The firm will now be known as Appleby in the Isle of Man.

Appleby is the first global offshore law firm to have a presence in the Isle of Man and is now the largest global offshore law group by number of partners.

The global group now has 74 partners and 200 lawyers, and a total of over 800 staff in 11 offices worldwide including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Republic of Seychelles, Bahrain, Jersey, Mauritius, Hong Kong, London, Zurich and the Isle of Man.

Although Dickinson Cruickshank is becoming a part of a larger international organisation, it will remain a full service law firm.

Sean Dowling, managing partner of the Isle of Man office, said the merger would provide a huge boost to the Isle of Man's capabilities, status and reputation in the international offshore sector.

'Appleby's global reach in the key offshore jurisdictions, its recent expansion through Zurich, Bahrain and the Seychelles and its market leading position in international financial centres, will have a significant impact on the breadth, range and choice of services we are able to offer to our Isle of Man and international clients,' he said.

Peter Bubenzer, Appleby's group managing partner, added: 'The merger will position us as the leading provider of legal, fiduciary and administration services across the offshore world.

'Our global reach in the key offshore jurisdictions and main international financial centres is unparalleled and will have a significant impact on the breadth, range and choice of services we are able to offer to our international clients.

'Our entry into the Isle of Man market further builds our strength and depth across multiple jurisdictions providing greater resources and greater choice to all of our clients and their advisers.'