Dillon Eustace has appointed Derbhil O’Riordan as a partner for its recently established Cayman Islands office.

O’Riordan (pictured) previously worked at the firm’s Dublin headquarters and will continue to work for its hedge funds practice, servicing both Irish and Cayman funds.

O’Riordan joined Dillon Eustace in 2003 and was promoted to partner in 2010. Engaging primarily with the investment fund industry her legal expertise lies in establishing, structuring and ongoing operation of hedge funds, sophisticated Ucits structures and exchange-traded funds. She also advises fund service providers with a particular emphasis on alternative investment and related custody and structural issues. O’Riordan has also advised on the rules of listing on the Irish Stock Exchange and worked closely with listing sponsors on the London Stock Exchange, Borsa Italiana and Euronext Lisbon.

Dillon Eustace was the first onshore regulated law firm to establish a fully-serviced practice in the Cayman Islands. The office was opened by Dillon Eustace last year in response to increased client demand for services in the offshore jurisdiction particularly as it evolves in to a more transparent market.

Mark Thorne, managing partner at Dillon Eustace says:  “The Cayman Islands as a jurisdiction is in a period of transition with a more regulated framework due to be implemented. The Cayman Government and the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority have proved themselves to be more than capable of meeting and often exceeding international standards and there is no doubt that we will continue to see moves being made in Cayman to reflect the concerns of the international community. We believe that Derbhil is an excellent addition to our Cayman team while this transition takes place.”

Dillon Eustace’s Cayman branch was added to the firm’s existing international office network in April 2012 which already included Asian, European and North American representative offices. The Cayman office provides services complementary to the firm’s Irish law offering.