Appleby Hunter Bailhache will officially change its name to Appleby as of April 1.

When Appleby Spurling Hunter combined with Jersey-based Bailhache Labesse last year, the firm announced that they would use the combined name of Appleby Hunter Bailhache until March 31, 2007. Appleby will be the institutionalised name of the firm going forward.

A statement from the firm, released yesterday, said: “As law firms around the world have grown, opting for a single name has become an increasingly popular trend. Appleby has experienced dramatic growth and expansion in recent years, and as the group entered into mergers with other firms they combined names with the firms to build on their market reputations and to reinforce an understanding of the combined group. However, going forward, Appleby will be the global name for the firm.”

For many years, the firm was known as Appleby Spurling & Kempe. According to Shaun Morris (pictured), Appleby’s Bermuda managing partner: “We are very proud of our heritage and the energy and skill of those who formed this firm and contributed to our success over the years.

“Sir Dudley Spurling, Bill Kempe and our other former partners are most certainly not forgotten. However, as a firm grows and changes over time, it becomes impossible to incorporate the names of all of its key leaders into its name. Therefore, in the rapidly evolving, international marketplace in which we operate, it is necessary to be known under an institutionalised name.”