Sally Cox and Valerie Georges-Thomas earlier this year.

Mr. Burns has run a corporate insurance-based practice in Bermuda and has been closely involved in significant company law reform and associated developments, including in relation to the creation of segregated accounts legislation on the Island.

He also serves as Appleby's Group General Counsel and will continue in that role.

Peter Bubenzer, Group Managing Partner of Appleby, said: "We have been very fortunate to have Alex serve as Managing Partner in BVI.

"During his tenure, the office has grown significantly and we are able to offer much more effective and complete service to our clients.

"Michael's arrival and his ability to continue to build and lead the office bode very well for the future."