Isle of Man firm Dickinson Cruickshank is launching in London, with former Allen & Overy corporate senior associate Toby Ward set to head the office.
The office will initially have two lawyers, with Ward being joined by a rotation of Isle of Man partners, but will embark on an aggressive recruitment drive to grow the office, with plans for five full-time staff.
Ward, who qualified with Dickinson Cruickshank before joining A&O, was previously the UK senior legal counsel for US financial services institution State Street Bank and Trust Company.
Dickinson Cruickshank senior partner Paul Morris said: “With the developments in the offshore legal world in the past 12 months, and the Isle of Man offering an ever-more sophisticated economy, the launch of a London office allows us a strategic opportunity.”
The launch comes on the back of a spate of mergers by offshore firms, most recently between Cayman and Channel Islands firm Ogier and British Virgin Islands-focused WSmiths (www.thelawyer.com, 5 October).
