Maples and Calder steps up recruitment drive

Cayman Islands firm Maples and Calder has made its second lateral hire in as many months after taking on an asset finance partner from White & Case.

Mark Western joins the 27-partner firm after Maples and Calder announced last month that Nigel Porteous, a partner from Eversheds’ soon to be defunct London private client department, would move to the Caymans practice in April.

The appointments arrive at a time when the Caymans legal market is going through a period of change. Just two weeks ago, rival Hunter & Hunter merged with the Bermuda outfit Appleby Spurling & Kempe to form one of the largest offshore law firms.

While in this week’s issue of The Lawyer (January 26) it was revealed that Maples was replaced by two-partner Caymans firm Turner & Roulstone as counsel to embattled Italian group Parmalat.