26 June 2009

Appleby is First Foreign Law Firm Licensed to Practice Local and International Law in Mauritius

Appleby, the leading global offshore legal, fiduciary and administration service provider, has announced that its Mauritius office has become the first joint venture law firm to be registered to practice local and international law on the island. The registration is under the new Law Practitioners (Amendment) Act 2008 and the Law Practitioners (Registration of Law Firms, Foreign Law Firms, Joint Law Ventures and Foreign Lawyers) Regulations 2008. The joint venture firm will operate under the name of Appleby.

Appleby is the first foreign law firm to have successfully set up office and be registered to practice both Mauritius and foreign law and is licensed to appear before all local courts and tribunals.

Appleby opened it office in Mauritius in February 2007 to focus on investment into the fast-growing emerging markets in Africa, Asia and India to meet the needs of institutional clients in North America, Europe and Asia.

The new laws are designed to regulate the setting up, registration and functioning of domestic law firms, foreign law firms, joint law ventures and foreign lawyers in Mauritius and, to provide a framework for the regulation and practice of foreign and international law in Mauritius. The legislation confirms the long standing intention of the Mauritian Government to encourage international legal services and consolidate the island’s position as a major financial and legal services centre in the region.

As the island’s first registered joint venture law firm, Appleby will continue to work closely with the Government and financial services authorities to raise awareness worldwide of the significant opportunities for investors in the jurisdiction.

Mauritius office managing partner Malcolm Moller, one of the newly registered foreign lawyers under Law Practitioners Act 1984 said: “We believe that, as a global offshore services provider, Appleby’s presence in Mauritius is not only an invaluable resource for our clients, but will also provide a significant boost to the island’s capabilities, status and reputation in the international offshore sector. Appleby’s global reach in the key offshore jurisdictions, its recent expansion into the Seychelles strengthening our position with the emerging markets in India, Africa and Asia, and our market leading position in international financial centres, will have a major impact on the breadth, range and choice of services we are able to offer to our local and international clients.

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