HFW > Geneva, Switzerland > Firm Profile

HFW > The Legal 500 Rankings

Switzerland > Transport Tier 1

HFW‘s ‘professional and client oriented’ team collaborates with its international network to advise client such as shipowners, charterers, P&I Clubs, banks, governments, and brokers on commercial, regulatory, and litigation matters. The team has extensive knowledge of the dry shipping, admiralty and crisis management markets as well as transactional work. Practice head Michael Buisset specialises in advising clients on dry shipping litigation and arbitration, including charterparties, bills of lading, ship sale and purchase, marine insurance (hull, cargo and P&I), and contracts of affreightment and is often involved in landmark court cases. Sarah Hunt has extensive experience advising trading companies, charterers and owners on complex shipping and international trade disputes. Hunt also heads a team of lawyers which has advised HFW’s industry clients on shipping, trading, insurance and complex trade finance matters involving multi-jurisdictional sanctions arising out of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Georges Racine and William Hold are also key members of the team.

Switzerland > Banking and finance: Geneva Tier 3

HFW’s team covers the whole spectrum including trade and asset finance, project and infrastructure finance, and regulatory work. The team is headed by Olivier Bazin who has unrivalled expertise handling complex disputes in the Swiss soft commodities market. Jason Marett often advises trading houses, corporates and financial institutions on a variety of financing transactions in the commodities market. New hire Gibran Alaoui, who joined the firm in April 2023, advises financial institutions and trading houses on all aspects of finance, including trade finance, structured trade finance, and bilateral and syndicated lending markets. Caroline West is an additional key contact at the Geneva office.