Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP > London, England > Firm Profile
Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP Offices
1 New Fetter Lane
LONDON
EC4A 1AN
England
Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 3
Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP is well known in the market for handling high-profile and high-value transactions and disputes. It advises on upstream, midstream and downstream projects for oilfield operators, contractors, suppliers and insurers. Practice head Glenn Kangisser advises on the full life cycle of projects, from the design and construction phase through to operations and maintenance, and William Cecil is a key name for disputes. Conrad Purcell and Martin Pugsley recently joined from Bird & Bird LLP, and DWF respectively, while Myles Mantle left for Mayer Brown International LLP and Rob Patterson and associate Phoebe Anderson also left the firm.Practice head(s):
Glenn Kangisser
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Really strong technical knowledge of the sector, fantastic energy network within firm’.
‘True experts in this very specialised field’.
‘Glenn Kangisser and William Cecil have very deep knowledge and experience in this speciliased niche field’.
‘A capable and user-friendly team with an in-depth knowledge of the oil & gas sector, and infrastructure and construction disputes’.
‘The team has in-depth knowledge and understanding of international arbitration and are dedicated to putting their client in the driving seat’.
‘William Cecil is hugely experienced as an energy / construction litigator’.
‘This firm has an intensive knowledge of the shipyard contracts for drilling rigs, and is experienced with the termination matters, both contractual and technical matters’.
‘The team is very well organised, work fast and efficiently, the outputs are well supported and well structured’.
Key clients
Maersk Drilling A/S
Stena Drilling Limited
Stena Power & LNG Solutions
Work highlights
- Representing Maersk Drilling A/S to undertake due diligence in connection with their merger transaction with Noble Corp.
- Representing Stena Drilling Limited in relation to the acquisition of the deepwater drillship Crete from its builder Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea.
- Represented Stena Drilling Limited with the negotiation of a drilling contract with Energean for three wells to be drilled in Israel involving the Stena Icemax drilling rig.
Investment fund formation and management > Fund finance Tier 4
With extensive expertise in structured products, refinancings, securitisation and real estate finance, Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP acts for banks, alternative credit providers, fund managers and investors on ESG-linked facilities, subscription and capital call lending, and hybrid financing. The team is led by Emma Russell, who is sought after to handle transactions across a wide range of asset classes, including private equity, real estate, secondaries, and infrastructure.Practice head(s):
Emma Russell
Testimonials
‘Full availability and expertise in the fund finance space.’
Key clients
Raiffeisen Bank International
Danske Bank
Work highlights
- Acted for Raiffeisen Bank International and Danske Bank on a club deal under which a capital call facility linked to ESG metrics was provided to Capman Buyout XI SCSp.
Transport > Shipping Tier 4
Praised for its ‘vast knowledge’ and ‘in-depth experience’, Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP supports clients with their transactional, commercial, and contentious shipping needs. Shipbuilding and ship conversion form part of the firm’s portfolio alongside financing, recycling, and sale and purchase mandates. Andreas Silcher and Mark Johnson jointly lead the team, both fielding extensive experience in maritime offshore projects and all types of commercial vessels. The practice also includes dispute resolution specialists William Cecil and Andreas Dracoulis.Practice head(s):
Andreas Silcher; Mark Johnson
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Haynes and Boone are excellent for shipbuilding cases. They have real in-depth experience of these types of disputes. They are very strong on legal analysis and case management. They offer a Rolls-Royce service.’
‘William Cecil is a standout lawyer, who is at ease with the biggest and most complicated shipbuilding disputes.’
Good people, with vast knowledge in their respective fields. Easy to work with, polite and with well-executed ideas.’
‘Haynes and Boone has a very good knowledge of all aspects of shipping and trading and especially LNG.’
‘Andreas Silcher is an excellent professional that stands out.’
Key clients
ESL Shipping
Kuwait Oil Tanker Company
Athenian Sea Carriers
Stena Power & LNG Solutions
Work highlights
- Represented ESL in the negotiation and finalisation of shipbuilding contracts for six firm plus six optional 5,350 DWT ice class general cargo carriers with hybrid electric propulsion to be constructed at Chowgule shipyard in Goa, India.
- Represented KOTC in relation to its repatriation efforts for Chinese seafarers.
- Represented Stena LNG & Power in relation to a “LNG to energy” project in Vietnam, where Stena’s jetty-less LNG technology is to be deployed.
Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 5
The London-based international arbitration team of US-headquartered Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP combines longstanding international arbitration experience with energy and construction sector expertise; and the team regularly acts in arbitrations pursuant to the ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. International arbitration head Melanie Willems
is ‘a superb team leader‘, while Markus Esly is an energy, projects, construction and infrastructure disputes expert. Counsel Robert Blackett focuses on international arbitration, and William Cecil is litigation head.Practice head(s):
Melanie Willems; William Cecil
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Excellent – highly experienced, very hardworking, and extremely bright.’
‘Highly responsive, easy to work with, and always with an eye on practical outcomes.’
‘Exceptional case management.’
‘Melanie Willems is a superb team leader – extremely bright, very commercial and a wonderful motivator, who is brilliant at getting the best out of everyone.‘
‘The standout lawyers are Melanie Willems and Markus Esly.’
‘Marcus Esly is a brilliant lawyer – very bright, and fantastic with clients.’
Real estate > Construction: contentious Tier 5
Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP has a strong reputation acting for contractor and employer clients in international arbitration matters, specifically in relation to engineering and infrastructure disputes. Melanie Willems, who has extensive experience in contractual disputes arising from energy, projects and engineering matters, leads the team alongside William Cecil. Markus Esly acts on complex commercial disputes, advising clients in the hotels and hospitality industry, whilst Robert Blackett focuses on international arbitration in the oil and gas, energy, engineering sectors.Practice head(s):
Melanie Willems; William Cecil
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very responsive to their clients’ objectives, highly motivated and very bright.’
‘Melanie Willem is an outstanding leader of a team – she is very bright, extremely hands-on and hard-working, a wonderful motivator, and superb with clients.’
‘Marcus Esly is exceptionally bright, a brilliant lawyer and immensely hard-working.’
‘This is a great team who have worked together for a long time to deliver excellent results for clients.’
‘They get into the detail to understand the issues and drive results.’
Work highlights
Finance > Debt capital markets
Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: Haynes and Boone, LLP is a full service international commercial law firm with 600 lawyers, providing a full spectrum of legal services in 18 offices spanning Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Washington DC, London, Mexico City and Shanghai. The firm is ranked among the largest US-based firms and was recognised for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2021 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service. The London office offers transactional and dispute resolution lawyers with deep industry knowledge and strong commercial sense and has core strengths in corporate, energy, finance, international dispute resolution and shipping. The London lawyers partner seamlessly with their colleagues across the firm and counsel clients worldwide. Many of the firm’s lawyers have international backgrounds; the lawyers in London offer fluency in 13 languages.
Types of work undertaken
Energy: in the energy industry, the firm serves US and international oil companies with global development interests, independent oil and gas producers, offshore oilfield service contractors and equipment companies, as well as large commercial lenders, hedge funds and private equity firms in the energy sector. The firm’s experience comprises (i) upstream licensing arrangements through the exploration, production and transportation of oil and gas; (ii) advising clients on the operational issues involved in the extraction, processing and transportation of these products; and (iii) assisting clients with the procurement, construction, employment, installation, sale and purchase, conversion, decommissioning and recycling of offshore drilling and production facilities and units, transportation pipelines and LNG carriers. We also advise on the renewables industry with specific experience in solar, wind and biomass projects.
Shipping: the firm has significant experience in the provision of legal advice in relation to the entire life cycle of ships and other maritime assets. From shipbuilding and ship conversion projects, to sale & purchase, employment and decommissioning of vessels, the firm advises on maritime projects of all kinds. Senior counsel Simon Curtis and partner William Cecil are co-authors (together with Ian Gaunt, president of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association 2017-2020) of the fifth edition of the leading textbook on shipbuilding contract law, ‘The Law of Shipbuilding Contracts’, published by Informa Law from Routledge, 2020. The firm is continuously involved in a wide range of newbuilding projects and disputes and its maritime clients include shipowners, charterers, classification societies, engineering consultants, private equity and other financial services companies, shipyards and insurers, covering the full spectrum of commercial shipping. We also have substantial experience in the construction and employment of passenger ferries, cruise ships and superyachts. For LNG projects, the office brings together project development, construction, transportation and gas supply experience on behalf of developers, suppliers and shippers.
Corporate: the firm’s corporate lawyers possess extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, capital markets transactions, IPOs, takeovers and related shareholder issues spanning a broad range of industries. In addition, the London office expands the international reach of the firm’s private equity and venture capital capabilities, which include helping clients structure and organise funds. The team also as represents entrepreneurs, start-ups, early-stage companies and emerging growth companies in structuring, negotiating and closing all forms of venture financings. It regularly provides its clients with advice on entity formation, funding strategies, IP strategies and general corporate matters.
Investment Management: the firm’s London Investment Management team acts as cross-border counsel to UK and European fund managers who want to access capital across the globe. Its practice focuses on the structuring and establishment of onshore and offshore investment funds, working with both complex established hedge fund vehicles and structuring for emerging first-time managers on fund structuring, regulatory and compliance matter in relation to restructurings, derivatives, liquidation, and all aspects of regulatory law including AIFMD, navigating FCA authorisation, and fund financing. It has a wide range of experience in alternative investment funds, advising the full spectrum of fund managers, family offices, sovereigns, and entrepreneurs on strategies spanning credit, ESG, event driven, special situations, global macro, Greentech, cannabis, crypto emerging markets, long/short equity, quantitative, multi-strategy, fund of funds, commodities, and real estate. Such funds have been domiciled in various jurisdictions, including the Cayman, Ireland, Luxembourg, Channel Islands, UK, and the U.S. and beyond.
Finance: the firm’s global finance practice offers the range of skills that the firm’s clients demand. Its partner-led approach, experience and versatility offer clients a first-class service, embracing both technical quality and commercial awareness. The firm has extensive experience in fund finance, acquisition finance, refinancings, corporate facilities, real estate finance and financial institutions lending (including non-bank lenders and insurance), in each case across a broad range of industry sectors. It regularly advises financial sponsors, lenders, borrowers, investors, fund managers and central banks in relation to those core areas.
Project finance: our project finance and development practice group includes experience across all major disciplines that affect a client’s investment throughout a project’s life – from early-stage development and regulatory issues through joint ventures, financing, mergers, acquisitions, restructurings and public offerings. Our work includes representation of developers, lenders, borrowers, investors, sponsors, governments and contract parties in projects utilising a broad spectrum of project financing arrangements including term loan facilities; letter of credit facilities; mezzanine and high-yield facilities and structured finance techniques from commercial banks, development finance institutions and institutional investors
International dispute resolution: we have a substantial team of English law-qualified disputes lawyers, with a long and distinguished record of representing clients in court and arbitral proceedings and in other forms of dispute resolution (for example, adjudication, expert determination and mediation). Our London-based international dispute resolution lawyers act for clients in ad hoc arbitrations and in those administered by the leading institutions, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR). We act for clients in the various divisions of the English Courts, in particular the Commercial Court and the Technology and Construction Court. Although our clients are derived from a wide range of industries, we have built a formidable reputation acting for clients in the offshore oil and gas, shipping and infrastructure sectors. We also represent investors in disputes with host governments or states under bilateral investment treaties (e.g., ICSID arbitrations).
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing Partner | William Cecil | william.cecil@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2837 |
| Shipping | Andreas Silcher | andreas.silcher@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2810 |
| Dispute resolution | William Cecil | william.cecil@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2837 |
| Finance | Emma Russell | emma.russell@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2807 |
| Corporate | Tom Ferns | tom.ferns@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2804 |
| International Arbitration | Melanie Willems | melanie.willems@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2869 |
| Project Finance | Myles Mantle | myles.mantle@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2869 |
| Energy | Glenn Kangisser | glenn.kangisser@haynesboone.com | T +44 (0)20 8734.2814 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mr James Brown | Partner | View Profile |
 | Mr William Cecil | Managing Partner of the London office and Head of the Dispute resolution… | View Profile |
 | Mr Simon Curtis | Senior Counsel | View Profile |
 | Mr Andreas Dracoulis | Partner | View Profile |
 | Markus Esly | Partner | View Profile |
|
| Mr Mark Johnson | Mark has extensive experience negotiating and documenting large-scale and complex maritime and… | View Profile |
 | Mr Glenn Kangisser | Partner | View Profile |
 | Mr Bradley J Richards | Partner, Member of Board of Directors | View Profile |
|
| Emma Russell | Partner and Head of the Finance Practice Group | View Profile |
 | Mr Andreas Silcher | Partner, Co-Head of Shipping Group | View Profile |
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| Melanie Willems | Partner, Chair of International Arbitration Practice Group | View Profile |