Bermuda-based offshore law firm Appleby is set expand east with the opening of new offices in Dubai and Zurich in Switzerland.

The legal firm plans boost its global network by launching the two offices which will further extend the services it offers and provide clients with greater access to the high growth Middle East, Asian, Indian and African capital and to private bank and institutional services in Switzerland.

The new offices, which will start operating in early 2009, will increase Appleby's focus in high growth international corporate and private wealth markets.

Appleby is one of few offshore firms to open in Switzerland and is the first of the "offshore magic circle" companies to do so.

Its strategy has been to centre on locations of significant corporate or private wealth and the new offices will provide clients with direct access to the world's top offshore jurisdictions in Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jersey and Mauritius.

The Dubai office will be staffed by two partners, including Jeanne Bartlett, head of the firm's global structured finance practice, with another partner and an assistant. The office will focus on investment funds, private equity, structured finance, major projects, property and private client services.

Appleby has a significant inflow of work from the GCC region and the Dubai office will ensure this is expanded directly into the core offshore markets, providing Middle East clients with a significant choice of offshore jurisdiction.

The Zurich office will focus on both corporate and private wealth markets providing private banks, wealth management and other institutions as well as Middle East and Asian based clients whose funds are managed in Switzerland, with direct access to high level offshore services. On the corporate side the office will focus on the insurance and funds sectors again to provide direct access to the firm's specialist expertise in the Bermuda and Cayman markets. The office will be initially staffed by a partner and an assistant.

Appleby has worked closely with institutional clients in North America, Europe and Asia who have indicated the level of resources that they require from a global offshore services firm. The firm has expanded rapidly in the last three years with a total legal and professional staff of more than 700, including 54 partners.

Shaun Morris, managing partner of the Bermuda office, said: "Our driving strategy has been to be the leading provider of legal, fiduciary and administration services in the offshore world. We see significant opportunities in the Gulf region and the expansion of our private wealth business in the more traditional Swiss market.

"The new offices will provide our corporate, institutional and private clients with greater resources both in the locations and time zones in which they do business and a broader choice across the key offshore jurisdictions to suit their needs. We believe that the move will reinforce Appleby's position as the first choice for clients in the offshore sector."