The Legal 500 > Asia Pacific > Hong Kong > Shipping

Benefiting from 'outstanding shipping knowledge' out of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore, Ince is well-placed to provide 'commercially oriented advice' to clients throughout Southeast Asia across the spectrum of wet, dry and transactional matters. The team benefits from a 'strong bench strength of knowledgeable partners', including Rosita Lau and Max Cross, who regularly handle complex multi-jurisdictional shipping-related commercial disputes, with Lau particularly noted for her 'excellent arbitration capabilities'. Master mariner Richard Oakley is a pivotal member of the team on the ground in Hong Kong forming an integral part of the firm's cross-office dedicated emergency response offering that is able to provide round-the-clock representation in relation to marine casualties anywhere in the world. Senior partner David Beaves has vast experience across corporate, commercial and banking transactions in the shipping sector and has a particular engagement and knowledge of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Managing associate Ruaridh Guy 's broad-ranging expertise extends beyond his core wet and dry competence to include work flowing from the international trade and commodities sector, as well as insolvency-related disputes in the shipping sector.

Hill Dickinson Hong Kong's two-partner team is a relatively established presence in the Hong Kong market and is effectively able to harness shipping strength from across key firmwide offices, including London and Singapore, to provide a 'professional and customer-oriented service' across the gamut of wet and dry litigation. Damien Laracy has 'in-depth understanding of international maritime laws and practices', which he implements to good effect across a panoply of complex maritime disputes, including in relation to the enforcement of ship mortgages on behalf of banks and shipowners. The arrival in October 2018 of 'practical and effective' PRC- and UK-qualified practitioner Edward Liu has significantly enhanced the firm's profile in the mainland Chinese market among shipowners, charterers and operators, particularly in light of his ability to guide indigenous entities dealing with international arbitration and litigation.

Led out of Hong Kong by the 'hardworking and skilled' Andrew Rigden Green, and also able to leverage the expertise of practitioners based in Shanghai and Singapore, Stephenson Harwood has an excellent reputation in the local market across a range of litigation, arbitration and commercial shipping work. In addition to his transactional and advisory expertise (which includes advice on the sale and carriage of goods; the chartering, maintenance and operation of ships), Ridgen Green also has a 'very wide range of disputes expertise in the sector', running the gamut from charterparty and cargo disputes, through to the representation of trade finance banks seeking to enforce security over bills of lading. Hong Kong-, UK- and Australia-qualified senior associate Elizabeth Sloane has a flourishing reputation across a range of multi-jurisdictional disputes, and has handled numerous high-profile casualties, collisions and groundings across the Asia Pacific region.

Headed by Sam Tsui, Tsui & Co's two-partner shipping team is particularly noted for handling insurance-related shipping disputes on behalf of a range of clients, including P&I Clubs and owners.

Co-headed out of Hong Kong by the 'efficient and client-friendly' Ernest Yang and Kevin Chan, and also regularly working alongside practitioners in mainland China, as well as other key maritime jurisdictions across its international network, DLA Piper provides 'commercial and value-for-money advice' to owners, charterers, operators and shipyards across the panoply of litigation, commercial and transactional engagements. Chan has excellent credentials among Chinese and international shipping entities and is appreciated for his 'insightful and commercial advice' across both litigation and commercial mandates. Benefiting from excellent credentials on the litigation and arbitration front, Nicholas Mallard regularly handles shipbuilding, offshore engineering shipping, and sale of goods disputes.

The 'knowledgeable and efficient' team at independent local law firm Howse Williams 何韋律師行 regularly advises owners, insurers, charterers and freight forwarders on both wet and dry matters throughout Asia. Founding partner Chris Howse has a strong reputation in the local market, with particular expertise handling problems arising from the shipment of coal, iron ore, nickel ore and fluorspar. Legally qualified former mariner David Coogans handles a range of wet and dry work, and is well-placed to represent clients engaged in collision, salvage and pollution cases. The team also has niche expertise handling personal injury work for shipowners and terminals, where it benefits from the ability to tap into the expertise of a medico-legal department (that includes two partners also qualified as doctors).

A key component of a global shipping team that includes experts throughout Asia Pacific, North America, South Africa and Europe, Norton Rose Fulbright's Hong Kong office has a 'strong reputation in the industry' for its domestic and multi-jurisdictional work on behalf of shipowners, charterers and trading companies. Praised for its 'solutions-oriented advice and analytical thinking', the team is well attuned to the needs of Chinese shipping clients and regularly handles big-ticket multi-jurisdictional international arbitrations. Master mariner Peter Glover is a key resource to clients across a range of shipping matters and has substantially enhanced the firm's capabilities (particularly for wet matters) following his relocation from the London office in 2017. The 'outstanding' Jim James is also recommended.