15 June 2005 – Huw Moses, Managing Partner of the Appleby Spurling Hunter Cayman and BVI Offices, has been made an "Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire" (Civil Division) (OBE). According to the citation for the honour, it has been awarded for his "services to the community, Cayman Islands".
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was instituted in 1917, during World War 1, by King George V. It was designed to reward British and Allied subjects who rendered conspicuous service of a non-combatant nature.
The Order is part of the British system of honours, awarded in recognition of service to the country and the Sovereign. The Honours list is published twice annually, at New Year and on the Queen’s Birthday. The awards are granted by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. In the case of Overseas Territories, the Prime Minister takes the recommendations of the Governor, who receives nominations from members of the public.
In reference to the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said, "A key aim has been to reward those who work and serve at the sharp end – people who have really changed things, or who have given outstanding service to others in difficult situations".
The precise details underlying such honours are not made public. However in Huw’s case, it is a fair assumption that the award especially recognises his relentless efforts in service to the Cayman Islands after the Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. In particular, Huw made an outstanding contribution to the speedy recovery of the financial services industry and was instrumental in the establishment of the Cayman Islands National Recovery Fund (www.caymanrecovery.ky) of which he serves as a Trustee.
Appleby Spurling Hunter is a leading provider of sophisticated, specialised offshore legal services. With more than 400 lawyers and staff, the organisation is uniquely positioned in the key offshore jurisdictions of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, and has offices in the financial centres of Hong Kong and London.