Watson Farley & Williams LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘Very creative and knowledgeable about the law, especially in the shipping sphere, with some deep thinkers who can find their way around even the most challenging legal obstacle, as well as some practical problem solvers. It makes for a very effective team.’

‘Andrew Ward – outstanding combination of command of details and overall strategic vision.’

‘Andrew Ward is a very strong and highly knowledgeable shipping/commodities litigator, with a clear and strong sense of what works and does not work in litigation.’

‘Andrew Hutcheon is a conscientious, diligent, intellectually strong and commercially-savvy lawyer.’

‘Andrew Hutcheon – sees every angle and out-thinks the opposition.’

‘Charles Buss – deep legal knowledge and a canny feel for litigation tactics.‘

‘Rob Fidoe is an excellent practitioner, who is building a very strong commercial litigation practice across a number of technical areas, including renewables, oil and gas, shipping/commodities and IT.’

‘Rob Fidoe is well liked by clients who appreciate his focused but easy manner. He has particular strength in Asian work.‘

‘Very well-resourced, experienced and efficient.’

‘They combine a huge global footprint and offering, a highly-skilled and intelligent team with a deep bench, real market knowledge and expertise, and a commercially pragmatic and friendly approach.’

‘The responsive and efficient Louise Mor has tremendous industry credibility.’

‘Jim Bell is a very smart deal-maker; if there is a problem that requires an innovative solution then he is the one to turn to. For me, Jim represents the ideal lawyer in that he is exceptionally bright, very commercial and pragmatic, and hugely personable.’

‘Chris Mitchell is very experienced and very practical and easy to deal with.’

‘Patrick Moore – very pragmatic and solutions oriented across stakeholders. Despite a number of unexpected hurdles, he kept calm and carried on to the finishing line!’

‘Kavita Shah provides sound legal advice, while keeping commercial considerations in mind.’

‘Gary Walsh is very knowledgeable and dedicated.’

‘Watson Farley and Williams’ dispute resolution group stands out by providing the most practical solutions to the dispute.’

‘All the law firms should provide such solutions like Watson Farley, but it’s surprising how many law firms are either incapable of, or afraid of providing the sharp analysis.’

‘Watson Farley gave some tough advice when other law firms were timid in doing so. Such advice was not easy to swallow at first, but it eventually saved my company from getting into the dispute only to lose later, so I did appreciate.’

‘High-value, serious work, based all over the world, very well resourced, able to take on the biggest opponents.’

‘Robert Fidoe – strategically confident, very good with clients, knows when to be robust, and when to be flexible.’

‘Attention to the client market knowledge.’

‘Very responsive team that cooperate well internally. For the client that means there are fewer dropped balls and loose ends. They tend to think alongside their clients and facilitate introductions, innovations and suggestions appropriately and finally they are all pleasant people to deal with. All of this makes for a good working relationship.’

‘Partners are typically much more involved on the deal and remain coordinated throughout when working with other partner colleagues for subject matter expertise. Joined-up thinking between senior colleagues provides a lot of confidence.’

‘Daisy East is typically on-point and provides clear and well thought-out advice. Daisy has also been a pragmatic problem-solver on number of occasions to overcome legal complexities (that always arise) without adversely impacting the deal. Specialist focus in the energy sector means up to date knowledge on market precedents and market practices.’

‘Watson Farley & Williams has incredibly deep knowledge about offshore wind power projects in UK. Their advice was always comprehensive and they always heeded to client’s intention, which enables us to proceed our internal approval procedure effectively.’

‘Martin Lucas is one of the excellent lawyers among lawyers we have ever worked with. He has rich knowledge about market practice in offshore wind power projects in the UK. He is also familiar with the relationships between project companies and the government, which enables clients to analyze projects more effectively. In addition, he was a skillful negotiator.’

‘WFW are unique in their knowledge of the UK offshore wind industry. They never fail to provide timely clear advice.’

‘Unlike many competitors in the projects business, this practice has an extraordinary broad offering in-house. It offers top teams, with very strong experience and knowledge and a strong network of key players in its industry areas. It is also apparent that it has a very positive and strong culture and this manifests itself in the way it conducts its business.’

‘Very solid and professional in approach. Pragmatic advice and good availability.’

‘Andy Savage has advised on a number of matters in the renewable energy sector. He has a very good knowledge of his sector and is able to leverage the firm’s expertise here.’

‘I have worked with Nerina Erasmus on a number of occasions. She is very dependable and efficient.’

‘Strong industry expertise, the firm works hard in finding solutions for their clients and go above and beyond in terms of hard work to achieve this.’

‘Solid industry expertise, great collaboration and trust, committed and engaged, has provided solutions and advice when negotiations are at critical/difficult point. Provides the comfort that quality of work will be delivered and in a quick manner. Hard work both from partners and associates.’

‘Friendly team with the ability to advise on a range of trade finance matters across different commodity areas.’

‘Consistently strong service levels whether they are advising on a small transaction or one that is globally significant.’

‘Joe Levin is a solution focused and adaptable finance partner with trade finance expertise across numerous jurisdictions. Joe’s ‘can do’ attitude ensures he supports his clients, working through any challenges that arise, and takes a commercial approach to help ensure deals close.’

‘Jordan Joaniddes is an approachable, helpful, and knowledgeable senior associate who delivers in trustworthy fashion. A background in private practice as well as various financial institutions has given him a commercially-driven approach.’

‘I would describe the team as very ‘user-friendly’, not interested in scoring legal points, but rather on securing your objectives in the most effective manner possible.’

‘They are sensible on fees, and ‘stopping the clock’ when situations drag out, which is s sure way to create a long-term relationship.’

‘You can contact them 24/7 without feeling that you’re burning billable hours. They feel like one of the home team, not just an advisor. Felicity Jones exemplifies this in all our dealings with her.’

‘Dedication; responsiveness; professionalism; real customer care.’

‘WFW is very responsive and creative in non-traditional projects, but provides commercial and timely advice on more traditional projects.’

‘Richard Hughes – knowledgeable and commercial in RE financing matters. Very responsive and efficient.’

‘Rohan Inamdar – Flexible and creative in tight schedules. Detail oriented and thorough.’

‘Felicity Jones – commercial and practical counsel, with big picture understanding.’

‘Deal and relationship oriented’.

‘In addition to providing good quality legal advice, they take into consideration the context of the relationship and are really trying to find solutions to make the deal happen’.

‘Compact but full service oil and gas offering; partners with real expertise in the areas it’s needed, who work on the matters and engage directly with the client’.

‘Always practical and working towards the big picture outcome and the client’s goals’.

‘Joe Levin is a solution focused and adaptable finance partner with a breadth of oil and gas expertise who wants to work with and support his clients, taking a commercial approach to help ensure deals close’.

‘Chris Kilburn is an experienced and practical corporate partner’.

‘Whether leading on an M&A transaction or acting in a supporting capacity on wider matter, Chris Kilburn understands clients’ needs and delivers clear, digestible advice’.

‘Heike Trischmann is a highly knowledgeable and determined partner who is a valuable asset for commercial O&G contracts’.

‘WFW shipping team is recognised for the depth and breadth of their practice, on both wet and dry, contentious and non-contentious matters.’

‘The partners have a lifetime of experience of shipping and shipbuilding disputes; they know every aspect of the industry.’

‘Charles Buss excels at deep thinking – the grandmaster of litigation tactics.’

‘Marcus Dodds stands out for his technical expertise and business acumen. He is a safe pair of hands.’

‘There are a number of capabilities of this firm that makes it outstanding: their capacity to listen to the clients and find solutions to their worries and queries, their personal treat with the client, and their capacity to collaborate not only with their clients, but also with the counterpart, in order to arrive to a feasible solution to problems.’

‘Watson Farley has a number of partners with diverse experience across the different elements of the oil and gas sector and different countries’ legal and regulatory systems.’

‘Jan Mellmann gets directly involved and understands the needs of smaller companies as well as large ones.’

‘They offer attention to the client and market knowledge.’

‘The WFW international arbitration team combines extensive and deep experience with a modern and nimble approach to disputes.’

‘Rebecca Williams is a powerhouse, fully committed, strategically talented and inventive, and gives her all to cases.’

‘Andrew Ward has an excellent mixed shipping and international arbitration practice – extremely clever and pays close attention to detail.’‘

‘Marcus Dodds has unrivalled legal and technical knowledge in the LNG sector, along with a wealth of knowledge and experience of the shipping industry – valued for the quality of his advice and commercial focus.’

‘Rob Fidoe is an outstanding lawyer, adept at managing complex technical disputes, and with a good eye for the issues that are important in a dispute. Rob’s easygoing manner is very popular with clients and other team members.‘

‘Mike Phillips is true maritime law expert, and is reachable and hands-on with clients.’

‘Mike Phillips and senior associate Archit Dhir deliver clear and detailed legal analysis and advice very swiftly; and Alexander Creswick is a senior associate with maturity and judgement well beyond what is expected from someone his age.’

‘Senior associate Mark McAllister Jones is committed, good on the law, and shows good judgement on difficult points. No doubt a partner of the future.’

‘Excellent communication throughout – clear instructions and information from all of the team. Positive and friendly, always on hand to address queries and questions.’

‘Elliott Marsh – so helpful and personable, especially helping with last minute queries, even at the last hours of the working day. Genuinely a nice person with a customer-first approach that I respect and admire.’

‘The team listens to the needs of their clients and consistently comes up with pragmatic solutions to problems.’

‘We have received excellent support and understanding from the team, especially from Elliott Marsh.’

‘Individuals are personable, helpful and knowledgeable.’

‘The contentious construction team at WFW combines extensive and deep experience with a modern and nimble approach to disputes.’

‘The team is impressive in the commitment and energy that they devote to their cases. They have a proactive approach to their cases and are extremely tactically astute.’

‘The practice offers exceptional expertise in construction. It has the resources to successfully handle heavy TCC litigation. It is flexible and can handle adjudication business efficiently too.’

‘Rebecca Williams is an expert in dealing with construction disputes. She is committed and has excellent judgment. She puts the client first at every stage.’

‘Ryland Ash has a wonderful ability to see things quickly and provide a range of options to consider. He genuinely cares and is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Barry Hembling is a very capable lawyer. He gives clear instructions for expert appointments and clear guidance over timescales.’

‘Mark McCallister-Jones is highly able and experienced. He is always calm under pressure and finds detailed, practical solutions for his clients.’

‘Alexander Creswick is extremely bright and shows maturity and ability beyond his years. He is dependable and unflappable; a real star.’

‘The team’s strength is their their dedication and level of knowledge of relevant case law.’

‘Barry Hembling is a stand-out partner. He is a highly capable lawyer who possess detailed experience and knowledge of the construction sector.’

‘The team possess good communication skills and are very polite. They are attentive and highly responsive.’

‘Alexander Mulroney provides solid and capable support, and displays good communication skills and strong legal knowledge of the construction sector.’

‘Watson Farley & Williams has incredibly deep knowledge about offshore wind power projects in UK. Their advice is always comprehensive and they always heed to client’s intention.’

‘Martin Lucas has rich knowledge about market practice in offshore wind power projects in the UK. He is also familiar with the relationships between project companies and the government, which enables clients to analyse projects more effectively. In addition, he is a skilful negotiator.’

‘Barry Hembling adopts a pragmatic approach and provides incisive analytical and concise advice that is clear to follow and implement thereafter. Alexander Creswick is extremely knowledgeable within the dispute resolution area.’

‘The team are aware of emerging technologies and their potential legal impact within the construction sector.’

‘Planning legal services (Nick Walker and Hetty Tombs) able to cut through to the heart of the issue and provide clear, concise advice.’

‘Nick Walker and Hetty Tombs. Approachable and willing to discuss and advise on an informal basis. Understand commercial realities in providing professional advice which is very useful.’

‘Nick Walker was very reliable, spontaneous and knowledgeable.’

‘The team, and in particular Jim Bell, assisted on some particularly involved and convoluted negotiations in which creative solutions needed to be developed in order to break several impasses.’

‘Our interaction and levels of service from WFW has always been excellent and we enjoy the service we receive from them on all the transactions we have worked on.’

‘Particularly strong in terms of diversity of skills they bring. We were working on aircraft leasing simultaneously with administration and it was useful having the same firm doing both.’

‘Jim Bell stands out as an excellent problem solver – he approaches problems with a commercial perspective, which greatly facilitates resolving complex issues.’

‘The partners and lawyers we have working with are excellent and are a valuable part of our transactions. The entire aviation team (both partners and associates) have been excellent.’

‘They respond very rapidly and always have good suggestions for very difficult problems and provide us a lot of confidence in their direction they suggest.’

‘What I like the most is that Louise Mor is available for us anytime, she is responsive, efficient, competent!’.

‘Richard Stephens is responsive and practical.’

‘Richard Stephens offers a consistently high level of advice and counsel.’

‘Responsive and professional.’

‘Watson Farley has a strong reputation and is exceptional when offering the perfect balance between tax technical advice and commerciality.’

‘Tom Jarvis is a tax partner with Watson Farley. We were seeking a combination of a strong technical tax partner with an innate commercial sensibility, and Tom is the perfect combination.’

‘Great expertise in the shipping industry – unrivalled against any of its peers.’

‘They are able to quickly pick up complexities and provide constructive advice.’

‘WFW provide sound and prompt advice. They communicate at a senior level and provide a fantastic litigation service.’

‘Alex Mulroney is a rising star whom I expect to climb the ranks swiftly. Excellent advice and clear communicator.’

‘I find the team very knowledgeable and on top of current issues as they arise. They are quick to issue guidance notes and papers on current topics and changes to legislation and regulatory guidance.’

‘Great people who are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I have full faith in their advice and execution.’

‘The team are well resourced & their considerable depth of expertise is always readily available.’

‘Dev Desai & Alexander Mulroney – both are excellent communicators & present their advice on complex issues in a clear & concise manner.’

‘Despite being a small team, they punch above their weight and give their clients a full-scale service.’

‘Dev Desai is a great tactician; he thinks carefully about how litigation can be used effectively to achieve the client’s ultimate goals.’

‘WFW is excellent in cross-border deals.’

‘Solange Leandro has strong international experience, especially in the EU and UK market, and is highly skilled in cross-border deals.’

‘A unique expertise in the the aviation and maritime sectors. Top-notch expertise, responsiveness, clear advice and very nice to work with.’

‘Solange Leandro is an exceptional lawyer.’

‘Great strength in depth.’

‘Solange Leandro and the whole team at WFW provided us with excellent support in getting our change of control notification approved by competition authorities smoothly and within a very short timeframe.’

‘Excellent international experience. Hands on, practical advice across numerous jurisdictions.’

‘Solange Leandro works tirelessly to ensure that clients’ queries and needs are fulfilled. She provides commercial and succinct advice.’

‘WF&W’s team is very knowledgeable in the field of employment law, but also in labour immigration and maritime employment.’

‘Their services are of a very high service level and with a very short response time and the people are very friendly.’

‘The diversity within the firm seems to be good.’

‘Devan Khagram is very experienced with in large cross-border restructurings and redundancy proceedings. He is very practical and hands-on an has outstanding coordination skills when it comes to directing an international team of lawyers.’

‘Experienced employment team with particular experience of maritime law.’

‘Devan Khagram is a highly experienced lawyer, skilled in dealing with international employment issues particularly with a maritime element.’

‘Anna Robinson is an excellent lawyer – she understands the pros and cons of litigation and obtains excellent results for her clients. Anna will thrive in partnership.’

‘The webinars that were conducted are useful especially for people who are not UK based and may not be familiar with UK laws and legislations. The newsletters are also insightful.’

‘Terrifically cohesive team, led well by very competent management. Appropriate billing and commercial advice.’

‘Direct and to the point, proactive advice. Solid attention to detail whilst getting to the answer quickly.’

‘Experienced and very commercial.’

‘Andrew Baird has a wealth of experience. Always makes himself available and is very practical in his approach.’

‘Very impressed by the firm in all aspects, main strengths include: broad and deep knowledge of the renewable energy sector; very strong on financing documentation and portfolio financing in particular; legal advice – never loses sight of the commercial realities; very patient, flexible and supportive when encountering delays and unforeseen events; access to expertise from more mature markets, in particular their London team.’

‘Andrew Baird – extremely knowledgeable, easy to deal with, commercially minded, strong network, patient.’

‘Without doubt the best experience we have had with any lawyers in the UAE, hence the reason we have returned to them for multiple work streams. The main differentiator has been the clear and unambiguous advice they give, their commercial mindset, their market expertise and sector knowledge, and the patience and support they provide at all steps of the way without constantly trying to increase fees like most other lawyers.’

‘Andrew Baird: Long-standing experience in maritime sector, both with banking or other finance parties and industry clients. Extensive knowledge of international maritime corporate finance related issues and transactions. Deep knowledge of shipping industries, its problems and practices. Problem solver and bridge builder never losing sight of client’s interest. Commercial and solution driven attitude based on his experience and understanding of the sector. Hard worker, delivering on promises.’

‘Charlotte Knight: Results-driven, intelligent, knowledgeable and hard-working lawyer who knows her way in the maritime sector. Delivers as promised, never loses overview in complicated transactions, bringing all parts of a transaction successfully together. Strong with people, whether client or not always focusing on delivering high quality work within agreed time frames.’