Shipping (International Firms): China

THE FIRM With lawyers qualified in the PRC, Hong Kong, the UK and the USA, this team is a popular counsel for P&I clubs, shipowners and insurance companies. The team tackles complicated cross-border disputes arising from charter party, shipbuilding contracts and bills of lading. In the past year the team handled a series of major crew injury cases. On the non-contentious side the team has seen an increase in insolvency, finance, private equity, compliance and securities work. In the past year work highlights include acting for Sands China in the repayment of a HKD1.2 billion ferry financing facility for the client's 14-vessel fast ferry fleet.

Sources say: "The firm has always been efficient and user-friendly." "Prompt and professional feedback are always important in shipping, and so far Blank Rome has not let us down."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Nigel Binnersley "is quick, precise and to the point." Clients also describe him as "extremely experienced in shipping, not only technically but also commercially. It is his accurate legal advice with commercial sense that makes him so popular." 

THE FIRM This household name continues to deliver quality work throughout the region, operating out of its Hong Kong and Shanghai offices. The latter is a particularly robust presence in the market bringing to bear technical expertise and the firm's formidable international capacity. Key areas of expertise include shipbuilding, charter party, and salvage and ship arrest matters.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Chong Ik Wei heads the Shanghai office, and is recommended by peers for his "top-gun professional skill set in handling cases."  

Simon Baker brings to the team his in-depth expertise in complicated matters involving cargo-interested parties. His long-standing experience makes him a top choice for a number of top mainstream insurers, P&I clubs, charterers and commodity traders. 

THE FIRM This group continues to reach for the top thanks to an excellent litigation component with a proven track record in casualty, freight, shipbuilding and finance-related disputes. With deep experience in both international arbitration and the local market, this team has proven itself a valuable asset to major P&I clubs, shipping companies and shipyards, and has gained enormous popularity among PRC clients.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Sources praised Nicholas Mallard for his "contemplative mind," and clients also pointed out his "toughness and persistence in fighting cases."

Frederick Hui frequently represents clients before Hong Kong courts and in London arbitrations regarding maritime contractual disputes. Clients say that he is a "good complement to Nick Mallard, and the two make a good team."

Managing partner Kevin Chan handles disputes in charter party, carriage of cargo and trade finance matters. He also advises clients on standard form drafting and review.

Ernest Yang's prolific publication work testifies to his deep knowledge and experience in the maritime industry. Sources note his arbitration expertise, while also saying: "He is a blessing for us on the negotiation table."

THE FIRM This compact team punches well above its weight in the wet work area, advising on such issues as collision, salvage, casualties and oil pollution. A robust working knowledge of vessel technical operations, as well as strong commercial sense, gives the team an edge in the market. It is also a top choice for P&I clubs and insurers across the region for severe admiralty cases.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Peter Mills "is one of the very few lawyers fully specialising in wet work," peers note. Sources also recommended his "broad experience in shipping matters and technical knowledge in vessel equipment." 

THE FIRM This group remains a top-class player on the scene thanks to formidable bench strength and an all-pervading presence in the most high-profile matters in the region. The team fields a triple offering, comprising wet and dry work components, and a corporate arm covering the full gamut from ship finance to securities, insolvency to acquisition. In the past year the group has been heavily involved in collision, grounding, salvage, charter party, shipbuilding and other transactional matters across the region.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Paul Apostolis is noted for his expertise in wet matters. Sources say he is "a figure P&I clubs follow closely, wherever he goes."

Office head Paul Hatzer specialises in dry matters, particularly ship arrests, carriage of goods by sea, casualties and ship sales. 

Henry Dunlop specialises in charter party disputes, and maintains a key presence in LMAA arbitration. 

Peter Murphy continues to be highly visible in handling disputes arising from charter party, bill of lading and shipbuilding contracts, in both the Hong Kong and PRC markets. 

Christopher Chan impresses with his well-rounded capacity and deep knowledge. He handles both wet and dry matters.

Henry Fung is the key partner of the team's corporate shipping practice, and is a counsel of choice for a number of banks, shipyards and shipowners. His expertise covers ship finance, shipbuilding contracts and charter party drafting, among other areas.

Steven Wise specialises in tackling charter party disputes, as well as ship sales, carriage of goods by sea and international trade matters.

Patrick Yeung specialises in dispute resolution matters. His broad-based expertise encompasses both shipping contractual disputes and casualty matters such as crew injury, navigation negligence and liability limitation.

George Lamplough is described by sources as a "seasoned and professional maritime lawyer." Clients report: "He is very detailed and responsive; he can always explain technical things in layman's terms." Other clients enthused: "He has a real 'human touch'; he doesn't go just for the financial benefit but genuinely cares for the wellbeing of this industry." 

THE FIRM This practice may be a relative newcomer to the market but in the past year it has won impressive amounts of peer recognition. Dry work forms the core of the practice, though the team also couples shipping expertise with medico-legal experience to tackle marine personal casualties and medical evacuation matters. Shipowners, charterers and P&I clubs form the bulk of this group's clientele. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Chris Howse is regarded as "one of the most efficient and practical lawyers in Hong Kong." Clients enthused: "He is tough, steadfast and quick in every circumstance; with him you only need to confirm and never worry."

THE FIRM Market sources are quick to praise this shipping giant. Its 12-partner team engages in both wet and dry work, and specialisms include ship finance, marine insurance and international trade. The team also draws on the firm's global resources to give clients advanced and valued guidance on such issues as piracy. Highlights from the past year included successfully representing the shipowner of the 'Pontodamon' in an allocation of liability against the 'He Da 98' after a collision between the two vessels, resulting in the first full collision liability trial in Hong Kong. On the finance side the team advised a number of top PRC and foreign banks on lease financing matters and pre and post-delivery loan facilities, among other areas.

Sources say: "We always feel we are important customers to the firm, and always receive timely and professional services, regardless of whether the matter is big or trivial."

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Beaves brings to the team a long-standing experience in asset finance. In the past year he advised Teekay in setting up a joint venture with a subsidiary of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings, involving an initial investment of USD98 million.  

Sources say Max Cross "is very dedicated and technically proficient." One satisfied client remarked on his "in-depth knowledge on the legal side, and his ability to quickly place anything into an industry context, which leads to a better overall approach to dispute resolution."

Harry Hirst is an acknowledged expert on wet matters, advising on such issues as collision and pollution, among others. He played a leading role on the aforementioned 'Pontodamon' matter. 

Rosita Lau tackles a wide range of dry work, and supplements the practice with her expertise in international trade law and personal injuries matters. Market sources recognise her as "obviously a well-known pioneer in the Hong Kong shipping market." 

Peter Murray is the leading partner in Shanghai office. He brings to the team more than 30 years of experience in the maritime area. Clients remark: "He helps us feel grounded through his complete devotion to helping us on our cases. He is personable and communicates very well with Chinese clients." 

Rory Macfarlane tackles charter party disputes, as well as disputes arising from sales and purchase of ships, and carriage of goods by sea. In the past year he advised on a wrongful arrest case in a ship sales context, which involved novel issues in defining the rights and obligations of the involved parties.

Terry Floyd is the team's expert in casualty work, and handles collision, salvage and oil spill matters.

Sources describe Loh Wai Yue as responsible, professional and experienced. One client remarked: "He is a strategist who can come up with detailed solutions, someone we can always trust thanks to his clear-cut thinking and sharp insight."

Gary Wong is well versed in non-contentious shipping work, and impresses clients with his "extremely professional, prompt and solution-oriented service and advice."

THE FIRM This team specialises in insurance-related litigation, and counts among its client base a number of major P&I clubs and insurers, including Swedish Club, Chartis and ACE. Work highlights from the past twelve months include advising a Taiwanese shipping company in negotiating the release of a ship arrested in Hong Kong. The team also acted on a number of charter party, international trade and collision matters.

Sources say: "The team is always responsive and helpful, and even when detailed responses aren't immediately available their preliminary answers are a great help." "They give patient and clear elaboration on the issues rather than just presenting banes and boons, which really helps with decision-making."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Sources say Anthony Woo "is target-focused but flexible, he manages his cases well and gives sound, practical solutions."

THE FIRM This formidable practice continues to command respect on the finance side, particularly in LNG-related matters. Its long-standing experience and proficiency at cross-border transactions win the confidence of a number of top banking clients, including such names as ICBC Financial Leasing, CDB, BNP Paribas and IFC. In the past year it advised Cido Tanker Holding on its sale of 30 product tankers to Diamond S Shipping, valued in excess of USD1 billion. The deal fully demonstrates the team's global network and capabilities in litigation and private equity.

Sources say: "In ship finance they are definitely a go-to firm, with deep experience and good relationships with the banks. We have nothing to worry about when it comes to their abilities."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Alastair MacAulay has an impressive track record in Hong Kong ship finance work, though sources also note his Singapore experience. Clients praise him as "a long-term veteran. He is someone you can call and get answers right away, honest and open answers."

Dean Young is described as "diligent, prudent and extremely capable; he has all the qualities a good lawyer should have." His finance practice covers construction, leasing and registration matters, among others.

Clients praise Maggie Cheung's remarkable co-ordination and communication skills, while peers observed: "The complexity of the transactions she handles is an indication of her deep, extensive experience."  

THE FIRM This team takes on both litigation and finance work out of its Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong offices. Its fine reputation in the market comes from its solid track record of working with major banks, financial institutions and state-owned enterprises, as well as the firm's formidable global resources. In the past year, on the finance side, the group advised Sumitomo Mitsui Banking on a USD900 million loan to a subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines and China Shipping Development, for the finance of four LNG tankers. On the contentious side the team tackled a number of finance, charter party and shipbuilding disputes.

Sources say: "A trump card for complex transactions." "For ship finance they produce concise and high-quality documentation, and they're good at co-operating with all involved parties."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jim James's long-standing experience and broad-based expertise are a boon to the team's dispute resolution practice. He specialises in handling high-profile arbitrations and litigations arising from ship finance and shipbuilding disputes.

Beijing-based Nigel Ward advises both PRC and international financial institutions on structured finance for ships and offshore equipment. In the past year he advised CDB in a Sinosure-backed loan for three large ore carriers.

Jonathan Silver's practice covers a range of finance-related areas including ship lending, as well as ship registration and mortgages. Sources also note his fluent Mandarin as a valuable asset to the team.

Fei Kwok has in-depth experience in the finance of ships, as well as LNG and oil and gas projects. She works out of the Shanghai office and impresses clients with her "soundness, pragmatic approach and commitment to accommodating clients' needs." 

THE FIRM Despite a number of losses in the past year this litigation team remains a key competitor in the market. The practice is geared to servicing a number of major P&I clubs, banks and charterers, and covers both dry and wet work. Charter party disputes and cargo claims, as well as joint venture and LNG-related matters, are specialisms. In the past year on the contentious front, the team represented a charterer in an unsafe port claim valued at USD190 million, as well as acting for a charterer of a container ship on a grounding case resulting in constructive total loss and 90% cargo damages. Key highlights on the finance side include acting for Noble Group on a number of multi-vessel financings totalling USD400 million.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Banking head Andrew Brown is a key partner for ship finance work. In addition to the aforementioned Noble Group matter he also advised Bank of America on a structured synthetic limited recourse operating lease of one container vessel to Seaspan Group.  

Li Lianjun specialises in high-profile PRC shipping mandates, particularly shipbuilding matters. Clients praise his commercial sense and personable approach to negotiation and settlement.

Chris Tang advises financial institutions and shipowners across the region in both bilateral and syndicated lending.

Peter Lee's forte lies in advising PRC shipowners on the sales and purchase of ships and newbuildings.   

Jason Toms joined the team in the past year. He handles contentious matters, both wet and dry, and specialises in charter party disputes and major collision cases. Clients remarked on his "solid commercial and technical skills."

THE FIRM This diverse practice is equally adept at both wet and dry litigation, as well as finance and insurance matters. The team also works closely with its counterparts in Singapore and London, giving clients access to a formidable pool of shared experience and resources. Key mandates from the past year include advising insurers of the 'Shen Neng 1' in relation to salvage, oil pollution and insurance matters arising from the vessel's grounding.

Sources say: "With specialised and profound understanding of both global and China markets, they are always delivering added value to their clients." "Their lawyers are always available and quick to respond, and they can find solutions in cost-effective ways."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Wang Guijun impresses his clients with his "professionalism and flexibility in difficult cases." His forte lies in contentious work, including charter party disputes and cargo claims.

UK and PRC-qualified Zhou Hongkai takes on complex and high-value finance matters. He counts among his clients a number of major financial institutions and shipowners.

THE FIRM Though a relative newcomer to the Hong Kong scene, this firm is making a name for itself thanks to outstanding expertise in ship finance, offshore oil and gas project finance, and restructuring. Work highlights from the past year include advising Bank of China on a USD150 million post-delivery financing for the acquisition of nine chemical tanker newbuildings. The team also acted for a number of banks and financial institutions on several high-profile shipping company restructurings.

Sources say: "The whole team displays in-depth experience and consistent high quality. It is capable and knowledgeable in shipping finance and very quick in response." "They fulfil what we expect but also give risk-sensitive advice beyond what we expect."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Madeline Leong heads the Hong Kong office. Sources say: "She is very experienced, supportive and dedicated; she knows what we are looking for and efficiently spots the key issues."