DEPARTMENT PROFILE

Stephenson Harwood LLP

Shipping: International

7 ranked lawyers

Band 1

Singapore

Asia-Pacific 2022 View ranking table

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Ranked Lawyers

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What the team is known for

Stephenson Harwood houses an outstanding shipping finance team with an impressive bench of experienced shipping lawyers in Singapore. Regularly acts on the full range of financing matters and is particularly active on restructuring work. Also offers a strong litigation practice which is especially well placed to handle shipbuilding and commodity-related disputes. Clients include international banks and creditors, shipping companies and ship leasing companies. Bank of Communications Financial Leasing and ING Bank are examples of clients. Ability to offer a one-stop shop for English and Singapore law advice through its joint venture with Virtus Law LLP.

Strengths

One source praises Stephenson Harwood for its "well-integrated network of top-class practitioners," adding that "it works seamlessly across key offices to manage cross-border issues."

Another interviewee agrees, commenting that the firm "takes a practical and commercial point of view, and always delivers on point under tight deadlines."

Work highlights

Stephenson Harwood acted for Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken and a syndicate of five other banks and financial institutions on a USD155 million loan to part finance the acquisition of Lauritzen Kosan's fleet of 17 vessels by Epic Gas.

Notable practitioners

Gregg Johnston is widely acknowledged as a top choice and market leader for ship finance work in Singapore. A client says: "He is the go-to person for our financing deals," adding: "He fully understands the company and limits the downside risk for us."

Kwan Huay Yee is well respected in the ship financing legal market in Singapore. She is well versed in acting for banking clients in ship financing, including joint ventures and lease facilities. She is well placed to advise Chinese clients.

Iain Young in Singapore acts for major banks and shipowners on a range of financing work, including restructuring matters. A client applauds him for being "a safe pair of hands."

John Simpson is a prominent figure in Singapore's shipping litigation market and regularly assists clients with dry shipping disputes, including restructurings and contractual disputes. A source reports: "When there is a complex charter party matter under English law, I go to John."

Martin Green is a well-regarded shipping lawyer. He has forged a formidable reputation as one of Singapore's leading experts on vessel and offshore financing.

Michelle Yo ng has a growing reputation in Singapore's shipping litigation space. She is proficient in handling contractual disputes for banks and shipping companies, as well as restructurings and related ship arrests.

Pedram Norton has a rising reputation in Singapore's ship finance legal market. He often handles financings for vessel and fleet acquisitions, as well as sale and leaseback transactions and debt restructuring. A client praises him for being "commercially sensible," adding: "Pedram Norton isn't just good at the law, he knows the market and makes risk assessments based on our commercial needs."

Department Information

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Overview

Stephenson Harwood is recognised as having one of the world’s leading shipping and offshore practices and its lawyers are consistently ranked as best in class. We are consistently instructed by most of the major shipping and offshore companies, energy service companies, oil and gas businesses, shipyards, insurers, commodity companies, sponsors, lenders and private equity providers.

In shipping and offshore our lawyers advise on services spanning:

Finance: senior, mezzanine and subordinated debt and covering corporate finance, ship and offshore finance, blended corporate and asset finance, export credit agency backed, leasing, project finance, limited recourse and derivatives
Corporate: mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, debt for equity swaps, group reorganisations and restructurings, joint ventures, private equity investments and general corporate advice on a range of matters including regulatory compliance, equity incentives, competition issues and succession planning
Commercial: project tender processes, project documents, building contracts, pooling arrangements, conversion contracts, sale and purchase and charterparty agreements
Disputes: risk mitigation, litigation, arbitration and mediation, international sanctions and arrests and enforcements
Restructuring: debt restructuring and refinancing, debt for equity swaps, schemes or arrangement, judicial management, chapter 11 and insolvency