Watson Farley & Williams is regularly sought after for its expertise in the sale and leaseback of shipping vessels, particularly in the LNG sector. On the aviation side, the firm is well-versed in providing structured lending, leasing and restructuring support. Leading from Hong Kong, Christoforos Bisbikos advises on fleet acquisition and joint ventures in the shipping sector. Jackson Chow specialises in aviation finance, acting on procurement and leasing matters. Guan Jian advises major financial instructions, leasing companies and ship owners, while Valerie Lee is also noted for her work on debt restructuring and sale and leasebacks. Madeline Leong is another key name within the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Watson Farley & Williams has a strong reputation in asset finance, particularly in aviation and shipping. The team is highly responsive, commercially minded, and well-versed in cross-border transactions.'
'They stand out for balancing legal precision with practical solutions, and for their ability to coordinate smoothly across jurisdictions.’
‘Jackson Chow is an outstanding partner. He combines technical expertise with clear commercial judgment and consistently brings a calm, solutions-driven approach. His responsiveness, attention to detail, and ability to explain complex issues clearly set him apart from competitors.'
Key clients
- Amundsen Expeditions Group Holdings Limited
- Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd
- ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
- China Merchants Commerce Financial Leasing Co., Ltd
- CCB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
- CITIC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
- Pacific Basin
- Jiangsu Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
- SPDB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
- Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
- CSSC (Hong Kong) Shipping Company Limited
- BNP Paribas, Hong Kong
Work highlights
Advised CMB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. on the US$1.1bn sale and leaseback of five 200,000m3 LNG carriers with Pure Energy Limited.
Advised Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. in a sale and leaseback transaction involving 18 vessels with a total leasing amount of US$848 million.
Advised China Merchants Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. on a sale and leaseback transaction relating to an LNG floating storage unit, the Excalibur.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners: Shipping Finance
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading partners: Aviation Finance
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Jackson Chow
Practice head
Christoforos Bisbikos; Jim Bell
Other key lawyers
Madeline Leong; Valerie Lee; Dora Ying; Jackson Chow; Guan Jian