Prominent Appleby lawyer to step down after more than four decades

Leading Jersey law firm, Appleby has today announced that Partner, John Bisson, will be retiring from the partnership next year. He will move to a new consultancy role and continue to manage some of Appleby's long standing client relationships in Jersey.

John, who will have served an extraordinary 42 years with Appleby on retirement, is one of Jersey's best-known property lawyers. He has played a key role in building the Appleby property team to become one of the largest and well-respected on the Island today.

Commenting on the news, Appleby's Group Managing Partner Michael O'Connell said: “Although we are preparing ourselves to see a little less of John as he starts his richly deserved retirement next year, I am really pleased that he will remain part of Appleby as a consultant. John has built a career and a formidable reputation as a lawyer that is an inspiration to many.”

John rose through the ranks to become Senior Partner of Bailhache Labesse in 2000 until the firm merged with Appleby in 2006. He was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board of the Appleby Group in 2006 and remained in that role until 2010.

To coincide with the news about John Bisson, Appleby has also announced that it is continuing to invest in its market-leading property team with the appointment of leading Jersey conveyancer, Denis Worrall.

Tim Hart, who leads the Global Property Team at Appleby, said: “With Denis's appointment, and the continued growth of our property group, John will be scaling back his workload at a time when the team enters an exciting new phase of its development. We are investing in the team, by bringing people like Denis in to complement our existing skills and expertise. Our goal is to ensure we are equipped to respond to the changing needs of our clients in this challenging economic environment.”

Denis Worrall is one of the Island's most experienced and respected conveyancers, bringing 25 years of expertise to the Conveyancing Manager post. Notably, he will lead on commercial conveyancing services, providing vital support to Appleby's dedicated property partners Tim Hart, John Bisson, Georgina Cook and Andrew Pim.

Commenting on his appointment, Denis says: ‘I am delighted to be working with a team I have long respected for their legal property acumen. Clients are, more than ever before, demanding responsiveness, accuracy and value and I'm excited by the challenges ahead.

Pictured: John Bisson (top) and Denis Worrall (bottom)