The Legal 500

London: Corporate and commercial

Commercial contracts

Commercial contracts - ranked: tier 4

HFW

HFW is noted for its strengths in high-risk, long-term supply, distribution and joint venture agreements; the work in this space spans sectors such as aviation, heavy industry and engineering, transport and logistics, energy and insurance. The firm is also highly active in the ports and terminals sector, and is at the forefront of the advice to clients on large port projects. Legal director Catherine Emsellem-Rope (whose areas of expertise include energy, logistics, and ports and terminals) has particular experience of drafting and negotiating high-value frame agreements for transportation and warehousing services. The firm also generates work from clients in other sectors and is particularly sought-after for advice on commercial contracts with a cross-border component. Matthew Gore, Rope and others assist Marks & Spencer with formalising contractual relationships with its UK and international supply chain service providers, as well as fine tuning existing template contracts to ensure continuity in the supply of goods. Anthony Woolich, who heads up the technology and communications team, is knowledgeable about software and outsourcing agreements, public procurement, data protection and intellectual property. Senior associate William MacLachlan is a shipping sector expert, and is knowledgeable about shipbuilding contracts, ship repair contracts, and ship sales and purchases. Practice head Alistair Mackie, Craig Neame, Elinor Dautlich and Alistair Feeney are other recommended individuals in the group.

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EU and competition

EU and competition - ranked: tier 6

HFW

Anthony Woolich (who is noted for his ‘keen analytical mind’ and ‘good grasp of the commercial impact’) heads the ‘professional’, ‘responsive’, and ‘client-focused’ team at HFW,  which includes Costas Frangeskides and Daniel Martin , and whose sector expertise includes shipping, aviation, logistics, energy and TMT. Woolich acted for BW LPG in the merger control aspects of its acquisition of Aurora LPG, while Frangeskides is currently representing the Republic of Cyprus in high profile proceedings before the European Court of Justice concerning the potential free trade agreement between Singapore and the EU. The firm also counts Maersk Group, BP, Morgan Stanely, ad Ecom Agroindustrial Corporation among its clients.

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M&A: lower mid-market deals, £50m-£250m

M&A: lower mid-market deals, £50m-£250m - ranked: tier 3

HFW

The team at HFW provides ‘excellent service’ and ‘thinks outside the box’; it has particular experience in energy, financial services and ports and terminals. Nick Hutton leads the team and specialises in the mining, energy, trading and transportation industries, as well as insurance; he has acted for Oiltanking recently on two significant matters, namely its proposed acquisition from Galana Petroleum of a company in South Africa, and the acquisition of a jet fuel terminal and pipelines in Copenhagen from Shell. Alistair Mackie advised APM Terminals as majority partner in the development of a mega port and free zone project at Badagry in Nigeria. The ‘well-informed, resourceful, responsive and highly effective' Alex Kyriakoulis is a ‘trusted pair of hands’, and ‘always excels’; he is currently handling a significant privatisation project with value $195m for International Container Terminal Services. Jayson Marks is also recommended.

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London: Crime, fraud and licensing

Fraud: civil

Fraud: civil - ranked: tier 4

HFW

HFW has ‘a strong joined up approach to cross border civil fraud work’ and ‘an overall level of service that is impeccable’. It deals with large multi-jurisdictional frauds, asset tracing, international freezing injunctions and complicated trust structures. Head of team Noel Campbell is ‘an accomplished litigator’ and is ‘quick to respond and very commercial in his approach’. ‘Responsive and able’ Rick Brown is ‘particularly good in terms of dealing with complex issues which have multiple angles and multiple interested parties’.

Leading individuals

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London: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation

Commercial litigation - ranked: tier 5

HFW

HFW has a longstanding reputation for its disputes experience the energy, mining and transport sectors. The team is also noted for litigation involving the utilities, commodities, manufacturing, engineering and financial services industries as well as international trade disputes. The recommended advisers include Damian Honey  Simon Blows, Noel Campbell, Steven Paull, Costas Frangeskides and Alistair Feeney. Paul Wordley joined EC3 Legal LLP.

Leading individuals

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International arbitration

International arbitration - ranked: tier 4

HFW

HFW is highly rated for 'the range, strength and depth of its international arbitration practice, which stretches across all of the firm's sector-based groups'. The firm is well known for it experience in disputes involving international trade, energy, commodities, shipping and aviation, as well as insurance and reinsurance, banking and financial services, and construction. Damian Honey is 'an excellent, commercially-minded lawyer with realistic perspectives on the arbitration market'; Katie Pritchard  'has a wealth of experience of commodities-related arbitrations'; Alistair Feeney is 'a bright, knowledgeable and pragmatic lawyer'; Costas Frangeskides is 'excellent at client care'; and Steven Paull and international construction head Max Wieliczko are also key members. Paul Wordley joined EC3 Legal.

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London: Finance

Asset finance and leasing

Asset finance and leasing - ranked: tier 5

HFW

Leveraging the firm’s longstanding maritime sector focus, HFW has a strong offering out of London on behalf of banks and shipowners, in particular. The 'excellent' Tony Rice is regularly involved in the most significant matters handled by the team including his recent advice to the banks including HSBC on the €295m loan to a subsidiary of Saga plc to assist in financing the acquisition of a passenger cruise vessel. Rice also acted for Eships on a $30m  Shari'ah compliant financing of two Korean built Medium Range product tankers. Adam Shire is also a key practitioner within the team and recently represented Investec Bank restructuring of a fleet financing of six offshore support vessels. Jay Tooker specialises in yacht and super yacht financings and is also a key member of the firm's transactional shipping team that also includes Elinor Dautlich. Although the firm's aviation finance capability is better known out of the firm's Asian offices, including Singapore and Hong Kong, the London team handles a significant volume of corporate and private jet financing work where Shire and senior associate Barbara Pansadoro are key contacts. Other clients include DVB Bank, Nordea Bank and Turkish Airlines.

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Commodities: derivatives

Commodities: derivatives - ranked: tier 3

HFW

HFW has a bench of lawyers whose expertise covers both physical commodities and derivatives trades. Litigator Brian Perrott has more than 30 years' experience in disputes including those arising from commodity derivatives transactions. Sarah Taylor is highly experienced in both physical and derivative commodity contracts, particularly those relating to energy and metals, as well as handling contentious matters. Damian Honey advises commodity traders, producers, financiers and insurers on all aspects of their business, including disputes arising from energy and metals  derivatives trades. Adam Topping and Judith Prior  also have experience in derivatives. The firm counts trading houses Vitol and Trafigura among its clients, as well as large corporates including BP and ENI, and banks such as JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.

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Commodities: physicals

Commodities: physicals - ranked: tier 1

HFW

HFW is 'a very strong firm in physical commodities and it provides top-ranking expertise at a reasonable price'. Alistair Feeney is 'a solid lawyer who is not afraid to give an opinion and guidance rather than sitting on the fence'. He is a leading specialist in energy commodities, particularly crude oil, petroleum products, LNG and biomass. Last year, he acted for GarantiBank International in an $8m High Court claim against Drum Risk Management arising from a large-scale misappropriation of coal from storage facilities in Turkey. Brian Perrott is an experienced litigator with more than 30 years' experience. His highlights included acting for defendant Sinocore International in a $4.9m claim brought by RBRG in the High Court for the enforcement of an arbitral award relating to a contract for cold rolled steel coils. Damian Honey advises commodity traders, producers, financiers and insurers on all aspects of their business, including physical and financial sale and purchase agreements and disputes. He handled a $1.5m cargo contamination claim for Socar Trading. Sarah Taylor is also recommended for contentious matters, as is Judith Prior, who handled a $14m arbitration for the Sugar Association of London. Chris Swart is now based in Singapore.

Leading individuals

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Trade finance

Trade finance - ranked: tier 2

HFW

HFW is 'a strong firm for physical commodities and is building a practice in trade finance'. Philip Prowse specialises in commodities trade finance and acts for lenders, borrowers, suppliers, producers, processors, distributors, insurers, logistics operators and end users. He leads the HFW Digital Trade Unit, which advises on the application of digital trade technologies. His recent work includes advising essDOCS, which provides electronic shipping solutions, on proposed revisions to the existing Databridge Services & Users Agreement, which sets out the legal framework for the use of electronic bills of lading and other electronic documentation in the context of paperless international trade. On the transactional side, he continued to act for leading commodity trading houses in high-value financing deals. Sarah Taylor handles international commodity trade and shipping matters, including disputes. Senior associate Jameel Tarmohamed  specialises in structured commodities trade finance.

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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London: Insurance

Insurance and reinsurance litigation

Insurance and reinsurance litigation - ranked: tier 2

HFW

HFW ‘provides a well-rounded service’, offering a comprehensive range of dispute resolution, transactional and regulatory legal services to the insurance sector, specialising in high-value, complex, multi-party, and cross-border work. Practice highlights include advising insurers in relation to coverage issues arising out of the Société Générale employee fraud, which cost the bank €5bn, and advising an insurer on its liability for claims made by the investment banks which advised Enron and HealthSouth, with claims totalling $100m. The team includes experienced insurance specialists Andrew Bandurka, Alison Proctor and Edward Rushton, as well as Christopher Foster, ‘a standout lawyer whose memory for cases is exceptional but who is able to translate that knowledge into a real pragmatism’, and the noteworthy Adam Strong, a seasoned negotiator of complex issues, with ‘a very good understanding of client requirements’.

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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Insurance litigation: for policyholders

Insurance litigation: for policyholders - ranked: tier 3

HFW

The ‘extremely helpful, knowledgeable and experienced’ team at HFW ‘has a good understanding of the London market and its practices and thus is able to give concise and pertinent advice’. It provides dispute resolution and transactional legal services to the insurance sector for both policyholders and insurers. The ‘excellent, practical and common-sense advice’ is combined with ‘good litigators and a depth of knowledge’ in the practice, making it a ‘go-to firm for advice'. A specialist global insurance and reinsurance team of 20 partners and more than 40 lawyers includes, in London, Nigel Wick, who is ‘always willing to go the extra mile to assist, on top of which he is a good lawyer’, and Jonathan Bruce, who is known for his ‘application of the law, ability to manage expectations, and policy interpretation skills’.

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Insurance: corporate and regulatory

Insurance: corporate and regulatory - ranked: tier 4

HFW

HFW provides advice on a broad range of insurance and corporate issues relating to M&A transactions, the Lloyd's market, non-traditional risk transfers, and domestic and cross-border regulation at all stages. Richard Spiller heads the team, which also includes experienced corporate and commercial lawyer Nick Hutton and corporate finance specialist James Lewis.

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Professional negligence

Professional negligence - ranked: tier 3

HFW

HFW receives praise for its ‘strong’ department, which handles high-value and complex claims against accountants, auditors, brokers, insolvency practitioners, financial intermediaries and institutions, surveyors, architects, engineers and lawyers. It is also experienced in negligence cases relating to marine surveyors and marine salvage work. Professional negligence head Andrew Bandurka is regularly instructed by leading insurance and reinsurance brokers on complex matters, often with a cross-border element; he handles lawyers' professional indemnity coverage disputes and is also instructed on architects' and surveyors' negligence cases. Jonathan Bruce is often instructed by Latin American reinsurance brokers; Costas Frangeskides handles a range of brokers, solicitors and property transaction claims; Christopher Cardona is global head of insurance and reinsurance; Christopher Foster defends significant claims against solicitors; and Adam Strong defends claims against solicitors, architects, insurance brokers, surveyors and IFAs. Nigel Wick and senior associate Rupert Warren are also recommended. David Robinson is now a consultant.

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London: Projects, energy and natural resources

Mining and minerals

Mining and minerals - ranked: tier 3

HFW

HFW 's London-based mining offering is jointly led by Nick Hutton and Brian Gordon who splits his time between Singapore and London as head of the global practice. The group was recently appointed to handle the sale by tender of a 30% interest in two major Indonesian mines for $1.3bn to an Indian electricity generation company, and to represent the captive insurers of an international mining company in property damage, increased working costs and business interruption claims brought by a joint venture with regards to severe weather conditions in Queensland where the operation of nine mines were affected. Other key contacts include Sarah Taylor , Haydn Dare and Giles Beale .

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Oil and gas

Oil and gas - ranked: tier 4

HFW

HFW 's oil and gas outfit is led by litigator and experienced arbitrator Paul Dean and represents oil majors, independents and service companies at every stage of a project's life cycle. Also notable on the contentious side is Alistair Feeney who previously acted for BP. With regards to advisory work, clients can rely on Nick Hutton and Jayson Marks for corporate and commercial mandates such as M&A transactions, joint ventures, equity capital markets and farm-ins.

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Power (including electricity and renewables)

Power (including electricity and renewables) - ranked: tier 4

HFW

HFW 's power offering has a particular expertise in the offshore wind sector where it services clients on the full range of advisory and contentious matters. On the projects side, Max Wieliczko acts as the firm's international head of construction and represents contractors and construction companies in the procurement and development of various generation assets such as waste-from-energy facilities. He is supported by senior associate Richard Booth . Michael Sergeant and consultant Steven Paull feature among the names to note for arbitration work in the industry.

Next generation lawyers

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London: Real estate

Construction

Construction (contentious) - ranked: tier 3

HFW

Contruction (non-contentious) - ranked: tier 4

HFW

Max Wieliczko heads the construction team at HFW, specialising in major international infrastructure and energy projects. On the disputes side, the team is acting for Hochtief following the high-profile collapse of a 6km tunnel at the Glendoe hydroelectric scheme in Scotland; as well as advising Julius Berger Nigeria plc on potential claims arising under an EPC contract for the construction of an open cycle gas turbine power station in Nigeria in relation to foreign exchange losses. On the transactional side, the team is regularly instructed by South Korean EPC contractors in relation to major FPSO projects across the Middle East, as well as by many contractors in the offshore wind industry in the UK, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Experienced FIDIC lawyer Ben Mellors joined in March 2017.

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London: Transport

Aviation

Aviation - ranked: tier 1

HFW

The ‘outstanding’ team at HFW is commended for its ‘in-depth knowledge’ and for its ‘vast experience’. It handles aviation liability, litigation and dispute resolution matters, as well as regulatory, transactional and commercial mandates. Global aerospace head Giles Kavanagh advising Artus on multiple sets of proceedings in France and the US brought by more than 200 relatives of victims of a major aviation accident involving an AirAsia aircraft in 2014. Edward Spencer continues to advise the organisers of the 2015 Shoreham Air Show on the loss of a vintage Hawker Hunter military jet, which fatally injured 11 people on the ground; and continues to act for Swiftair, on the total loss of one of its MD-83 medium-range airliners in July 2014, in which 116 people were killed. Nicholas Hughes advises Inter Hannover, AEGIS and other aviation war risks insurers on significant damage caused at Tripoli International Airport in 2014. The team also acts for numerous airlines on claims for flight delays and cancellations. AIG, MS Amlin, Global Aerospace, Chubb, Allianz, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems are also clients. Consultant Sue Barham and Zohar Zik are also key figures in the team, as are senior associates Barbara Pansadoro and Mark Waters.  Christopher Smith has joined The Air Law Firm LLP.

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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Shipping

Shipping - ranked: tier 1

HFW

HFW is considered a ‘market leader for marine casualty work’, the team is praised for its ‘holistic approach’, and it is active across a range of commercial, logistics, marine insurance, collisions, losses, piracy, regulatory, cyber and technology mandates, and is also noted for its yacht experience. Highlights include acting for PAO Sovcomflot in a case brought against PDVSA in relation to hire claims and other sums due under charterparties for the carriage of various oil products. It also represents Lomar Shipping and its insurers in relation to the 2017 grounding and actual total loss of a container ship on her maiden voyage on a coral reef off Noumea, New Caledonia and is representing Evalend Shipping & Trading and its insurers on the seizure of product tanker and her entire crew by the Libyan authorities. Craig Neame is the global head of the shipping practice and an expert on container shipping and terminal matters. Sanctions expert Daniel Martin heads the regulatory shipping team. Andrew Chamberlain handles collisions, groundings, catastrophes and salvage and heads the admiralty and crisis management team. Other key figures include Paul Dean, who is noted for offshore work; George Eddings, who provides ‘quick, accurate and succinct advice, while always keeping in mind the underlying commercial issues’; Richard Neylon, who is ‘very smart, hardworking and very commercial’ and handles wet and dry disputes; Elinor Dautlich, who advises on shipping contracts; Matt Illingworth, who handles disputes; Jonathan Webb, who is noted for his experience in dry work; and Richard Mabane, who specialises in shipping litigation. David Morriss, Rory Butler and Jean Koh are also recommended, as are recently promoted partner Alex Kemp, consultants James Gosling and Hugh Livingstone, Jim Cashman, and senior associates Emilie Bokor-Ingram and Sally Buckley .  

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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Travel

Travel: regulatory and commercial - ranked: tier 1

HFW

HFW ’s ‘quality’ multidisciplinary department regularly acts for airlines, cruise lines, ferry companies, hotel companies, package holiday companies, ports and terminals operators, insurers, financiers and travel industry bodies; it particularly stands out for its regulatory and commercial expertise in the aviation and cruise sectors. Virgin Atlantic, Oman Air, Air New Zealand, Gulf Air, Qantas, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, Thomas Cook Airlines, Singapore Airlines, US Airways Club Méditerranée (UK) and Meyer Werft are clients;  and the team acts for numerous airlines on flight delay and cancellation claims. Anthony Woolich regularly handles regulatory, IP and data handling issues; Giles Kavanagh is noted for regulatory disputes and leads the firm’s global aerospace team; and consultant Sue Barham is an aviation regulatory expert. Senior associates Claire Womersley; William MacLachlan, who handles transactional matters and is experienced in the cruise sector; and Gudmund Bernitz, who handles finance matters, are also recommended. Elinor Dautlich and Zohar Zik head the cruise, travel and leisure team. Christopher Smith  has joined The Air Law Firm LLP  and Rory Gogarty has retired.

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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