Mike Phillips > Watson Farley & Williams LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Watson Farley & Williams LLP Offices

15 APPOLD STREET
LONDON
EC2A 2HB
England
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Mike Phillips

Work Department
PARTNER IN THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION GROUP
Position
Mike specialises in shipping, contentious ship finance and ship and offshore vessel construction. Mike’s clients include shipowners, traders, insurers, banks, funds and shipyards.
With over 20 years’ of practice in the marine and international trade sector, Mike has a wealth of knowledge and experience which he brings to bear to help clients resolve their most complex and difficult problems. Representing some of the largest and most well-known companies in the marine and international trade sector, Mike is known as both an exceptional lawyer and a clever strategist. Equally at home in London arbitration or multi-jurisdictional Court proceedings, Mike has a strong record of success for clients in a wide range of matters from shipping and cargo claims, groundings and vessel fires through to complex multi-vessel finance enforcement. On the construction side, Mike represents shipyards and buyers on a range of construction projects from super-yachts through to complex offshore vessels and rigs.
Mike regularly delivers training to industry professionals, on a bespoke basis for clients, and through the leading industry association, BIMCO.
The Legal 500 2019 has called Mike “outstanding”.
Mike was shortlisted as Legal 500 Transport Lawyer of the Year in 2019.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Transport > Shipping
(Leading individuals)‘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.
London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
Known for its shipping, energy, oil and gas, construction and commodities sector expertise, Watson Farley & Williams LLP‘s ‘combines extensive and deep experience with a modern and nimble approach to disputes‘. The London dispute resolution group is jointly led by Rebecca Williams, who ‘gives her all to cases‘; and big-ticket international arbitration specialist Andrew Ward. Mike Phillips leads the maritime disputes team; Rob Fidoe is ‘an outstanding lawyer‘; and Alexander Creswick, Mark McAllister-Jones and Archit Dhir are experienced senior associates.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals - London > Transport > Shipping
- Shipping - London > Transport
- International arbitration - London > Dispute resolution
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Real estate > Environment
- Finance > Transport finance and leasing
Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution > Commodities disputes
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: lower mid-market deals, £50m-£500m
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Transport > Shipping
- Finance > Trade finance
- Transport > Aviation
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Employment > Immigration
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Real estate > Planning
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Transport > Rail
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Real estate > Property finance