The Legal 500

Stephenson Harwood is a full service international law firm, with over 100 partners and 600 staff worldwide. The firm acts for a wide range of listed and private companies, institutions and individuals. Through its network of offices and strong local law firm relationships, the firm offers clients commercially-focused legal advice across the globe.

The firm: Stephenson Harwood is a full service international law firm, with an established track record for advising leading companies on their most challenging and high-value matters. The firm’s lawyers work to achieve open and strong long-term relationships with its clients.

Types of work undertaken: Stephenson Harwood has recognised market-leading strengths in five key areas: asset finance, commercial litigation and arbitration, corporate finance, marine and international trade and real estate. Its offering is underpinned by in-depth market knowledge related to all of these areas, backed by a full range of ancillary legal services attuned to the needs of clients within each area.

Asset finance: the team’s expertise covers a very broad range of assets that includes aviation, heavy equipment, rail, oil and gas, ports and airports, real estate, renewables, shipping and social housing. Clients include global and domestic lenders, arrangers, sponsors and borrowers. The team recently won ‘Aircraft Finance Law Firm of the Year’ (Jane’s Transport Finance Awards 2010) and ‘Shipping Firm of the Year’ (Finance Monthly Awards 2010).

Commercial litigation and arbitration: the team has a track record for advising clients on their most challenging disputes and has, over the years, acted on many of the largest cases in the commercial courts. The team is highly respected among its peers. In addition to the firm’s own clients, Stephenson Harwood is frequently referred work by many of the largest international law firms when they are faced with conflict situations.

Corporate finance: the team’s core services include M&A, take-overs, joint ventures, IPOs, private equity and venture capital. The client base is international and includes listed and privately-owned companies, management teams, banks and private equity houses. The team operates across a broad range of industries, but has a particularly strong track record in the energy and resources, financial services, pharmaceuticals, real estate and transportation sectors. The team won ‘UK Corporate Finance Team of the Year’ (Corporate International Awards 2010).

Marine and international trade: the size of the team and depth of its experience mean that Stephenson Harwood is well placed to advise on any shipping or trade-related concern – from the most complex marine incident or financing structure to the more straightforward sale and purchase dispute or cargo claim. Clients include many of the world’s largest ship owners, ship yards, banks, insurers, P&I clubs, offshore services companies and commodity traders.

Real estate: the team advises on investment acquisitions and disposals, financings, development projects, sale and leasebacks and other structures, as well as ongoing property management matters. It has extensive experience of real estate development and regeneration, securing planning permissions and advising on environmental issues. Clients include property companies, institutional investors and financiers, hotel groups, health and care companies, public sector bodies and corporate occupiers.

Other practice areas: banking; commercial, outsourcing and technology; employment; environment; finance; funds; insurance; intellectual property; pensions; projects; regulation; tax and wealth management.

Other offices: Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Paris, Piraeus, Shanghai, Singapore.

Associated offices: Athens, Bucharest, Kuwait and Paris.

Number of UK partners 82
Number of other UK fee-earners 185