Appleby Acquires Trust Businesses From Coutts

Appleby, one of the world’s largest providers of offshore legal and fiduciary services, has acquired two of Coutts’ trust businesses as part of the Group’s ongoing strategy to grow its fiduciary and administration business.  Appleby’s acquisition of the trust administration books in the Cayman Islands and Geneva follows a strategic review by Coutts to divest itself of certain non-core trust business and focus on the expansion of its international trust business in Jersey. 

Announcing the acquisition, Farah Ballands, Appleby Partner and Global Head of Fiduciary and Administration Services said, “We are excited about this latest development that will build on the strength and depth of our fiduciary team across multiple jurisdictions and reinforce Appleby’s position as the first choice for clients in the offshore sector.”

Richard McMillan, Managing Director of Appleby Trust (Cayman) Ltd. added, “We have continued to look for new opportunities to build on the success of Appleby’s trust business. Coutts’ business in Cayman is a great fit with our own – Coutts adheres to the high standards of service our clients are used to.  We are committed to working to develop our position as an established and well-regarded business in the industry and are delighted to offer our clients increased resources and a broader choice.”


The Cayman Island book will become part of Appleby Trust (Cayman) Ltd. and will operate from Appleby’s Cayman office. The book in Geneva will become part of Appleby Trust (Isle of Man) Limited.

Sean Dowling, Managing Partner of Appleby Trust (Isle of Man) Limited said, “This addition to Appleby Isle of Man follows the recent acquisition of Caledonian’s Isle of Man trust company and fund administration arm.  We are pleased to be adding further strength to the trust administration services we can offer to our domestic and international clients.”

Martin Hall, Managing Director and Head of Coutts’ International Trust Business said: “We see this transaction as a logical step in Coutts’ growth strategy, sharpening our focus on serving clients from key markets and investing substantially in our flagship Jersey trust company.  Our in-depth discussions with the Appleby team have confirmed that the two businesses have closely aligned values and Appleby will be able to provide our transferring clients with the high standards of service that they have come to expect from Coutts.  The strength and quality of Appleby’s existing operation made them a natural fit for the business and we are confident that our clients will experience a positive transition into the Appleby Group.”