The Legal 500

Clyde & Co’s team acts for the full spectrum of industry participants, and has grown its associate numbers. Ik Wei Chong is well-known in the field and leads on all matters which make up the team’s diverse caseload. Recent highlights include advising a major French insurer on a ground-breaking reinsurance CIETAC arbitration case, and advising a leading Chinese shipyard on the enforcement of a $25m ship mortgage.

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP specialises in all aspects of wet, dry and corporate shipping law. Master Mariner Julian Davies handles a wide range of cases encompassing admiralty, shipbuilding/repair, charterparty, cargo and energy matters. Jenny Chester specialises in salvage, collision and pollution, and Nick Poynder primarily assists in shipping disputes, acting for both Chinese and overseas clients.

Ince & Co provides the full range of maritime law advice and has a strong pedigree in the Shanghai office: Paul Ho has a broad practice covering international project and asset financing, ship finance, shipbuilding, ship sale and purchase, foreign direct investment, charterparty disputes and cargo claims. Peter Murray is an arbitrator of the Shanghai Arbitration Court of International Shipping. Vincent Xu and Wai Yue Loh were both promoted to partner.

DLA Piper has a strong focus on financing, and mergers and acquisitions within the shipping sector. The group also benefits from the in-depth knowledge of Shanghai managing partner Roy Chan, who is experienced in handling China-related shipping and insurance matters, and the ‘outstanding’ Kevin Chan (a ‘highly professional lawyer with dedication to his work’), who is well-known for his work in complex shipping disputes.

All members of Norton Rose LLP’s strong Asia-wide shipping practice are regularly involved in China-related shipping matters. The group has broad sector exposure, particularly in banking and finance, where highlights included acting for the Export-Import Bank of China and DnB NOR Bank as arrangers of a $200m loan facility to two leading Greek operators. The team also has experience of Sinosure supported financing. Jim James specialises in shipping litigation.

Stephenson Harwood’s practice incorporates a shipping litigation team, led by Jason Toms, and a non-contentious ship finance team, led by Stephanie Wong and new partner Hongkai Zhou. Although based in Hong Kong and Singapore, all members of the team are heavily involved in work out of China. In 2010, Zhou advised the Bank of China on the first ship financing backed by Sinosure lease insurance policies.

Wikborg Rein’s varied practice acts for major hull underwriters, P&I clubs, and ship owners. The ‘dedicated’ and ‘professional’ team has a growing local client base and is sole legal advisor to a number of major Chinese State-owned enterprises (SOEs). Other work included advising a Chinese oil major on an offshore oil and gas project in Brazil. Geir Sviggum has a ‘truly Chinese mind which is very tailored to local customers’, and Yafeng Sun is ‘prompt’, ‘calm’ and ‘professional’.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert welcomed Andrew Horton in 2010 from Reed Smith Richards Butler to lead its shipping practice from Hong Kong. Senior Solicitor Gary Yin arrived from DLA Piper, bringing extensive experience of litigation and arbitration matters in China.

Despite losing Andrew Horton to Barlow Lyde & Gilbert in 2010, Reed Smith Richards Butler has a strong Hong Kong-based shipping team covering ship finance, and contentious and non-contentious dry shipping work in China. Lianjun Li is the key contact.