Wikborg Rein > London, England > Firm Profile
Wikborg Rein Offices
30 Cannon Street
EC4M 6XH
England
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Wikborg Rein > The Legal 500 Rankings
Dispute resolution > Commodities disputes Tier 3
The shipping and offshore practice at Wikborg Rein continues to build on its in-depth knowledge of the LNG sector, which sees it handle disputes concerning physical trade, transportation and storage. The practice is led by Chris Grieveson, who frequently handles disputes for clients in the oil and gas sector including cargo, fraud and asset recovery matters. Up-and-coming partner Eleanor Midwinter is ‘a star – super-responsive and a client favourite'. She handles disputes concerning crude oil, oil products, biofuels, fertilisers/additives and metals; her work encompasses matters arising from bespoke pricing provisions, sanctions considerations arising from trading with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and change-management clauses for longer-term contracts.Practice head(s):
Chris Grieveson
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Eleanor Midwinter is a star – super-responsive and a client favourite.’
Key clients
Golar
PPD Global
Mitsui OSK
Elkem ASA
Yara International
Hydro
MET International AG
Pon Power AS
Work highlights
- Advising an international trade company, as offtaker from a Seller’s plant, in connection with deal documents under a long-term agri-commodities offtake arrangement.
- Advising an international trading company in connection with the potential and actual impact of changes to the Belarussian and Russian sanctions regimes.
- Advising a Norwegian manufacturing company in relation to the provision of materials and components to a shipyard for the use in the production of alternative energy storage solutions for vessels.
Transport > Shipping Tier 3
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.Practice head(s):
Chris Grieveson
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very strong sector knowledge and experience in dealing with niche complex issues.’
‘The shipping practice is highly qualified with many experienced and service-minded professionals. ‘
‘Chris Grieveson is very intelligent, creative, solution-oriented, responsive, experienced and overall a very pleasant person to work with.’
‘Jonathan Goldfarb: Amazing response times and availability. Unique ability to explain complex matters to non-lawyers and well respected by commercial teams.’
Key clients
Belships ASA
Shelf Drilling
Eastern Pacific Shipping Pte Ltd
Gard AS
ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd
Belships ASA
Oando plc
Marmaris Navigation
Navios Maritime Holdings and its group companies
Oando plc
Seajacks International Ltd
Transocean
Vard Group AS
West of England P&I
Fjord Line AS
Maersk Drilling
ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd
Havila Phoenix (Havila Chartering AS)
Navios Maritime Holdings and its group companies
Solstad
Awilco LNG
Marine Trust Ltd / Centrofin
APL
2020 Bulkers
Seadrill
Aquadrill
Shelf Drilling
Navigation Maritime Bulgare
BW Offshore
Teekay Corporation
Work highlights
- Acting for the owners and insurers of Navios Amaryllis which went aground on the Kaafu Atoll, in the Maldives in August 2021, in a case involving salvage services as well as claims for environmental damage to the reef.
- Successfully represented Normand Maximus Operations Limited in settling a dispute against Saipem Comercio Maritimo Sociedade, Unipessoal Lda and Saipem S.p.A, entitling Solstad to a payment of $48.25m in relation to an alleged breach of contract of a long term charter.
- Providing ongoing legal advice to the owners, managers and insurers of “Bulk Shenzhen” in respect of a collision claim of $10m against the owners of “RB Lisa”, after the two vessels collided on the Yangtze River, China.
Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 4
Norwegian firm Wikborg Rein‘s London offering encompasses expertise in contentious and non-contentious oil and gas matters, including projects work and disputes. Jonathan Goldfarb co-heads the team and has a wealth of experience in LNG transactions, an increasingly important area given the recent invasion of Ukraine. Renaud Barbier-Emery, who jointly leads the team, is recommended for offshore and LNG projects, and is active on a number of cross-border mandates.Practice head(s):
Jonathan Goldfarb; Renaud Barbier-Emery
Other key lawyers:
Chris Grieveson; Shawn Kirby
Testimonials
‘Jon Goldfarb is a standout lawyer in his field’.
‘Jon Goldfarb is very pragmatic and collaborative, always available when the going gets tough.’
‘The team has the ability to revert with documentation and drafting in an expedite manner’.
‘The team has also great experience in litigation and contractual discussions, which helps during the negotiation and drafting phase’.
‘Shawn Kirby is extremely pragmatic and solution maker’.
‘Renaud Barbier-Emery is unique due to his in-depth knowledge of the oil and gas industry, his multi-jurisdictional experience and his constant availability to find a solution’.
‘Renaud Barbier-Emery is the lawyer who you would want to have on your side as much as possible’.
‘The team has the ability to revert with documentation and drafting in an expedited manner’.
Key clients
Transocean
GasLog Ltd
BW LNG
Golar LNG Limited
Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL)
Awilco Drilling
Bonheur ASA / Fred Olsen
Höegh LNG Ltd
Dolphin Drilling
Maersk Drilling
GSP Holding SA
Exmar NV
Naftogaz of Ukraine
Queiroz Galvão Exploração e Produção (QGEP)
George Economou group companies (Ocean Rig)
Awilco LNG
Teekay Corporation
Vantage Drilling International
Shelf Drilling
BW Offshore
Purus Marine
Work highlights
- Assisting Teekay Petrojarl in connection with the decommissioning of the Banff Field, in particular the removal of the Banff FPSO from the field, the redelivery of the Apollo Spirit FPSO.
- Advising Golar LNG in respect of the delivery contract for the FSRU “LNG Croatia”, valued at $180m and formerly known as the Golar Viking, delivered to LNG HRVATSKA (of Croatia).
- Acting for Vantage Drilling International in the sale by one of its directly-held subsidiaries, Vantage Holdings International (VHI) of all of the issued and outstanding equity for $200m of VHI’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Emerald Driller Company (EDC) to ADES Arabia Holding (“ADES Arabia”), the parent company of ADES International Holding, a PIF portfolio company and a leading offshore and onshore provider of oil and gas drilling and production services in the Middle East and North Africa.
Real estate > Construction: contentious Tier 5
Wikborg Rein offers all forms of dispute resolution, and is particularly active in relation to oil and gas, offshore, shipping and renewable energy projects. Mary Lindsay leads the team, dealing with international energy and infrastructure disputes. Meanwhile, Rob Jardine-Brown’s practice focuses on offshore construction, with particular emphasis on FPSOs, drilling rigs and supply vessels.Practice head(s):
Mary Lindsay
Other key lawyers:
Rob Jardine-Brown; Renaud Barbier-Emery; Shawn Kirby
Testimonials
‘Wikborg Rein have unparalleled expertise in shipbuilding and offshore construction disputes.’
‘They have a small but tight and well-manned London team, with an excellent work ethic.’
‘Rob Jardine-Brown is an expert on shipbuilding and offshore construction disputes. He has a phenomenal ability to master the detail of cases, but also the character and charm to provide accurate and firm advice.’
Key clients
Enauta Energia SA
QGEP Netherlands BV
Work highlights
Finance > Transport finance and leasing Tier 6
A significant proportion of Wikborg Rein‘s deal flow relates to the provision of English law advice for banks lending to Norwegian clients, as well as for the firm’s sizeable roster of Norwegian operator clients. Team head Jonathan Goldfarb is particularly adept at handling the development and finance of offshore energy projects, including within the LNG sector. As well as transactional work in the offshore space, Jonathan Page also handles a range of conventional commercial shipping matters for borrowers and lenders in the traditional bank loan markets, as well as for lessors and lessees in sale and leaseback transactions.Practice head(s):
Jonathan Goldfarb
Other key lawyers:
Renaud Barbier-Emery; Jonathan Page; Sebastian Lea; Nikhil Datta; Jack Baker
Key clients
DNB Bank
Awilco LNG
GasLog Ltd
GSP Offshore / Grup Servicii Petroliere SA
Navios Maritime Acquisitions Corp
Seajacks International Limited
Credit Suisse Ag
CMB Financial Leasing
AVIC Financial Leasing
ICBC Financial Leasing
Pearl Bidco AS
SMBC Bank International Plc
Lefdal Mine Datacentre AS
Nordea Bank Abp, filial I Norge
Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
Credit Suisse AG
Belships ASA
Fjord Line AS
Work highlights
- Advising Belships ASA on the English law aspects of more than ten Japanese sale and leaseback transactions valued at $250m.
- Advising Credit Suisse on certain amendments to an €80m loan to a subsidiary of Seven Yield Holding for the purpose of refinancing the acquisition costs of a 3,300 unit car carrier.
- Advising SMBC Bank on a $90m loan to Knutsen NYK/Knot Shuttle Tankers.
Wikborg Rein > Firm Profile
The firm: We are a full-service international law firm with over 230 lawyers internationally. With our roots in Norway and over 30 years in London, our clients receive top tier London advice combined with a no-nonsense Nordic approach. The London office is home to a large specialised shipping and offshore team, supported by our colleagues in Norway, Singapore and Shanghai. The London team is sector-focussed, and the majority of our lawyers have commercial experience in-house. Our clients come to us for strategic, sector-specific advice, and clear, creative solutions. That is what we deliver. We do not aim to be the biggest, but we do aim to hire the best.
Our lawyers are leaders in the transport, shipping, infrastructure, construction, energy, trade, commodities, and insurance sectors. Within those sectors, we have unique experience with projects, finance, commercial contracts, alternative dispute resolution, commercial litigation, fraud and asset recovery. We are closely aligned with many of the sector’s major participants and have an excellent understanding of the commercial dynamics that drive the industries we work with. Further details and case examples can be found on our lawyer profiles on our firm’s website.
Types of work undertaken
Shipping and transport: We have a full-service shipping team for commercial shipping. We have an international emergency-response team to deal with collisions, groundings, fires, piracy and other casualties with mariner support on hand – key contacts in London are Chris Grieveson, Matt Illingworth and Nick Shepherd. All of our London team have significant experience in handling ‘dry shipping’ disputes and deals. This includes finance, shipbuilding, logistics, charters and bills of lading. We also have supporting expertise in areas such as sanctions, data and regulatory matters. We have particular expertise in the Greek and Singaporean markets.
Superyachts: This is an important and growing area for our firm, with a team bolstered by lateral hires from other highly regarded teams. The yacht team comprises Rob Jardine-Brown, Mike Stewart, Jonathan Page, Eleanor Midwinter, Mary Lindsay, Joanna Kinross and Camilla Burton. This team has extensive experience in providing “project counsel” advice for ongoing builds and conversions of super-yachts, as well as in relation to high value, complex disputes.
Commodities / LNG: We cover the trading lifecycle, including projects, finance, production, sale and purchase, storage and transportation. We work with traders, shippers, financiers and insurers for energy commodities, chemicals, metals and softs. Over the years, we have intentionally built up a highly specialised team of experts for LNG work, and we have stand-out experience in FLNG projects in particular. Our projects and finance team in London includes Renaud Barbier-Emery; Jonathan Goldfarb; Jonathan Page; Ina Lutchmiah; Sebastian Lea and Mads Ødeskaug. Our shipping, trade and disputes team includes Chris Grieveson; Nick Shepherd, Eleanor Midwinter; Baptiste Weijburg.
Offshore: Offshore work remains central to our London practice, notwithstanding a challenging market. The offshore team in London is led by Rob Jardine-Brown, supported by his partners Chris Grieveson, Nick Shepherd and Shawn Kirby on the disputes side, and by Renaud Barbier-Emery; Jonathan Goldfarb; Jonathan Page; and Ina Lutchmiah on the transactional side. The team in London provides advice which covers the entire life cycle of shipping and offshore assets.
Litigation, alternative dispute resolution, enforcement and asset recovery: Our disputes team are highly effective and have a strong focus on enforcement and asset recovery. Our advice in this area is realistic, creative and focused on commercial results. We have close connections with insolvency practitioners and foreign lawyers across the world. We have this year (and in previous years) had enforcement work referred to us that seemed “impossible” and have received praise from clients for using inventive strategies and local connections to achieve major recoveries.
Foreign specialists
Greece: Nick Shepherd is a market-leading shipping lawyer in Greece, having acted for the largest Greek shipping groups. Nick is one of Wikborg Rein’s superstar signings, and the trade press notes that his “list of clients reads like a who’s who of Greek shipping.” Other lawyers active in the Greek market are Matt Illingworth, Chris Grieveson, Baptiste Weijburg and Eleanor Midwinter.
Singapore: Chris Grieveson and Lesley Tan have an in-depth commercial understanding of the Singaporean market. Chris worked in Singapore for many years, where he was highly ranked. Lesley is Singaporean and has special expertise in sale and leaseback work. Supported by the wider team, Chris and Lesley advise international clients on their in-bound South East Asian operations, using Singapore as a hub for the region.
Norway: We have offices in Oslo and Bergen offering a full Norwegian law service. Based in these offices are a number of “London office alumni” who have built up the UK-Norway connection, including Finn Bjørnstad, Birgitte Karlsen, Andreas Fjærvoll-Larsen, Ole Henrik Wille, Mari Berg Rindahl, Mads Ødeskaug and Julia Skisaker. In addition, our London office is home to Norwegian speaking senior associate, Bård Breda Bjerken. We are able to provide a unique nexus between the London market and clients with Norwegian and North Sea based business.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main contact | Chris Grieveson | cjg@wrco.co.uk | 02073670308 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Renaud Barbier-Emery | Renaud Barbier Emery is a Partner in Wikborg Rein’s London office and… | View Profile |
 | Mr Matt Berry | Matt Berry is a Specialist Counsel and Admiralty Manager at Wikborg Rein’s… | View Profile |
 | Jonathan Goldfarb | Jonathan Goldfarb is a Partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office and is… | View Profile |
 | Chris Grieveson | Chris Grieveson is a partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office and is… | View Profile |
 | Alex Hookway | Alex is a Senior Lawyer at Wikborg Rein’s London office and is… | View Profile |
 | Matt Illingworth | Matt works extensively with ship owners and insurers on dry and wet… | View Profile |
 | Rob Jardine-Brown | Rob Jardine-Brown is a partner based in the firm’s London office. His… | View Profile |
 | Shawn Kirby | Shawn Kirby is a Partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office with a… | View Profile |
 | Mary Lindsay | Mary Lindsay is a Senior Lawyer at Wikborg Rein’s London office. Lindsay… | View Profile |
 | Eleanor Midwinter | Eleanor Midwinter is a Partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office. She works… | View Profile |
 | Jonathan Page | Jonathan Page is a Partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office and is… | View Profile |
 | Nick Shepherd | Nick Shepherd is a Partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office. He specialises… | View Profile |
 | Baptiste Weijburg | Baptiste Wreijburg is a Partner at Wikborg Rein’s London office and is… | View Profile |