Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), the leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, today announced that Edward Chipman (“Chip”) Earle will join the Company as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary effective July 30, 2012.

Chip comes to the Company with more than ten years of legal experience; six in the energy industry. Before joining Bristow, he served as Assistant Vice President, Global Legal, with Transocean Ltd., where he managed the worldwide operations legal team.  In this role, Chip was a member of the senior legal leadership team and advised executive management and the Board of Directors on legal issues related to the strategic and commercial aspects of joint ventures and other legal operations matters.  He also served in the roles of General Counsel for Transocean’s Europe and Africa business unit as well as Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.  While working atTransocean, Chip lived in several locations including Houston, Grand Cayman,Paris and Geneva. Prior to Transocean, he was employed at Baker Botts L.L.P.in Houston as a corporate and securities lawyer. Chip started his legal career inAustin as a corporate and securities associate with the law firm of Wilson Sonsini  Goodrich&Rosati.  Chip holds a MBA and a JD from the University of Texas.

In his new role he will serve on Bristow’s senior management team responsible for global legal operations, compliance and internal audit.

William E. Chiles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bristow Group, stated, “We are delighted to have an individual with Chip’s exceptional  background and global business acumen join our team and I am sure that he will immediately contribute to the execution of our strategy and plans. His international and commercial experience with customer contractual and service agreements, combined with his background in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, U.S. securities matters and capital markets, is expected to be a major asset and we look forward to Chip contributing greatly to the Bristow team.”

Editor note – see also Senior VP / General Counsel leaves Bristow Group