Shipping: International: Litigation
Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 : Singapore
Band 3
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+65 6226 1600About
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP
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
Chambers Review
Stephenson Harwood houses an outstanding shipping finance team with an impressive bench of experienced shipping lawyers in Singapore. The team regularly acts on the full range of financing matters and is particularly active on restructuring work. The firm also offers a strong litigation practice, including cargo disputes and matters involving ship arrests. The department's clients include international banks and creditors, shipping companies and ship leasing companies. Stephenson Harwood has the ability to offer a one-stop shop for English and Singapore law advice through its joint venture with Virtus Law LLP.
Work Highlights
- Stephenson Harwood advised Huaxia Financial Leasing on its sale and leaseback financing arrangements with Cool Company for two newbuild LNG carrier vessels.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Stephenson Harwood is one of our go-to legal counsel to arrange financing for our shipping clients. We trust them a lot; they are the top of the list."
"The team is extremely fast and very user-friendly. The lawyers marry sensible advice with an attention to detail whilst ensuring that legal fees are manageable."
"Stephenson Harwood is one of our go-to legal counsel to arrange financing for our shipping clients. We trust them a lot; they are the top of the list."
"The team is extremely fast and very user-friendly. The lawyers marry sensible advice with an attention to detail whilst ensuring that legal fees are manageable."
Notable Practitioners
Iain Young acts for major banks and shipowners on a range of financing work, including restructuring matters, and vessel acquisitions and sales.
Gregg Johnston is widely acknowledged as a top choice and market leader for ship finance work in Singapore. He typically advises major banks on a range of matters, such as sustainability-linked loans or acquisition financing.
"Gregg is very knowledgeable and familiar with the market."
Kwan Huay Yee is well respected in the ship financing legal market in Singapore. She is well versed in acting for banking clients on ship financing, including joint ventures and lease facilities. She is well placed to advise Chinese clients and has acted on restructuring mandates for PRC lessors.
"Huay Yee is a partner widely accepted in the Chinese ship leasing market. She is highly responsive and experienced in handling complex transactions."
"Huay Yee is commercially astute and user-friendly, and produced the advice and turned work around promptly. She's been an absolute find."
Michelle Yong is a reputable name 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.
"Michelle is a high-energy and talented lawyer who combines her amazing memory with her sharp intellect. We enjoy working with her very much."
"Michelle is very experienced and has seen a lot."
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.
"He was able to address comments from lenders on short notice and respond to complicated requests."
"One of the deals was under a very tight timeline but he managed to finish earlier than what we expected. He works 24/7."
Jeffrey Tanner is well regarded by clients for his experience advising on a range of ship finance matters. He typically advises maritime clients on sale and leaseback financing and also possesses experience advising major banks on debt ship financing transactions.
"Jeffrey epitomises excellence, seamlessly blending profound legal expertise with astute commercial acumen, remarkable emotional intelligence and an ability to identify core issues."
"Jeffrey is truly a rising star, being very close to the ground and alert to market developments. He makes an extra effort to develop good relationships."
Justin Gan is recommended by clients and market sources for his deft handling of a broad range of shipping disputes. He boasts experience advising on disputes related to bills of lading and ship financing, and is praised for his Mandarin-speaking abilities.
"He is well regarded and a safe pair of hands. Justin is a very personable and nice guy."
"I go to Justin because I have a preference for technically sound and commercially strong lawyers. He's also quite flexible about things."
Ranked Lawyers at
Stephenson Harwood LLP
Singapore
Members
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP
Head of Department
Gregory Xu
Jeffrey Tanner
Justin Gan
Matthew Seah
Industries
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP
Marine and International Trade
Shipping and offshore finance