Fielding a team of ship finance lawyers covering all aspects of secured lending, leasing, and export credit financing, Clyde & Co LLP provides bespoke advice to P&I clubs, cargo insurers, and financial institutions. The firm is well equipped to handle multi-jurisdictional arbitrations and complex litigation, often surrounding cargo damage and reasonableness of amount claims. Operating out of Shanghai and Singapore, Ik Wei Chong leads the outfit, being a specialist in insurance, international trade, and shipping matters, while Shanghai-based Nicholas Lum is knowledgeable in shipbuilding issues and general commercial disputes. Based in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, Fei Kwok concentrates on energy transactions, and Canming Wang is also highlighted for his work in marine and trade-related affairs. Christian Liu and Flora Tang are also cited as key contacts.
Shipping: foreign firms in China
Clyde & Co LLP
Responsables de la pratique:
Ik Wei Chong
Autres avocats clés:
Nicholas Lum; Fei Kwok; Andrew Rourke; Canming Wang; Christian Liu; Flora Tang
Les références
‘Good at understanding customer intentions, with a strong sense of overall coordination, to protect the customer’s business interests to the greatest extent.’
‘Highly cooperative and willing to cooperate, and the legal advice provided is effective and practical. Willing to take the time to understand customer needs.’
‘Very knowledgeable about the maritime industry, with strong business and industry knowledge.’
Principaux dossiers
HFW
Counting shipowners and charterer, P&I Clubs, alongside major shipyards amongst its key clients, the HFW practice has ‘comprehensive knowledge’ in cross-border contractual disputes and complex insurance matters. The team advises high-profile collisions and pollution claims, in tandem with bilateral debt financing and capital raising affairs, with Hong Kong-based co-head Christopher Chan specialising in maritime arbitration proceedings. The other co-lead, Nicholas Poynder, covers both contentious and transactional work from the Shanghai office, Patrick Yeung primarily focuses on disputes arising from personal injury and shipbuilding scenarios, and Henry Fung covers crew claims, enforcement, and ship mortgages from his base in Hong Kong. Jenny Chester stands out for her work on maritime casualty-related claims.
Responsables de la pratique:
Christopher Chan; Nick Poynder
Autres avocats clés:
Patrick Yeung; Patrick Cheung; Henry Fung; George Lamplough; Peter Murphy; Nicholas Poynder; Lucy Chen; Angie Lo; Jenny Chester; Nicola Hui
Les références
‘First class service from Nick Poynder, Jenny Chesters, and Thilo Jahn who know their clients, know the markets, and know the law.’
‘The Company considers HFW one of the best shipping law firms to work with. HFW exhibits comprehensive knowledge of the shipping businesses and outstanding professionalism in advising shipping-related commercial transactions. In view of the long-term cooperation, HFW is well aware of the Company’s core values and business objectives. The team is therefore able to provide realistic risk assessment and usually impresses the Company by giving innovative recommendations in tackling legal and commercial issues in various commercial transactions. The remarkable capability to provide the Company with feasible plans to achieve desired outcomes makes them stand out from other firms.’
‘The Company highly recommends Mr. Henry Fung, a partner of HFW in Hong Kong, who demonstrated outstanding efforts of professionalism and always realistically anticipated the possible problems and unexpected events which might occur to the Company beforehand. He managed to ensure the Company was being kept abreast of the status of the matters regularly without having to be asked. He also responded promptly to the Company’s request at all times.’
Principaux clients
CMA CGM Asia Shipping Pte. Ltd. & CMA CGM Asia Pacific Liner Pte Ltd
Bright Shipping Limited (Owners of SANCHI)
Principaux dossiers
- Advised and represented CMA CGM in a multi-jurisdictional slot charterparty dispute involving a fire on MV ‘APL CAIRO’, resulting in damages of approximately US$4 million.
- Represented Bright Shipping Limited, the owners of oil tanker SANCHI, in a high-stakes (US$160 million) multi-jurisdictional maritime dispute following a collision with bulk carrier CF CRYSTAL.
Wikborg Rein
Spearheaded by the trio of Ronin Zong, Chelsea Chen, and Yafeng Sun, the ‘very responsive’ Wikborg Rein team has extensive expertise in sale and purchase transactions, complex arbitrations, and contractual disputes in a shipping context. The firm primarily represents shipowners, offshore companies, and major shipyards, regularly leveraging its network of English lawyers in its London and Singapore offices. Operating out of Shanghai, Zong has vast experience in dry shipping matters, Sun primarily focuses on cross-border transactions and investments in China, and Chen is an international dispute resolution expert, concentrating on the petroleum and energy fields. Claire Jiang is highly regarded for reviewing and drafting shipbuilding contracts, alongside handling offshore construction affairs.
Responsables de la pratique:
Ronin Zong; Chelsea Chen; Yafeng Sun
Autres avocats clés:
Claire Jiang
Les références
‘With stable staff and excellent team, we provide clients with timely, efficient and professional legal services.’
‘Chelsea Chen and her team: They have the ability to provide legal services to domestic and foreign clients speaking different languages, and the team’s feedback is timely, efficient and professional.’
‘The team is very responsive to the needs of the clients i.e. understand the commercial realities that underpin the disputes and communicates very quickly. They are able to therefore tailor their advice and alternative creative solutions to meet the clients’ needs.’
Principaux clients
China State Shipbuilding Corporation and subsidiary yards
COSCO Shipyard Group Co., Ltd. and subsidiary yards
China Merchants Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. and subsidiary yards
China National Offshore Oil Corp (“CNOOC”) and subsidiaries
China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
CMB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
Everbright Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
CSSC (Hong Kong) Shipping Company Limited
GARD AS
Norwegian Hull Club
Skuld P&I Club
London P&I
Japan P&I
Britannia P&I
Principaux dossiers
- Advised Adora Cruises Limited, a joint venture company between China State Shipbuilding Corporation and Carnival Corporation, on the RMB 4.4bn financing of China’s first domestically built large cruise ship “Adora Magic City” with Export-Import Bank of China.
- Advised CSSC (HONG KONG) SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED on a financial leasing transaction for two VLCCs with leading International ship operators, for a financing amount exceeding USD 121,000,000.
- Advised Japan P&I and its Korean member in a ship sinking accident at Taiwan Strait in respect of bunker and DG cargo salvage and disposal, shipwreck removal and disposal, oil pollution prevention, accident cause investigation, negotiation and settlement of claims.
DLA Piper
Demonstrating in-depth expertise in all aspects of dry shipping and marine casualty response, the DLA Piper team is described as ‘client-oriented’ by the shipowners and charterers it represents. The practice is well equipped to handle cross-border financings, complex shipping-related litigation, and the sale and purchase of ships, with the Shanghai-based head Xiaoshan Chen being an expert in commercial litigation and arbitration proceedings. The firm also shows strength on the non-contentious side, routinely drafting insurance policies, and advising on both risk management and contingency planning.
Responsables de la pratique:
Xiaoshan Chen
Les références
‘The DLA team has strong collaborative capabilities, is able to fully understand the needs of clients, and provide comprehensive and feasible advice. They have abundant resources around the world and can always find suitable expert candidates to provide comprehensive legal services to clients at any time. They always ensure that lawyers with relevant experience are assigned to each matter so that they can provide us with the highest quality advice and services. Compared with other law firms, the team members of this law firm have a wide range of industry backgrounds. While deeply engaged in shipping law, they have the ability to provide clients with comprehensive, one-stop legal services.’
‘The Company is satisfied with the overall services of DLA Piper. The legal services provided by the team are client-oriented and best suit the Company’s needs. The firm stands out in providing assessment on the degree of legal and commercial risks against certain circumstances in a timely manner and was able to demonstrate sound judgment in planning and managing the dispute resolution matters for the Company. DLA Piper also impressed the Company by giving practical recommendations in solving the dispute cases and formulating strategies in arbitration cases in the shipping industry.’
‘The maritime disputes are becoming more complicated recently and are likely to involve multiple jurisdictions in view of the geopolitical tension, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the war in Middle East. DLA team’s global presence and depth of expertise and experience in handling such cases is crucial, and the depth of their knowledge and experience in shipping industry is evident in their ability to provide comprehensive solutions to even the most complex legal issues.’
Principaux clients
Third Eye Capital
Principaux dossiers
Stephenson Harwood
With a strong track record of representing major international banks and commercial lenders, the ship finance specialist lawyers at Stephenson Harwood routinely cover bill of lading disputes and the sale and purchase of vessels. The practice frequently handles restructuring and enforcements of shipping finance transactions, with the head Evangeline Quek specialising in arbitration proceedings, international trade issues, and enforcement proceedings from her bases in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Since joining the firm as partner in October 2023, Paul Ho focuses on offshore construction and cross-border claims, Shirley Li is an insurance and commercial litigation expert, and Simone Liu is also highlighted as key. All these lawyers are based in Shanghai.
Responsables de la pratique:
Evangeline Quek
Autres avocats clés:
Paul Ho; Shirley Li; Elizabeth Sloane; Andrew Rigden Green; Jason Toms; Simone Liu; Hongkai Zhou; Elton Chan
Les références
‘SH has an associate law firm in the PRC providing maritime legal support.’
‘The lawyers know the maritime industry.’
‘An exceptional shipping team involved in many of the most interesting and high-value cases.’
Principaux clients
China Development Bank
China Development Bank Financial Leasing
Everbright Fortune International Leasing
ICBC Financial Leasing Ltd.
Michharry and Company Nigeria Limited (“MCN”).
The People’s Insurance Co of China (Hong Kong) Ltd
The Export-Import Bank of China
CMB Financial Leasing Ltd.
Pantainer (H.K.) Limited
Panalpina World Transport (Japan) Ltd
Maersk Line
Societe Generale