Appleby

Alexandra Dernie

Alexandra is a Senior Associate within the Isle of Man Corporate team. joined Appleby in 2011 as a trainee and was commissioned as an Isle of Man Advocate in 2013 after a two year period of articles and passing the Manx Bar Exams. Alexandra practices in corporate, aviation and commercial property law. Within the realm of corporate law, Alexandra assists with a diverse range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, legal due diligence, banking and asset finance transactions and multi-jurisdictional corporate restructuring. Alexandra co-wrote the Isle of Man chapter of Aircraft Finance Online, published by Thomson Reuters in 2018.

Caren Pegg

Caren Pegg is a partner in the Dispute Resolution department in the Isle of Man. She joined the firm in 2001 and qualified as an Isle of Man advocate in 2003. She is an experienced advocate and deals with a broad range of civil and commercial disputes, including freezing injunctions, enforcement of judgments, asset tracing, Norwich Pharmacal applications, public law issues and director/shareholder disputes. Caren also specialises in employment law and is the Global Head of the Employment team. She has extensive experience in dealing with both non-contentious and contentious matters, including redundancy, employment issues related to mergers & acquisitions, restructuring, unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and contracts of employment. Her clients range from leading global and local corporate entities to high net worth individuals. She also has experience in dealing with GDPR, work permit and immigration issues and also regarding the employment aspects of shipping law, including crew contracts. She has been actively involved in liaising with the Isle of Man Government as part of the consultation process for both the Isle of Man Law Society and the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce for all the employment legislation that has been introduced over the last twenty years including the Employment Act 2006 and the Equality Act 2017.

Charles Davies

Charles Davies is a partner within the Dispute Resolution department in the Isle of Man. He joined Appleby in October 2007 and became a partner in 2010. He specialises in complex corporate and commercial disputes. Since joining the firm, Charles has advised and acted for clients in a variety of commercial, corporate and trust disputes. Clients have included regulatory and governmental bodies, insurers and city firms of solicitors. Prior to joining the firm, Charles practised from 1996 to 2007 as a barrister in a commercial set of chambers in London (Stone Chambers), specialising in all aspects of commercial and shipping litigation, including arbitration.

Christopher Cope

Christopher Cope is a Consultant in the Dispute Resolution department in the Isle of Man. Prior to joining the firm Christopher practised as a barrister for 10 years. In 2001 he relocated to the Isle of Man and joined the firm and was appointed as a partner in 2004.

Claire Milne

Claire Milne is a partner within the Corporate department in the Isle of Man. She is Team Leader for the Intellectual Property and Science & Technology teams in the Isle of Man. Claire has over 20 years´ experience (both in-house and in private practice) of all aspects of contentious and non-contentious IP rights across the spectrum and has dealt with all aspects of commercialisation of IP rights for businesses ranging from start-ups and university spin-outs to large multi-national pharmaceutical companies. She has also worked on major bespoke software and hardware development projects, especially for the financial services and gaming sectors. Claire specialises in advising online gaming and gambling operators, e-business companies and telecoms companies and also advises on data protection and outsourcing issues. Claire was Chair of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission from 2007 – 2012. She is also founding member of the Isle of Man Data Protection Officers´ Forum. Some examples of Claire’s work include advising: the government of the Isle of Man to review the island’s IP legislation and recommend amendments thereto; a number of international banks and insurance companies on the international transfer of their customer personal data; various major brand owners on their trade-mark strategies and licensing strategies in the Isle of Man and Europe; a major bank on the establishment of its e-money service; and a number of international banks and insurance companies on major outsourcing deals.

Claire Corkish

Claire Corkish is Partner and an experienced litigator within the Isle of Man Dispute Resolution department. She has extensive experience in a broad range of commercial litigation matters. In particular, she advises on injunctive relief, search and disclosure orders, cross border mutual legal assistance actions (including anti-suit injunctions), jurisdictional issues, fund disputes and insolvency matters. Claire also advises and appears on behalf of clients in high profile take over and transfer schemes. Since qualifying in November 2009 Claire has appeared before the Isle of Man High Court (at first instance and appellate levels) on a variety of contentious litigation matters. Claire also has significant experience in representing clients at mediation and joint settlement meetings. She completed a six month secondment from the Isle of Man to Hong Kong with Appleby in 2014. Whilst in Hong Kong, Claire assisted a number of Chinese and Korean clients in relation to corporate disputes involving BVI and Cayman incorporated entities.

Eleanor Harding

Eleanor Harding is Counsel within the Corporate department in the Isle of Man, specialising in banking and asset finance transactions, including property, aircraft and ship finance matters. She joined the firm as a trainee and after completing her two year period of articles, Eleanor qualified in February 2011 as an Isle of Man Advocate. Eleanor has particular experience in providing opinions on Isle of Man companies, dealing with cross-border security and insolvency issues and providing advice on all aspects of ship and aircraft finance and registration in the Isle of Man. Eleanor acts for many international financial institutions, law firms and corporate service providers, advising on a full range of the key and complex legal issues that affect both their own businesses and those of their clients. Eleanor assisted Andrew Webb in preparing the Isle of Man chapter for Aircraft Finance Online published by Sweet & Maxwell Limited which covers the registration of aircraft, the registration of aircraft security and the enforcement of aircraft mortgages lease registration in the Isle of Man.

Erin Trimble-Cregeen

Erin is Counsel and practices a broad range of commercial litigation working in Appleby’s Dispute Resolution teams in the Isle of Man and Jersey. Having trained and qualified in the Isle of Man, Erin joined Appleby in October 2015 after gaining several years’ experience at a leading offshore firm in Guernsey. She specialises in trust disputes and general trust advisory work including advising trustees and beneficiaries on a wide range of contentious trust and estates issues and regularly presents to trust service providers on the obligations of trustees. She also undertakes commercial litigation work including insolvency matters and advising regarding restraint orders in the Isle of Man under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2008. Some recent examples of representative work include: advising trustees in respect of potential disputes with beneficiaries; advising trustees and beneficiaries in applications for rectification and/or rescission on the grounds of mistake; advising beneficiaries in an application for a variation of trusts under the Variation of Trusts Act 1961; advising trustees and executors in relation to applications to the Court for directions; advising executors and administrators in relation to the contentious aspects of the administration of estates;

Garry Manley

Garry Manley is a partner in the Isle of Man office who advises on a broad range of Isle of Man and BVI corporate transactions. He has extensive experience of advising on domestic and cross-border mergers & acquisitions and venture capital/private equity investments, with a particular focus on regulated financial services and insurance businesses. In addition to his M&A practice, Garry is one of the Isle of Man’s leading regulatory lawyers, with a particular focus on insurance companies, banks and corporate service providers. Garry’s insurance work sees him advising many of the Isle of Man’s leading insurance groups and insurance managers on the full spectrum of matters including M&A transactions, portfolio transfers, new authorisations, change of control applications and ongoing business regulation, including solvency issues. In addition to the regulation of traditional sectors, Garry advises on a range of novel and developing regulated industries, including payment services and cryptoassets. He is a pre-eminent thought-leader in respect of the regulated cannabis sector on the Isle of Man and is also distinguished in the area of economic substance, having been the only lawyer on the Isle of Man government’s public-private working group since 2019. He also supports clients in contentious regulatory matters, including regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings, alongside colleagues in Appleby’s market-leading disputes team. Garry has a first- class law degree from Oxford University, and before joining Appleby he practised for almost a decade as a mergers & acquisitions and transactional private equity specialist in the London, Hong Kong and New York offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. In addition to his advisory work, Garry frequently provides input into legislative developments across a broad range of topics. He was closely involved in the development of the Isle of Man’s first merger control regime, and he has also been consulted about legislative developments in the areas of company law, cannabis regulation, economic substance and beneficial ownership.

Juan Thornley

Juan Thornley is Partner in the Corporate department with a broad corporate practice. He has extensive experience in M&A, restructuring and regulatory matters, with particular focus on the financial services sector. He heads the Isle of Man Regulatory and Insurance & Pensions teams. He also has a wealth of experience acting on public M&A transactions. Juan is an Isle of Man Advocate, BVI Attorney and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales (non-practising). He is also a Notary Public. In addition to this, he is a member of the Isle of Man’s Bank Resolution and Recovery Technical Advisory Group.

Katherine Garrood

Katherine is Counsel within the Corporate department in the Isle of Man, specialising in Isle of Man funds. Katherine regularly provides regulatory advice, including assisting with a number of change of control submissions to the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority for regulated insurance and financial services entities. She is a member of the data protection team at Appleby and has also acted on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and listings. Katherine joined Appleby in 2011 and was commissioned as an Isle of Man advocate in 2013 after being awarded a commendation in the Manx Bar Exams. She has previously undertaken a secondment to Appleby’s Guernsey office.

Keira Gore

Keira is Partner within the Dispute Resolution department in the Isle of Man. She is dual-qualified as a Manx Advocate and a Barrister in England and Wales. Keira was a tenant at a leading Chambers in London prior to joining Appleby in 2018. Keira is an experienced litigator who deals with a broad range of civil and commercial cases, including professional negligence, injunctive relief, and director/shareholder disputes. Keira regularly appears before the High Court in complex and high value cases. Keira is also a specialist in employment and discrimination law. As a Barrister, Keira appeared for a wide range of clients in the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in England. During her time at Appleby, Keira has represented clients in respect of employment disputes proceeding in the Employment and Equality Tribunals of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Keira also delivers bespoke training in a number of areas including: Employment Law, Discrimination Law, and Dispute Resolution. She is co-author of the English Law Society’s Employment Law Handbook (5th and 6th Editions).

Kyle Sutherland

Kyle Sutherland advises on both the laws of the BVI and Isle of Man, and specialises in a broad range of offshore corporate law in those jurisdictions, ranging from joint venture work, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, real estate finance transactions, private placement and listing work. Kyle has been qualified for over 20 years with both onshore and offshore experience. Prior to re-joining Appleby in 2010, Kyle spent several years working in the corporate department of a leading British Virgin Islands law firm, where he was involved in a wide spectrum of cross-border transactions, and was lead lawyer on a number of high-profile deals. Kyle now heads up Appleby’s BVI (GMT) team, servicing clients with BVI legal advice in a European friendly time zone.

Mark Holligon

Mark Holligon is the Managing Partner of the Isle of Man office and head of Appleby’s Isle of Man Dispute Resolution team. His expertise spans the contentious and non-contentious arenas, both onshore and offshore, with a focus on commercial litigation, insolvency and restructuring. He began his career in England, qualifying in the City of London in 1995 and gaining experience with two further leading UK firms before moving to Walkers in the Cayman Islands in 2003 and on to the Isle of Man in 2008.

Mary-Louise Buxton

Mary-Louise is an associate within the Isle of Man Corporate Department. She qualified as an Isle of Man Advocate in February 2017, joining the firm in May 2018. She has experience in a wide range of corporate matters, including banking and asset finance. Her practice also extends to providing regulatory, pension and insurance advice. Mary-Louise acts for a variety of international financial institutions, law firms and corporate service providers, advising on a full range of the key and complex legal issues that affect both their own businesses and those of their clients.

Melissa Wong

Melissa is a senior associate within the Corporate department in the Isle of Man, specialising in Private Client & Trusts work and Commercial Property. Melissa acts for international financial institutions, law firms and corporate service providers, advising on a full range of complex legal issues which affect both their own businesses and those of their clients. Melissa deals with all aspects of trust, foundation and estate related matters including trust and corporate transactions, restructuring, provision of advice to trustees, council members, beneficiaries and protectors, assisting executors and beneficiaries with Isle of Man probate and providing legal opinions on the authority and capacity of trustees and foundations to enter into a variety of transactions.

Michelle Brook

Michelle Brook is Counsel within the Corporate department in the Isle of Man, having joined Appleby in 2002. Michelle has been advising on Isle of Man insurance matters and transactions for over 15 years and has built up a wealth of experience in dealing with the often complicated and multi-jurisdictional legal issues that face Isle of Man insurers. She is well versed in dealing with everything from the day to day dealings with the Isle of Man regulator, as well as advising on some of the biggest and most high-profile acquisitions involving Isle of Man insurance companies. She has also advised on a number of insurance business transfer schemes. Michelle also has experience in a broad range of matters arising in the corporate finance, banking and asset finance and financial services regulation sectors. Michelle acts for many insurance companies, international financial institutions, law firms and corporate service providers, advising on a full range of the key and complex legal issues that affect both their own businesses and those of their clients. Michelle has previously undertaken a secondment to a leading international bank.

Simon Harding

Simon Harding is a partner in the Corporate department. He has a focus on funds, financial services, regulatory and insurance matters, as well as being involved in a range of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions.

Sophia Howell-Evans

Sophia is a senior associate in the Corporate department in the Isle of Man with a broad and varied practice. Sophia has significant experience in corporate finance matters regularly advising on multi-million asset finance, domestic and cross-border security and debt restructuring to leading financial institutions and corporate borrowers. She also has a wide range of experience in general corporate and regulatory transactions, including advising on pensions, multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, corporate governance, voluntary liquidations and migrations. Her practice extends to trust law including advising both local and international clients on the establishment and restructuring of trusts and the use of trusts in corporate structures. Sophia’s clients include international financial institutions, corporate service providers, listed and private companies, high net worth individuals and onshore law firms.

Sophie Corkish

Sophie is a senior associate within the Corporate department in the Isle of Man, specialising in banking and asset finance transactions, including ship finance matters. She joined the firm as a trainee and after completing her two year period of articles, Sophie qualified in November 2017 as an Isle of Man Advocate. Sophie acts for many international financial institutions, law firms and corporate service providers, advising on a full range of the key and complex legal issues that affect both their own businesses and those of their clients.

Tom Brook

Tom Brook is Partner within the Corporate department and specialises in advising clients on a wide range of debt finance, equity finance, M&A, and restructuring transactions. Tom spent seven years in the banking and finance teams of two UK based international law firms before moving offshore and joining Appleby in 2011. Tom has experience of advising on domestic and cross-border debt finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and corporate governance issues. His clients include onshore law firms, international financial institutions, listed and private companies and high net worth individuals.

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