Squire Patton Boggs’ maritime team combines dry and wet shipping expertise with notable capabilities in ship financing. Under the joint leadership of Geneva-based Kate Sherrard and Chris Swart, who works across London and Singapore, the practice is a trusted adviser on the full spectrum of shipping issues – from charterparties, bills of lading and other carriage contracts, to marine insurance, sanctions, and major incidents. Recent developments include the promotion of Gabriella Martin to partner in March 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Chris Swart is an exceptional legal mind which combines with decades of practical experience in dealing with commercial realities, across multiple jurisdictions and industries.'
- ‘Graham Harris is a wonderful lawyer. She has extensive legal knowledge, intuition, is meticulous and very smart. I can say the same about other members of the team, such as Martin Rees or Dickie Chan.’
Key clients
- Kingdom of Spain
- Mercuria Energy Trading Pte Ltd
Work highlights
Acting for Kingdom of Spain in long-running arbitration and court proceedings arising out of the sinking of the Prestige ship off the coast of Galicia (Spain) in November 2002 and the consequent major oil spill.
Practice head
Chris Swart; Kate Sherrard
Other key lawyers
Michael Davar, Gabriella Martin; Katie Pritchard; Graham Harris; Martin Rees; Dickie Chan