The Legal 500

Allen & Gledhill LLP’s ‘helpful, professional’ team, led by Vivian Ang and Gina Lee Wan, acted for Nordea Bank on cross-border issues concerning Korea Lines Corporation. Clients appreciate Yap Yin Soon’s ‘hands-on’ approach, and recommend litigator Corina Song.

Rajah & Tann LLP’s 27-lawyer team, led by Toh Kian Sing SC, was strengthened by the launch of the firm’s Vietnam office and the hire of two Malaysian-qualified lawyers. The firm advises on all areas of shipping and ship finance. Highlights included acting as external counsel on shipping issues when BHP Billiton declared force majeure at Haypoint Terminal, Queensland in December 2010. Winston Kwek and Leong Kah Wah are leading names. Clients value Ian Teo’s ‘timely, practical advice’.

Drew & Napier LLC handles dry and wet work for an international client base. Director Werner Tsu, commended for his ‘remarkable expertise’, is representing a Norwegian company seeking S$20m indemnity from a Chinese enterprise following a tug and tow accident.

Joseph Tan Jude Benny’s name partner Jude P Benny advises P&I clubs, shipowners, shipyards, insurers and cargo interests on collision and salvage claims.

Oon & Bazul LLP specialises in marine insurance, particularly involving Malaysian ships and cargo. Former seafaring officer Goush Marikan is ‘exceptionally good in wet work’, while Bazul Ashaab ‘combines legal knowledge with commercial acumen’. Litigator Nicholas Lum joined from Clyde & Co in Shanghai. Oon Thian Seng is recommended.

Rodyk & Davidson LLP’s practice, co-headed by ‘highly qualified and responsive’ SIAC arbitrator Lawrence Teh and Janice Ngeow, handles ship finance work, cross-border corporate transactions and maritime disputes. Teh is advising Asiatic Shipping in a breach of charterparty claim against IRISL (Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.

Collin Seah and Ian Lim at TSMP Law Corporation handled charterparty claims including recovery of $90m in unpaid charter hire and damages, advising creditors of Korea Line Corporation and recovery of demurrage for PetroChina.

Maritime law is a mainstay for Ang & Partners, which handles dry, wet and transactional work. Loo Dip Seng focuses on admiralty litigation. Chan Leng Sun SC was appointed senior counsel.

Four-partner practice AsiaLegal LLC specialises in marine collision and casualty claims, charterparty disputes and other marine insurance matters. Timothy Tan and P Jeya Putra are leading names.

Colin Ng & Partners LLP advised Catalist listed Equation Corp on the $3m acquisition of three vessels. Clients recommend the ‘solid, meticulous’ Bill Jamieson

Gurbani & Co’s name partner Prem Gurbani handles wet and dry matters advising shipowners, operators and charterers, marine insurers, freight forwarders and financial institutions. Litigators S Mohan and Richard Kuek are recommended.

Haridass Ho & Partners’ Ajaib Haridass and his team handle wet and dry work, representing shipowners, shipyards and P&I Clubs.

Deborah Barker and K Anparasan lead KhattarWong’s shipping practice, advising on contentious and non-contentious shipping and admiralty matters, ship financing and compliance with the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore’s requirements.

Joseph Tan at Legal Solutions LLC handles shipping and cargo related disputes and international arbitrations and advises Amarante Shipping on all shipping-related matters.

Loo & Partners LLP provides ‘excellent, quality advice’ on ship financing, notably representing Mega International Commercial Bank in its $134m vessels acquisition financing to Taiwanese shipping conglomerate U-Ming Group. Nordea Bank is a key client.

Litigator Wendy Tan at Stamford Law Corporation represented QBE Insurance Malaysia Berhad in a case involving the loss of a barge in a typhoon. Ship finance specialist Susan Kong advised Rickmers Maritime on debt restructuring matters.

Clyde & Co’s John Champion handles wet and dry disputes, supported by Master Mariner Bruce Ewen and Chris Edwards, who advises on carriage of goods and shipbuilding warranty claims. The team will be strengthened by the firm’s merger with Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP in November 2011.

Simon Davidson leads Holman Fenwick Willan LLP’s ‘pragmatic, resourceful and professional’ team. The ‘commercially strong’ Barry Stimpson specialises in dry work, and admiralty expert Bill Kerr advises on marine insurance and salvage claims. Solicitor and mariner Andrew Gray from Holman Fenwick Willan LLP, Wole Olufunwa from Reed Smith and Jess D’Souza from the High Court of Australia, joined the team.

Ince & Co’s ‘excellent’ team, led by Richard Lovell and Simon Spark, is recommended for ‘business-practicality often absent from others’ advice’. The practice was strengthend by the establishment of the Ince Law Alliance with newly formed Singapore law practice Incisive Law LLC. Recent work includes advising multi-jurisdictional shipping insolvencies and casualty. The ‘helpful, responsive’ Martin Brown adds ship finance expertise. Denys Hickey is a ‘standout lawyer’.

Stephenson Harwood provides ‘prompt advice and high level of industry knowledge’ on wet and dry shipping matters. The practice, led by litigator Durai Shunmugam, includes admiralty specialist Timothy Elsworth and was boosted by the arrival of Robert Guttfield from Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP in London, Chris Harrison from Clyde & Co LLP in Dubai, Peter Gordon from Thomas Cooper in London and Daniel Walker from DLA Piper UK LLP. Daryll Ng was promoted to partner. Clients recommend the ‘perceptive’ Dirk Janssen.

Robert Joiner at Kennedys is recommended for ‘prompt, detailed advice’ to commodity traders, and P&I clubs. Iain Sharp advises marine and P&I insurers on contract drafting and shipment negotiations. The ‘responsive’ team handles a large range and volume of disputes, offering ‘wide maritime knowledge and value for money’.

Norton Rose (Asia) LLP’s Guy Spooner handles shipping disputes, and recently promoted partner Robert Driver undertakes non-contentious work. Gervais Green advised DVB Group Merchant Bank (Asia) on a $42m export credit supported loan facility to OSX 1 Leasing. Stephen Begley transferred from the Hong Kong office. Clients recommend Kate Sherrard.

Watson, Farley & Williams LLP is recognised for its ship finance prowess, and its cross-practice group is recommended for its ‘commerciality, sector knowledge and support’. Chris Lowe has been described as ‘the best shipping lawyer in Singapore’, and Marcus Gordon is ‘a skilled litigator’. Madeline Leong is another ‘star’ and Goh Mei Lin is recommended. Andrew Nimmo was promoted to partner. John Ray obtained a substantial victory for Global Process Systems against its marine insurers.

Wikborg Rein’s 16-lawyer shipping practice, led by Chris Grieveson, who ‘is gathering a superb reputation in the marketplace’, handles shipping disputes and ship finance, casualty and insurance matters. Together with its Oslo office, it acted as sole counsel on the world’s largest ever wreck removal - the West Atlas - and advised on the Jupiter 1 rig wreck removal off Mexico. Stephen Fordham focuses on commercial matters. The team has doubled in numbers, with lateral hires including Russel Low from Ince & Co.

Patric McGonigal heads Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP’s marine, energy and trade practice, while recently promoted partner Mark Errington has developed a significant insurance practice. Clients include Wilmar Trading International, Olam International and SKULD P&I. The merger with Clyde & Co in November 2011 is likely to affect the legal insurance market.

DLA Piper Singapore Pte. Ltd.’s leading shipping lawyer Peter Shelford specialises in complex, high-value insurance claims for clients including QBE, Thomas Miller, Amsbach Group and Noble Shipping.

Hill Dickinson LLP’s team, led by partner and master mariner Tony Goldsmith, was boosted by the arrival of Paul Barfield from Thomas Cooper, Shanna Ghose from Oon & Bazul LLP and Yin Jie Pey from Joseph Tan Jude Benny.

Mike Pollen at K&L Gates handles complex, high-value technical arbitrations. Clients include Keppel Verolme and Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore).

Joseph Tan at Legal Solutions LLC advises Amarante Shipping on dry shipping and admiralty matters. Other mandates included a $32m ICC arbitration involving an offshore seismic contract.

Mataram Partners’ Oliver Wright, Rina Lee, and Andi Zulfikar derive work from the Indonesian government’s implementation of the cabotage rule, which requires all vessels engaged in trade within Indonesian waters to be Indonesian flagged. The team acted for Bahamanian and Luxembourgeois clients on sale and leaseback arrangements with an Indonesian entity.

Johan Wong, who heads the casualty response team at Thomas Cooper, also advises on dry shipping issues. Mandarin speaker Kai En Chua advises Chinese clients on wet work and arbitration. Paul Barfield left to join Hill Dickinson LLP.