Appleby

Honoured that Appleby were selected to coordinate with the Hon. André Ebanks , Premier of the Cayman Islands and Minister for Financial Services and Commerce, and Appleby alumni, Mr Gene DaCosta , Cayman Islands Government Overseas Representative to Asia, and Mr Sean Whewell , International Affairs Analyst at the Cabinet Office of the Cayman Islands Government for a series of meeting and events during their visit to Shanghai. Travelling with the delegation throughout their visit, the Appleby team spent time and supported the delegates across a range of meetings and activities. Alongside this, Appleby and the delegation held discussions on developments in the offshore sector and broader areas of potential collaboration. Appleby also hosted a number of small-scale industry gatherings, bringing together fund managers and other professional advisers for informal discussions on current market trends. On 11 May 2026, Appleby’s Shanghai office hosted its Spring Reception at The Upper House. The event was attended by professionals from across the fund management, legal, accounting and consulting sectors. Mr Ebanks, Mr DaCosta and Mr Whewell joined more than 50 guests for an evening of networking and discussion. In his remarks, Mr Ebanks reflected on his long-standing connection with Appleby, noting that the firm was where he began his legal career. He also spoke about the Cayman Islands’ continued focus on strengthening its position as an international financial centre, including developments in areas such as reinsurance, family offices and technology, and expressed his interest in building closer ties with market participants. He further expressed his hope that Appleby's Asia offices would continue to serve as a bridge between the Cayman Islands and clients in the region, fostering closer exchange and cooperation. These visits demonstrate the commitment of the Cayman Islands to continue fostering the strong relationship with China and Asia and we look forward to continuing to support the growth of the Cayman Islands in Asia related matters and structuring.

Appleby is advising Forge Nano, Inc. on the offshore aspects of its approximately US$1.6 billion business combination with publicly traded special purpose acquisition company Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. which is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions A pleasure to be working with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP New York team as lead counsel, with the Paul Weiss team led by Benjamin Goodchild , Tim Cruickshank and Christodoulos Kaoutzanis . Thanks to Alejandra Gonzalez Saucedo , Kelly Tang and Mandy Qi in Hong Kong and Shanghai for assisting on this. https://lnkd.in/g_ufRyeh

I am back in Jersey for a couple of weeks, a little sooner than anticipated, perhaps slightly dazed, but very glad to be seeing friends and colleagues here in person. Over the last couple of days it has already been a steady stream of familiar faces, which is very much one of the perks of a smaller place and not so different from ADGM, where you also tend to bump into people without really trying. It was refreshing to be able to host our fortnightly Appleby corporate team meeting in the room yesterday rather than on the screen for a change - it is easy to forget how much of the banter gets lost when one is remote. I am here for a short window of time on this trip and keen to catch up on everything Jersey, so I would very much welcome the chance to see as many of you as possible. If you have time to meet this week or next, please do get in touch. If asked, I will assert that I brought the sunshine with me...

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our joint Kroll, South Square, Appleby event last week. It was a real privilege to have the opportunity to speak with the Hon. Justice Kawaley.