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)Watson Farley & Williams LLP‘s shipping team delivers comprehensive advice to maritime clients, showcasing deep proficiency in the enforcement of ship mortgages alongside insolvency and restructuring work. The firm also sports expertise in sanction-related matters as well as disputes and ESG issues. George Macheras is the key partner, acting as global maritime sector co-head, and noted for his experience in dry shipping and ship finance matters. Mike Phillips is lauded for his ‘valuable and creative support’, while Robert Platt focuses on contentious matters and commercial contracts. Marcus Dodds left the firm for an in-house position in November 2022.
London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
With ‘excellent instincts when it comes to international disputes‘, Watson Farley & Williams LLP‘s practice stands out for its specialist sector expertise in energy, transport and infrastructure across the firm’s international network. Construction and energy disputes expert Rebecca Williams is ‘a fighter that clients want in their corner‘; Rob Fidoe acts in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations under various rules; Mike Phillips is maritime disputes leader; Andrew Ward specialises in heavyweight international arbitration; and Andrew Hutcheon is ‘skilled at securing good outcomes‘. Mark McAllister-Jones is a recently-elevated counsel, while Archit Dhir, Alexander Creswick and Jack Moulder are experienced senior associates.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals London > Transport > Shipping
- International arbitration London > Dispute resolution
- Shipping London > Transport
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution > Commodities disputes
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Transport > Aviation
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Transport > Shipping
- Finance > Trade finance
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Employment > Immigration
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Transport > Rail
- Real estate > Environment
- Real estate > Planning
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Real estate > Property finance
- Real estate > Commercial property: development