Appleby continues to be the only firm in Bermuda ranked Tier 1 across all six practice categories in the jurisdiction (Banking, Finance & Capital Markets; Corporate & Commercial; Dispute Resolution; Insurance/Reinsurance; Regulatory & Compliance; Trusts/Private Client), in addition to having the most lawyers ranked in the market. The British Virgin Islands attained Tier 2 rankings in Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Corporate and Commercial, Dispute Resolution and Regulatory and Compliance, whilst the Cayman Islands were ranked Tier 1 in Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Corporate and Commercial, Dispute Resolution and Real Estate. They were ranked Tier 2 in Insurance/Reinsurance, Trusts/Private Client, Tier 3 in Regulatory and Compliance and Tier 4 in Investment Funds.
This year’s Legal 500 Caribbean Guide features strong feedback for Appleby. Bermuda’s Tier 1 leadership position was praised by Legal 500 with clients commenting: “The Appleby team know the jurisdiction inside out,” and “have a well-established relationship with the Bermuda Monetary Authority and demonstrate a solid understanding of the regulator’s expectations.” Clients comment that the leading corporate team “made it easy for us to manage our Bermuda entities for several years. They were there for us when it mattered.” Additionally, “their service is timely, and the advice provided is dependable and reflects a good balance between legal accuracy and commercial practicality.” Appleby is also recognized as “the top litigators on the island. They have an exceptional team led by John Wasty, supported by great talent.”
Brad Adderley who is Bermuda Managing Partner, “remains a key authority on regulatory matters and continues to be a valuable resource for broader legal and commercial insights.” The firm’s market-leading insurance practice is highly regarded with Brad Adderley and Max Tetlow, viewed as “highly commercial, incredibly hard working, capable and thoughtful attorneys”.
In the Cayman Islands, the Corporate and Commercial team are ranked Tier 1 and described as “professional, consistent, and highly experienced across the full spectrum of Cayman corporate and funds work. They are reliable, easy to work with, and consistently deliver high-quality advice.” Further feedback commended the team as an “extremely professional and responsive group.” The Tier 1 Banking, Finance and Capital Markets practice was praised as “highly responsive and client-oriented. They do not simply restate the law but provide practical guidance and market insight. The team is proactive, engaging with regulators to advocate for client and industry interests.”
The Cayman Islands Tier 1 ranked Dispute Resolution team, is recognised as “extremely capable, with strong leadership and exceptional depth. It is currently the stand-out firm on the island for serious litigation matters.” The Tier 1 Real Estate practice was acknowledged as “very strong, a team that clients greatly enjoy working with.”
In the British Virgin Islands, the Regulatory and Compliance team rose to Tier 2, receiving praise as the “go-to choice for regulatory advice” with “exceptional experience in the crypto and fintech spaces, both in the regulatory and deal domains.” The Corporate and Commercial and Dispute Resolution practices maintained their strong Tier 2 positions, while the Banking, Finance and Capital Markets team advanced to Tier 2, highlighting the firm’s growing strength across key practice areas in the jurisdiction.
The Group’s full set of individually ranked lawyers in Legal 500 2026 is as follows:
Leading Partners
Brad Adderley (Corporate and Commercial; Banking Finance and Capital Markets; Insurance/Reinsurance), Matthew Ebbs-Brewer (Corporate and Commercial), Jerome Wilson (Corporate and Commercial), Clive Langley (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), David Clark (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), John Wasty (Dispute Resolution; Regulatory and Compliance), Sally Penrose (Regulatory and Compliance), Vanessa Schrum (Trusts/Private Client), Claire van Overdijk KC (Trusts/Private Client), Nicola Bruce (Trusts/Private Client), Caroline Barton (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), Benjamin Woolf (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), Simon Raftopoulos (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Corporate and Commercial ), Sebastian Said (Dispute Resolution), Carlos de Serpa Pimentel (Private Client/Trusts), Adam Johnson (Real Estate), Norman Klein (Real Estate), Jeffrey Kirk (Corporate and Commercial, Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), Andrew Willins KC (Dispute Resolution).
Next Generation Partners
Sam Riihiluoma (Dispute Resolution; Trusts/Private Client), Matthew Carr (Insurance/ and Reinsurance), Max Tetlow (Insurance/Reinsurance), Cathryn Minors (Insurance/Reinsurance), Jacob MacAdam (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), Georgina Pullinger (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets and Finance), Dean Bennett (Corporate and Commercial), Andrew Jackson (Dispute Resolution), Peter Colegate (Regulatory and Compliance), Sailaja Alla (Investment Funds), Shana Simmonds (Corporate and Commercial).
Leading Associates
Josephine Noddings (Corporate and Commercial, Insurance/Reinsurance), Arielle DeSilva (Banking, Finance and Capital Markets), Jordan Knight (Regulatory and Compliance), Katie Blundy (Regulatory and Compliance), Tim Swallow (Real Estate), Kasia Smith (Corporate and Commercial), Tamara Cameron (Dispute Resolution), James Batten (Dispute Resolution).
Other Key Lawyers
Melinda Mayne (Insurance/Reinsurance), Ojeda Smith (Insurance/Reinsurance), Alexandra Low (Corporate and Commercial), Vance Power (Corporate and Commercial), Alan Bercow (Dispute Resolution), David Lee (Dispute Resolution), Harriet Ter-Berg (Dispute Resolution), Menelik Miller (Regulatory and Compliance), Kristina Ostertag (Real Estate), Patrick Gill (Corporate and Commercial), Tamara Cameron (Dispute Resolution), Fay O’Halloran (Dispute Resolution), Daniel Mitchell (Dispute Resolution), Olwyn Barry (Dispute Resolution).
The continued recognition across all Caribbean offices underscores Appleby’s commitment to excellence, collaboration and innovation in delivering seamless cross-jurisdictional legal advice. The firm extends its gratitude to clients and peers for their continued trust and recognition, and looks forward to building on this success in the year ahead.
