Nigel Thomas > Watson Farley & Williams LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Nigel Thomas

020 7814 8000 nthomas@wfw.com

Work Department

SENIOR ADVISOR

Position

Nigel was a Partner at Watson Farley & Williams from 1988 to 2022. He also served as Chairman of the firm from 2017 to 2021. He specialises in international finance with an emphasis on shipping finance, commercial shipping and the offshore and cruise industries. He advises leading industry players in, and financiers to, the maritime sector and has previously been the firm’s Singapore Office Head and Oslo Office Head. Nigel acted as project lead and sponsor of the WFW team helping in the development of the Poseidon Principles, to support the IMO’s goal to reduce shipping’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050.

Nigel is recognised as a leading shipping finance lawyer both for the UK and globally by Legal 500 UK, Chambers UK and Chambers Global. Nigel is ranked by Chambers in band 1 for Shipping: Finance – Global Market Leaders, and has been ranked in this category for 11 years. He is also ranked band 1 for Asset Finance: Shipping Finance – UK Wide for the past 14 years in Chambers UK. Chambers recognises that “He is a very good lawyer – very prominent in the industry and very knowledgeable.” and he has an “esteemed reputation in the ship finance sphere,” with a client noting that “he is very well known for his approach and expertise. He has a very deep understanding and knowledge of the sector. He is also clear, concise and commercial”.

Career

Articled Norton Rose; qualified 1981; assistant solicitor 1981-82; manager, merchant bankers Lazard Brothers & Co 1982-87; partner Watson, Farley & Williams 1988; head of Oslo office 1988-93; head of Singapore office 1998-2001; head of international shipping finance group 2008.

Languages

French, Norwegian, German.

Education

St Catharine s College, Cambridge (BA; MA); London Business School.