‘A firm with a distinguished and continuing pedigree in shipping law not just in the UK but worldwide’, HFW continues to be involved in market-leading maritime cases. Praised for its ‘breadth of expertise within the different sub-specialties of shipping’, the firm’s strengths stretch across the full spectrum of wet and dry admiralty, including green shipping, and cybersecurity work. Paul Dean presides over the practice as global head of shipping and is particularly well versed on the topic of autonomous vessels. Andrew Chamberlain focuses on wet matters, while Jean Koh advises clients on all aspects regarding dry shipping. Regulatory expert Daniel Martin, alongside Jim Cashman, Elinor Dautlich, Craig Neame, and Alex Kemp, are also noted for their know-how in maritime law. Claire Womersley and Richard Neylon specialise in crisis management regarding shipping incidents. Contractual disputes, major fires as well as explosions and groundings are handled by Paolo Ghirardani, and Rory Butler advises clients on a range of shipping and trade issues. Casualties are an area of focus for Michael Ritter, while senior associate Jenny Salmon specialises in maritime insurance with a particular focus on coverage disputes.

Hill Dickinson LLP has a strong reputation for both its wet and dry shipping capabilities, the latter encompasses advising on charterparties and contracts of carriage, among others. Offshore, sanctions, cybersecurity, and decarbonisation issues are further fields of expertise for the practice, led by casualties specialist Tony Goldsmith. Cargo and logistics constitute an area of focus for Adrian Marsh, while David Pitlarge regularly acts on charterparty, bills of lading, MOA and shipbuilding disputes. Other key contacts in the group include Siiri Duddington and Beth Bradley, both of whom count P&I clubs and shipowners among their clients. Legal director and master mariner Helene Peter-Davies joined the firm in March 2022 from MFB.

The marine and international trade practice at Stephenson Harwood fields ‘real shipping specialists with excellent depth of knowledge across the team.’ Its contentious portfolio ranges from casualty work to charterparty and FPSO disputes, while the non-contentious side of the practice includes offshore construction and shipbuilding mandates. Practice head Alex Davis regularly handles marine insurance matters and advises clients on complex coverage issues. Shipbuilding and offshore disputes as well as contracts for shipyards and shipowners fall into the area of expertise of Sean Gibbons. Max Lemanski and Kirsty MacHardy both specialise in shipping litigation, with Lemanski also co-heading the firm’s FPSO team. Philip Prowse and Jameel Tarmohamed joined the team from HFW, while Ingolf Kaiser left the firm at the end of 2021.

Providing ‘a breadth of maritime expertise‘, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP regularly handles dry shipping disputes as well as admiralty and regulatory work for a range of domestic and international clients. The firm also fields expertise in relation to yachts and superyachts, where it advises owners, charterers, traders, and P&I Clubs, among others. The practice is led by Darryl Kennard, whose work encompasses both wet and dry shipping matters, and charterparty specialist Alex McIntosh. Tony Riches was promoted to partner in April 2022 and specialises in admiralty law and charterparty disputes. Wet shipping expert Nick Donnelly and James Severn, who focuses on small commercial vessels as well as maritime injuries and fatalities, are further key contacts.

Originating from Norway, Schjodt LLP supports clients in shipping matters ranging from ship building issues to cargo claims and collisions. Practice head Will Marshall, who focuses on contentious work, is praised as ‘one of the top solicitors in this area’. Jeremy Biggs ‘can be relied on to give excellent advice’ and handles both wet and dry shipping matters. LNG as well as offshore shipping and floating production form part of David Gardner‘s portfolio of expertise, while Jonas Adolfsson acts for a number of shipowners, operators, insurers and P&I Clubs. Carl Walker regularly advises commodities traders as well as the shipping arms of commodities houses and their P&I Clubs.

‘Recognised for the depth and breadth of the practice’, the shipping team at Watson Farley & Williams LLP provides full-service support to clients in the maritime sector, with strong expertise regarding insolvency and restructuring matters as well as the enforcement of ship mortgages. George Macheras took over the role of co-practice head in February 2022 and now leads the team alongside Athens-based George Paleokrasses. Mike Phillips fields strength in a wide range of shipping matters, including contentious ship finance work, carriage of goods, and offshore vessel construction issues. Commercial contracts and dispute resolution are areas of focus for Robert Platt, and contentious dry shipping matters are handled by Charles Buss.

The shipping and offshore practice at Wikborg Rein has strong ties with both the Norwegian and Greek markets; it has strength in advising on casualties, LNG, as well as civil fraud and enforcement matters in the offshore sector. The firm is also increasingly involved in green shipping and ESG-related matters. The ‘creative’ and ‘solution-oriented’ Chris Grieveson heads up the department and handles the full range of dry and wet shipping. Jonathan Goldfarb is specialised in transactional work, particularly in the LNG sector, while Eleanor Midwinter focuses on contracts and disputes relating to marine insurance, dry shipping, shipbuilding, and international trade. The construction of rigs, commercial ships and superyachts fall into the area of expertise of Rob Jardine-Brown. Clients hailing from Greek regularly seek out Nick Shepherd for his shipping knowledge.

The shipping practice at BDM Law LLP covers a broad range of maritime work, including cargo claims, pooling contracts, charterparties, and ship fires. ‘Stand-out lawyer’ Bob Deering and Nick Burgess, who is praised for being ‘unequalled in the industry’, both have extensive experience in handling wet and dry cases. The Italian, Greek, German and Norwegian markets are part of David  McInnes‘ areas of expertise. Pavlo Samothrakis is particularly sought out by clients in the Middle East for his knowledge of shipping and offshore matters. The four partners jointly lead the practice.

Birketts LLP is frequently instructed on both dry and wet shipping matters, where it handles disputes ranging from cargo claims and charterparty disputes to collisions and ship arrests. Henry Adams, whose specialisms include dry shipping, international trade, and marine insurance work, jointly heads up the team with head of litigation Alex Davey. Nicholas Woo is particularly well versed in matters pertaining to the Far East, while associate Sarah Holsgrove regularly advises freight forwarders and logistics companies.

DWF is regularly sought out for its strength in maritime disputes pertaining to a broad range of issues, such as cargo contaminations, casualties, and matters involving ports and terminals. Global head of transport sector Jonathan Moss leads the team and is praised for his ‘depth of knowledge and pragmatism’ as well as his expertise in shipping disputes arising in French-speaking West and North Africa. Coverage disputes, particularly Bermuda Form arbitration proceedings, are part of Tom Mungovan‘s specialisms. Director Peter Olymbios and senior associate Radhika Ruparelia advise clients on contentious and non-contentious maritime matters.

Praised for its ‘vast knowledge’ and ‘in-depth experience’, Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP supports clients with their transactional, commercial, and contentious shipping needs. Shipbuilding and ship conversion form part of the firm’s portfolio alongside financing, recycling, and sale and purchase mandates. Andreas Silcher and Mark Johnson jointly lead the team, both fielding extensive experience in maritime offshore projects and all types of commercial vessels. The practice also includes dispute resolution specialists William Cecil and Andreas Dracoulis.

With ‘a client-focused ethos’, Jackson Parton Solicitors advises clients on both wet and dry shipping matters including charterparties and casualties. The shipping and international trade boutique is frequently sought out by clients hailing from France and Japan. Wet shipping specialist Jonathan Clyne, the ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Alex Askew, and Nicholas Parton, whose expertise includes anti-suit injunctions, jointly lead the team. ‘Experienced litigator’ Andrew Patrinos has strong ties to the Greek shipping market.

The marine and shipping team at Keystone Law sports capabilities on the full range of dry and wet shipping matters, regularly advising P&I clubs, underwriters, owners, and charterers. Non-contentious commercial shipping matters are handled by Anastasia Papadopoulou, including ship finance and restructuring work. A quartet consisting of dry shipping experts George Lambrou and Stella Petritsi, as well as Fei Mao and Dharmendra Nair, cover the practice’s expertise in contentious maritime work. Yachts and superyachts constitute another strength of the team, for which Jonathan Hadley-Piggin is the go-to contact.

Praised for its ‘strong holistic shipping practice’, Norton Rose Fulbright covers a wide range of shipping-related matters. The impact of Covid-19, decarbonisation, and sanctions are among the areas of expertise of the team led by ‘seasoned litigator’ Philip Roche. Asset finance litigation and other contentious matters are regularly handled by Charlotte Winter, often on behalf of banks, financiers, shipyards, and owners in shipbuilding. Katie McDougall specialises in sanction-related work including risk assessments and compliance procedures.

Lax & Co merged with Rosling King in October 2021, with the entire marine litigation team joining under the abbreviated name RK. The practice continues to act for domestic and international clients in a wide range of dry shipping disputes, led by Mike Lax, whose expertise pertains to issues such as salvage and collision work, as well as bills of lading, charterparties, and international trade matters. Stuart Dench handles arbitration and litigation proceedings involving contracts of affreightment, shipbuilding contracts, and sales and purchase disputes. Another key contact is Robert Pollock-Hill, who regularly advises clients on contentious shipping matters in arbitration proceedings and the High Court.

In 2021, Squire Patton Boggs continued to expand its London shipping expertise with the addition of Robert Parson from Clyde & Co. The practice regularly collaborates with the firm’s Singapore group and advises clients on both the contentious and non-contentious aspects of shipping. Chris Swart and Barry Stimpson jointly lead the team, which also counts Graham Harris and John Rollason among its key contacts.

With offices in London and Piraeus, Waterson Hicks entertains close ties to the Greek shipowner market and fields particular strength in dry shipping and dispute resolution matters. Ship sales and purchases, transactional work, as well as commodities issues are other key areas for the practice. John Hicks leads the team and is well versed in charterparty and insurance disputes. Stuart Parkin counts speed and consumption claims amongst his areas of expertise, while Julian Morgan specialises in dry shipping matters, international trade work and commercial contracts.

Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP fields in-depth knowledge in shipping, transport and fisheries law, where it advises on matters ranging from commercial contracts to personal injury claims. Dominic Ward leads the practice and has extensive expertise in dry shipping and cargo matters, particularly in regard to charterparty disputes and the carriage of goods and cargo. Andrew Oliver is particularly well versed in UK fisheries law, but also regularly handles contentious and regulatory work in addition to ship finance matters. Associate Sarah Pether is frequently sought out by insurers and P&I clubs to assist with defendant personal injury claims.

Praised for ‘demonstrating strong commitment and responsibility to clients’, DLA Piper excels at representing clients in various types of marine disputes, ranging from contentious ship finance matters to insurance claims and ship arrests. Linos Choo leads the practice and specialises in shipbuilding and ship finance disputes, where he regularly represents banks and ship owners in litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Shoosmiths LLP fields a shipping practice that encompasses maritime matters involving luxury yachts, marina real estate, and ship finance elements. Elliot Bishop is particularly experienced in the marine leisure sector, and leads the practice together with Sarah Fairweather, who handles leasing and chartering agreements in addition to the financing, acquisition, and disposal of yachts. Lisa Williams is noted for her work in relation to inland marinas.

Weightmans LLP‘s strengths include ports and terminals liability issues, as well as regulatory and casualty work, where it advises clients such as ship operators, charterers and P&I clubs. The firm is regularly sought out by insurers for its expertise in shipping disputes relating to contractual claims, bills of lading, and cargo or infrastructure loss. Head of marine Mike Burns fields experience in drafting contracts of carriage and vessel acquisitions alongside litigation matters. Glasgow-based Seonaid Busby is another key contact.