Top Bermuda law firm Appleby Spurling & Kempe officially sheds Kempe from its name this week to become known as Appleby Spurling Hunter.

The change, which becomes effective on Thursday, follows the company?s announcement earlier in the year that it would be joining forces with Cayman Islands firm Hunter & Hunter in a bid to become a leading offshore firm. The firm has borne the Appleby Spurling & Kempe name for the past 55 years. However, the move is not a merger in the strict sense of the word with managing director Peter Bubenzer telling The Royal Gazette previously that it was more of a ?combination? arrangement leaving the partners of each firm in place.

Mr. Bubenzer is to become managing partner of the combined firm while James Jardine becomes CEO. Both executives are to remain based in Bermuda.

The firm?s decision to join forces is the first development of its kind for a Bermuda firm, but follows a number of mergers between other offshore law firms including the merger late last year of Channel Islands firm Ogier and Caymans firm Boxalls, while two Channel Island firms ? Carey Langlois and Olsens ? also joined recently to create Carey Olsen.

Mr. Bubenzer predicted that there would be other Bermuda firms that would follow suit in doubling up with law offices in other jurisdictions.

In tandem with its landmark move ? making it the first time a firm will reportedly have a significant presence in both Bermuda and the Caymans ? AS&K also announced that it had last month opened a new office in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

This development was said by the firm to be one more step in reinforcing ?the foothold the firm is making in key offshore jurisdictions?. Mr. Bubenzer said: ?We have received considerable interest from Asia, North America and Europe regarding the firm?s ability to service clients in the British Virgin Islands.

?The new office will provide us with the capability of having attorneys on the ground to service our BVI clientele as well as clients with interests in this region of the Caribbean.?

Fiona Bada, a lawyer who has worked in both Bermuda and BVI, has been named resident attorney in the new office, where she will be able to offer egal advice and services, including the incorporation of special purpose vehicles, the establishment of investment funds, financing transactions, and public and private holding companies.

In addition to Bermuda, BVI and the Caymans, the firm also has a presence in Hong Kong and London.