Stephenson Harwood

In 2024, Stephenson Harwood launched a new maritime, trade and offshore practice group to combine its ship finance, shipping, trade and commodities expertise across its office network. A key part of this is the London team, led by global head of trade and commodities Jonathan Spearing, who is ‘razor-sharp, commercially astute’. Spearing and the ’reliable and effective’ Peter Bennett have a market-leading practice in commodity financing fraud cases, as well as matters concerning physical commodity and financing transactions. Together, they manage the relationship with key client Mercuria Energy Trading. Emma Skakle is ‘highly qualified, detail-oriented and responsible’. Her busy practice encompasses disputes in the international trade, shipping and natural resources markets, including ICC, LCIA, FOSFA, GAFTA, and LMAA matters, as well as High Court litigation, and mediation. Haris Zografakis has decades of experience in hard, soft and energy commodities on both disputes and advisory work, with an increasing focus on matters concerning the decarbonisation of supply chains and the environmental attributes of new fuels.