Appleby, a provider of offshore legal, fiduciary and administration services, has appointed Matthew Stocker as a partner in its Hong Kong office.

Stocker (pictured) practices in the full range of corporate and commercial law matters, including general banking and finance transactions, asset and structured financings, local aircraft and vessel registrations, and private equity and other investment fund work.

Prior to joining Appleby, Stocker practised with Maples and Calder in the Cayman Islands and subsequently in Hong Kong.

Stocker gained his onshore experience at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London and Rome and trained with Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) in London, qualifying as a English solicitor in 1996.

“I am delighted to have Matthew on board - his wealth of asset/structured finance experience, especially on the Cayman front, further strengthens our team and offers unparalleled offshore legal services to our Asia Pacific clients,” says Frances Woo, managing partner of Appleby’s Hong Kong office.

“I am very excited by this opportunity. With Appleby’s brand name and culture and the impressive extent of its jurisdictional coverage, we have a very strong offering for clients globally and, not least, here in Asia,” adds Stocker.