The Legal 500

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Ince & Co is a second tier firm,

Ince & Co strikes a good balance in its M&A practice, acting for clients in sectors ranging from shipping to media and e-commerce Stephen Jarvis, who heads the three-partner team, is highly recommended.

Within Fraud: civil , Ince & Co is a third tier firm,

Ince & Co has a number of specialists offering industry-specific advice. Highlights for Stuart Shepherd (‘a terrifyingly experienced solicitor in litigation relating to all aspects of shipping’) includes acting for the claimants in the Fiona Trust litigation. Clients find ‘the individuals concerned at all levels very committed and dedicated to what is often a very burdensome task’.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 4

Ince & Co advises in disputes across shipping, insurance and reinsurance, finance, energy and offshore, and aviation. Ben Ogden is recommended for contentious insurance work and commercial disputes; and Stuart Shepherd is known for commodities, shipping and commercial disputes, with an increasing focus on fraud litigation.

Within International arbitration, tier 5

Ince & Co, appreciated for its ‘cost-effective advice’, has experience across shipping, insurance, international trade and commodities, energy, construction, engineering and energy matters. Steven Fox’s ‘assistance is tremendously valuable’.

Within Mediators Mediators

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 5

Although it handles work across all asset classes, DLA Piper UK LLP’s undoubted core strength lies in aviation finance. Able to draw on the expertise of the firm’s vast international network, the team regularly handles cross-border mandates for airlines, lessors and banks. Recent highlights include advising a syndicate of banks in the financing of up to 16 aircraft on lease to five different European carriers. Team head Graham Tyler is imbued with ‘up-to-date industry knowledge’ and has a ‘pragmatic and no-nonsense’ approach to his work in the aviation sector. The team suffered a blow with the recent departures of James Cameron and Stephen Marais, to Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP and Ince & Co respectively.

Within Commodities: derivatives, Ince & Co is a third tier firm,

Acting mainly for oil traders such as Vitol and Gunvor, Ince & Co’s ‘advice is relevant and good value’. Experienced litigators Steven Fox and Will Marshall stand out for their experience in FFA and swaps disputes.

Within Commodities: physicals, Ince & Co is a second tier firm,

‘A reputable firm with an extremely good network and in-depth knowledge’, Ince & Co can draw on the experience of transactional partners Ian Cranston and Joe O'Keeffe, litigators Nick Burgess and Ted Graham, and group heads Stuart Shepherd (who ‘puts problems to bed’) and Steven Fox (‘tremendously valuable on novel legal issues’). Oil is the main focus of the practice, but its metals and grains work is growing. Recent highlights include a $70m claim over oil supply defaults, alongside work for traders such as Vitol and Gunvor.

Within Islamic finance Islamic finance

Within Insurance and reinsurance litigation, Ince & Co is a first tier firm,

‘One of the best in the field’, Ince & Co’s expertise in insurance extends beyond the firm’s traditional strengths in the marine and energy sectors to encompass aviation, political risk and reinsurance, among other areas. It is advising in a number of multimillion-pound reinsurance cases. Practice head Chris Jefferis is ‘commercial and user friendly, and a strong academic lawyer’. Joe O’Keeffe is ‘very knowledgeable on all marine matters, with a good understanding of how the market works’, and Rebecca Axe and Steven Fox are ‘bright, intelligent and creative’.

Within Insurance: corporate and regulatory, Ince & Co is a third tier firm,

Ince & Co advises insurers, reinsurers and intermediaries on commercial, corporate and regulatory matters. Peter Rogan and David Grantham are recommended.

Within Personal injury: defendant Personal injury: defendant

Within Professional negligence, tier 5

Ince & Co provides ‘fast responses’, excellent industry experience and knowledge, and advises clients in financial services, ship brokerage, legal services, surveying, and insurance. Team head David Rutherford is ‘a real specialist’, Alan Weir is ‘perceptive, knowledgeable and thoughtful’, and Chris Jefferis is also recommended.

Within Oil and gas, tier 5

At Ince & Co, team head Jeremy Farr is ‘serious, focused and client oriented’, and Renaud Barbier-Emery ‘understands the commercial aspects of clients ’ intentions’. Marine-related work is a strength, and the firm recently advised an offshore drilling contractor on a farm-out assignment.

Within Commercial property, tier 6

Ince & Co’s client base ranges from institutional investors to core shipping and insurance clients, as well as companies in energy, retail, and transport and logistics. The team acted on acquisitions and sales of office and investment properties for institutional investors, up to £70m. Trevor Garrood and Richard Morris are recommended.

Within Aviation, tier 4

Ince & Co’s team is ‘thorough, prompt and knowledgeable’, and ‘offers good value for money in aviation insurance’, and has notable expertise in recovery work. Gillie Belsham acted for PK AirFinance and its insurers in the recovery of its financial interests in two Boeing 747 aircraft, while Nick Burgess acted for the primary insurers regarding the Pamir crash. Consultant Tim Scorer has ‘unsurpassed knowledge of UK general aviation’.

Within Overview,

Dispute resolution work dominated the news in the shipping sector. While new disputes arising out of the economic downturn have started to dry up, those which have failed to settle are now in the courts. Somali pirates continue to plague the sector, keeping a number of London practices tied up in negotiating the release of people, cargo and vessels, as well as giving rise to disputes over the allocation of liability. Ince & Co and Holman Fenwick Willan LLP continue to dominate the market, although the latter lost three partners to new start-up Campbell Johnston Clark. The number of boutique shipping practices is steadily growing, and appear to be thriving in the current climate.

Within Shipping , Ince & Co is a first tier firm,

Clients can ‘rely on professional and well-experienced advice’ from Paul Herring’s team at Ince & Co, whose size and ‘high competence in all fields enable it to mobilise a well-qualified team immediately’. Marine casualty expert Faz Peermohamed has ‘excellent knowledge’ and provides ‘invaluable support on difficult claims’; Chris Kidd ‘understands client needs and always gives first-class advice’; James Wilson is ‘extremely competent and always provides good support’; and Colin de la Rue is ‘in a class of his own in the pollution field’. The team acted in TMT Asia v Oceanbulk, and represented the owners of Crystal Topaz following a collision with DN31, a small dredger.