Multinational companies seeking counsel from offshore law firm Appleby Spurling Hunter may find they are now more readily able to access legal advice for their business interests in multiple jurisdictions.

This was according to group managing partner Peter Bubenzer who yesterday said that could be one of the benefits for clients after the firm he leads ? known until yesterday as Appleby Spurling & Kempe ? joined with Caymans Island firm Hunter & Hunter.

The two firms announced that they were ?combining? forces earlier this year, but the deal, and new name of Appleby Spurling Hunter, did not take effect until yesterday.

In a Press statement issued to mark the move, Mr. Bubenzer said: ?Since announcing our combination in mid-January, clients have responded very favourably to the new possibilities.

?Our goal is to make it easier and more cost effective for our clients to manage obtaining their legal advice and administering their companies in multiole jurisdictions.

?This will be accomplished as a result of having access to even greater resources, as well as coordinated management and consistent standards across those jurisdictions,? he said.

Appleby Spurling Hunter, with a reported team of 430 lawyers and staff worldwide, has operations now in Bermuda, the Caymans, British Virgin Islands, London and Hong Kong.