The degree of competition when seeking to secure a role at one of the major firms in Cayman appears to be even more intense than ever, with a significant number of high calibre City candidates applying for each role that comes up. A degree of patience is therefore advisable. If you don’t succeed at first attempt, bide your time patiently! It will be worth the wait.

Three of the big offshore firms all made a number of hires for their corporate and funds teams in the second half of last year. As a result, those firms are now in a period of bedding down these new hires and so may not be particularly active in the recruitment market until the second half of this year.

Litigation continues to be a buoyant area for recruitment both in Cayman, BVI and the Channel Islands, at a junior and senior level.

A very notable feature of the offshore market has been the movement of a number of senior Cayman-based partners from the major firms to their Hong Kong offices – Gareth Griffiths (Maples & Calder), Rod Palmer (Walkers), James Bergstrom (Ogier) to name just three. In addition, Mourant Ozannes have just opened a new office in Hong Kong (the last of the major offshore firms to do so) whilst Ogier and Appleby have announced the opening of offices in Shanghai.