Watson Farley & Williams LLP

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Alexander Creswick

Alexander joined the firm as a trainee in 2014 and qualified in 2016. He has experience in a wide range of international disputes, with a focus on construction and engineering disputes as well as general commercial litigation. He has worked in both the London and Bangkok offices of the firm and has particular experience in the high end residential and energy sectors.

Alexis Martinez

Multilingual and dual-qualified, Alexis excels in large-scale multi-jurisdictional disputes. Alexis is qualified in both England and France and has unparalleled experience working on investment treaty and energy arbitrations in English, Spanish and French. Alexis’s recent energy arbitration successes involve the payment of hundreds of millions of US$ to clients in several pricing disputes under long-term natural gas and LNG contracts. His commercial arbitration practice encompasses complex energy, construction, mining and financial disputes. Highlights of Alexis’ investment treaty arbitration experience involve the successful representation in multiple cases of Slovakia, Ecuador, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Uzbekistan and other states. He has also acted for claimants against states in 11 cases in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, all of which resulted in favourable multimillion awards or settlements. He has extensive experience advising sovereigns and international companies on public international law issues, such as the extent and international impact of sovereign rights, international sanctions and the application of international treaties. Alexis also regularly acts as arbitrator. He has also been recommended for international arbitration by The Legal 500 every year since 2016. Legal 500 UK 2025 notes that Alexis “excels in arbitration and dispute resolution, offering practical and reliable solutions”.

Andrew Hutcheon

Andrew has experience advising on a broad range of commercial and financial disputes as well as international arbitrations, bilateral investment treaties and litigation matters with a strong focus on the shipping, aviation, mining and commodities, oil and gas sectors. Andrew’s natural resources expertise extends to commodities trading, trade finance and mining investment disputes, while his experience in the offshore oil and gas and energy sectors covers construction, drilling and service agreement disputes, as well as wider industry disputes including energy related judicial reviews. His shipping expertise encompasses shipbuilding, ship repair, MoA, charterparty, cargo, enforcement and other dry shipping disputes including in specialised sectors such as LNG and cruise. In the aviation sector, he advises on repossessions, lease redelivery, airframe and engine damage, base maintenance and insurance disputes. Andrew has been recommended as a leader in his field for a number of years. Legal 500 UK 2024 notes Andrew “goes the extra mile to understand new business concepts and to give wise counsel accordingly” and “is highly experienced, conscientious of the needs of his clients, and skilled at securing good outcomes for them.”

Anna Robinson

Anna advises employers and senior executives, particularly in relation to complex corporate acquisitions and cross-border transactions. She regularly prepares policies and procedures, manages difficult disputes and tribunal claims, and advises on matters of a contractual nature. Anna is also an expert in UK business immigration issues, including skilled worker visas and naturalisation applications. She is recognised in both the employment and immigration entries of Legal 500 UK 2025. Anna is a regular speaker and lectures at King’s College, University of London

Archit Dhir

Archit is dual qualified in India and England & Wales and has previously worked at a leading law firm in Singapore and litigated in India. He has specialised knowledge of the commercial aspects of shipping, having pursued a MSc degree in Maritime Economics and Logistics. His experience covers the whole spectrum of shipping work including charterparty, bills of lading, bunkers, ship sale, ship repairs, trade finance, maritime insolvency, sanctions and commodities disputes. He has substantial experience in arbitration (SIAC, SCMA, LCIA, LMAA and ICC). He has also advised clients on non-contentious matters. His practice often has a cross-border dimension, levering on his education, work experience as well as the Firm’s footprint across multiple jurisdictions. He has regular involvement – for shipowners and cargo interests alike – in arrest and other security-taking measures across jurisdictions.

Barry Hembling

Barry is a successful, legal directories recommended, construction law expert working across a wide spectrum of construction projects both domestically and internationally. He has 25+ years in-house and private practice experience of helping clients manage risks so they can meet their cost and time objectives. He acts on projects in the hotel, real estate, infrastructure, energy and transport sectors and on the construction aspects of real estate development finance transactions. He has an established record of offering contentious and non-contentious legal support from initial contract negotiations, advice on live projects and dispute avoidance. Barry has a reputation for commercial acumen, building long-term global client relationships and offering cost effective commercial solutions that minimise risk. Impressed sources quoted in the 2024 edition of legal directories say, “having tried other commercial construction solicitor, he is, in my view, the best out there”. Others remark “I am pleased we have Barry in our corner in order to best protect the business in a period of growth.” His advice is commended as “top-notch, always succinct and to the point, and extremely practical.” Barry is experienced in prosecuting and defending all types of construction claims, particularly complex, high value construction disputes. These include sixteen reported UK High Court and Court of Appeal judgments plus acting in proceedings before the UK Supreme Court. Barry has advised on some of the world’s most iconic projects including the Aquatics Centre at the 2012 Olympics, the City of London Lloyd’s Building, the London Eye and the Sydney Tower. He often acts for clients on global projects including Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE and USA among others plus the UK. He is a board member of the Technology and Construction Solicitors’ Association, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Society of Construction Law. He is a construction law thought leader, with articles regularly published, including in The Times and the Estates Gazette. He has presented at Chatham House, at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, at the Houses of Parliament, at the Third UK-China Rule of Law Roundtable in China, at the Architects’ Journal Conference and at the Construction Law Summer School. He has been a recommended lawyer in legal directories for many years, most recently in the October 2023 edition of Legal 500 in three separate categories.

Charles Walford

Charles’ areas of practice include cross-border and domestic acquisitions and disposals of companies and businesses, corporate and non-corporate joint ventures, company restructuring, securities issues and other fund raising exercises for public and private companies and advising on private equity transactions. He also advises on commercial and project agreements especially in the power sector and for procurement, outsourcing and facilities management contracts. Charles has worked on biomass, on-shore and offshore wind, solar, waste to energy, fossil-fuel and carbon capture and storage power project developments and acquisitions in the UK and Europe and on the development, purchase and sale of LNG and oil product terminals in Europe, Central Asia and the Far East.

Charles Buss

He specialises in commercial, banking and maritime litigation and arbitration. In the ship finance sector, Charles has acted for a large number of lending banks, bank syndicates and financial institutions in disputes, security enforcements, restructurings and insolvencies. In the maritime and offshore oil and gas sectors, Charles regularly acts for shipowners, charterers, contractors and others in relation to commercial disputes arising from construction contracts, charters and drilling contracts, ship sale and purchase contracts as well as cargo and marine insurance disputes. In 2016, Charles co-authored the second edition of “The Law of Ship Mortgages”, the industry’s most comprehensive book on English law on the topic. Charles is recommended for his maritime litigation expertise in Legal 500 UK 2021, where he is described “as having a very deep understanding of enforcement action and related litigation” and “unrivalled knowledge of Admiralty work and procedure”.

Chris Mitchell

Chris specialises in large-scale and cross-border structured and asset finance and leasing transactions. He has advised major international financial institutions, borrowers, operating lessors and flag carrier airlines on a wide array of commercial aviation and corporate jet transactions. Chris’ extensive experience includes capital market transactions (including EETC and ABS), commercial debt financings, operating leasing, structured tax based leasing (including Japanese operating leases), pre-delivery payment financing, export-credit supported transactions, secondary aircraft trading (including portfolio sales and purchases), aircraft fleet procurement contracts with airframe and engine OEMs, defaults and restructurings. He is recognised by clients, legal directories and industry journals as being a key market participant, having been consistently identified as a ‘rising star’ (AirFinance Journal and LMG Expert Guides) and most recently being recognised by Airline Economics as one of the ’40 under 40′ most talented individuals in the commercial aviation industry in 2019.

Chris Kilburn

Chris is Global Oil & Gas Sector Head and Head of the London Corporate and M&A Group. Chris advises on deals including strategic alliances (joint venture arrangements and private equity fundraisings), mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and commercial transactions. He specialises in the energy, infrastructure, mining and commodities and transport sectors. Chris is recommended as an expert corporate lawyer by leading legal directories The Legal 500 UK and IFLR 1000. The Legal 500 noted in 2024 that he has “great oil and gas industry knowledge, great AIM knowledge; well respected by other AIM related service providers; accessible and always cool under pressure.”

Christina Howard

Christina specialises in international, cross-border and domestic M&A, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, private equity and general corporate advice. She has particular expertise across the firm’s key transport sectors including maritime and ports & terminals. She advises a wide range of corporate clients, including private equity investors and funds. Christina is a member of the firm’s board.

Claire Miles

Claire is a chartered tax adviser who advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial tax matters. Claire has broad-based asset class experience across mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations, advisory and finance. Claire has advised on a wide range of tax issues, ranging from corporate residence, permanent establishments, diverted profits tax, rollovers and demergers to capital raising, cross-border financing, employee benefit trusts and tax covenants.

Daisy East

Daisy specialises in advising sponsors and lenders on all aspects of project-related finance transactions in the energy sector, particularly big ticket and mid-market financings. On the lender side, she works with commercial and investment banks, export credit agencies, institutional lenders and private debt funds. Her expertise includes project and acquisition financing using conventional, Islamic, ECA-backed and mezzanine techniques in the renewable, conventional power, mining and metals, and infrastructure sectors. Daisy is recommended as an expert renewable energy lawyer by leading legal directory Legal 500 UK 2021, where she is described as having “outstanding experience in the energy sector” and being “able to summarise and communicate complex matters in a way which enables her clients to make informed decisions”.

Daniel Saunders

Dan focusses on M&A, private equity, venture capital and commercial contracts, with particular expertise in the shipping and offshore oil & gas sectors. Dan is an expert in a wide range of maritime-related commercial contracts, and also advises major shipping financiers in relation to finance lease structures and financial and corporate restructurings. In addition to his specialisms in maritime and oil and gas, Dan advises across a broad range of sectors from education and media to commodities. He is recognised as a key lawyer by leading legal directory Legal 500 UK 2025.

Deepa Deb

Deepa specialises in both real estate investment and development, acting for domestic and overseas developers, property companies, institutional investors and funders. She has significant expertise in complex real estate transactions including structured investments and disposals, joint ventures and all aspects of corporate real estate and real estate finance transactions both single asset and portfolios. She has notable experience leading multidisciplinary teams on both real estate and corporate transactions and has developed a particular expertise in the residential sector (student accommodation, co-living, build-to-rent and senior living schemes). Deepa also acts for national and international developers on residential-led mixed-use schemes including scheme structuring and risk analysis. Deepa has been ranked in top legal directory Chambers & Partners for the last eight consecutive years for Real Estate: £150 million and above and was ranked as a Leading Individual in the 2022/23 edition of the Legal 500 for Commercial Property Development. Deepa is included in the Hot 100 most influential lawyers (The Lawyer).

Dev Desai

Dev leads a team of dedicated property dispute resolution experts, serving institutional investors, landowners, lenders, family offices, developers and occupiers. Clients turn to Dev on cutting-edge market developments and regulation. Collaborating closely with our other experts across disciplines, Dev has spearheaded innovative ESG projects for institutional landlords to meet sustainability goals. In the same vein, Dev maintains a keen interest in prop-tech towards the smart buildings of the future. Dev’s experience extends across all asset classes into operational property such as hotels, student accommodation and serviced apartments. Outside of the real estate market, Dev often works in multidisciplinary teams to bring property perspectives to challenges faced by clients in sectors such as renewable energy, transport and infrastructure. Several years in management at Network Rail in the UK, and a six-month secondment as inhouse counsel at a telecommunications infrastructure company, give Dev ready and real-world insight into these industries. In terms of social infrastructure, Dev advises on educational institutions, retail complexes, student accommodation and co-living and other residential developments. He is a regular legal commentator across media, and editor and contributing author of Butterworth’s Property Insolvency. Testimonials to the Legal 500 legal directory over the years have said that Dev’s “commercial acumen and experience are second-to-none.” He is commended for his “quick thinking” yet he “looks at a case from every angle.” A “great tactician,” he has a “very hands-on” approach, making him an “excellent man to have on your side.” His team of property disputes lawyers “is particularly strong when it comes to development support, ESG, property-related insolvency and high-class residential matters.” Its “responsiveness marks it out as exceptional” and they “collaborate with all, providing sensible, commercial advice.”

Devan Khagram

Devan advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters for both individuals and companies, including the full range of day to day employment advice, drafting executive level service agreements and non-executive director agreements, employee disputes and policies and procedures. He is very experienced in the employment aspects of share and business acquisitions (domestic and cross-border) and complex TUPE-related advice, including outsourcing agreements. Devan also has a particular expertise on employment-related matters in the maritime sector, acting for large cruise lines and other shipping companies and advising on a multitude of areas including seafarer employment agreements and collective bargaining agreements, jurisdictional issues and the full range of crewing issues. He specialises in immigration matters such as all aspects of the Points-Based Immigration System including complex sponsorship licence and skilled worker applications and transfers of senior executives, UK nationality applications and the impact of Brexit on EEA nationals. Devan has been recommended by Legal 500 UK for a number of consecutive years. In the latest edition he is described as “an excellent employment lawyer” and is noted for being “very skilled on cross border and international law issues.”

Emily Widdrington

Emily specialises in shipping finance with over 12 years’ experience advising and acting for banks and ship owners on loan and security documentation. Her experience ranges from advising on high-value ECA-backed financings to loan agreements involving sustainability-linked margin adjustments. She was named a ‘Key Lawyer’ in the Transport Finance and Leasing category by Legal 500. Emily joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2008 and qualified into the Asset Finance group in London in 2010. Since joining she has spent time in the firm’s Singapore, Paris and London offices and has been on two client secondments, the first with an international bank in Norway and the second with a ship owner in Geneva.

Felicity Jones

Felicity primarily acts for clients with operating assets which are frequently real estate assets or trading activities where the real estate assets are fundamental to the business, such as hotels, service departments and student accommodation. In addition to the acquisition and disposal of portfolio and individual real estate assets and portfolios in the UK and continental Europe, Felicity also advises a broad range of clients on corporate matters including joint ventures, the grant of options, sale and leaseback or management arrangements, operating agreements and franchises for owners and operators (in jurisdictions from the UK to the Middle East). She assists in managing disputes, and works with management teams and/or lenders regarding development, structure, fundraising (loan and equity) and security issues.

Gary Walsh

Gary specialises in asset finance in the maritime sector, where he regularly acts on behalf of international banks and shipowners in relation to debt financing, ECA financing, leasing and restructurings and enforcements. Gary joined WFW in 2007 and during his time with the firm, he was seconded for ten months to the structured and asset finance legal team of an international investment bank.

Gary Ritter

Gary has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate, including acquisitions, disposals, funding and development work that often involves mixed-tenures, JVs and landlord and tenant transactions. Complex, often multi-jurisdictional, projects are an area of special expertise, as are transactions in the renewable energy sector. Gary’s diverse client base includes domestic and overseas investors and entrepreneurs as well as major global corporations and funds. He is recommended for his real estate expertise by legal directory Legal 500 UK.

George Macheras

George advises on all aspects of ship financing, with a focus on structured/asset finance, leasing transactions, restructurings/work-outs and large-scale loan portfolio transfers, as well as on the commercial matters relating to the sale, purchase, employment and operation of all maritime asset classes (newbuilding and second-hand). His clients span the shipping and offshore industries, including financial institutions (primarily banks, private equity investors and hedge funds) and shipping companies (owners, managers and charterers). George has worked in the firm’s London and Athens offices and is recommended as an expert asset finance and restructuring lawyer by legal directory IFLR 1000.

Heike Trischmann

Heike specialises in all aspects of oil and gas law, and also has expertise in electricity and water projects. She has acted for governments, national oil companies as well as junior and major oil and gas companies, banks, energy trading companies, regulators and individual investors in more than 40 countries worldwide on a broad range of international and domestic corporate, commercial, regulatory and projects work in the oil and gas industry. Heike regularly advises on production sharing agreements, concessions and licence arrangements, M&A and farm-ins, joint operating agreements, oil, gas and LNG supply, transportation, storage and access agreements, trading and other commercial contracts and the underlying regulatory regimes in the relevant jurisdictions as part of investments in the petroleum industry. Legal 500 UK 2025 notes that Heike “shows fantastic attention to detail and advocates strongly for client's position in negotiations whilst attempting to find common ground.”

Henry Stewart

Henry has extensive finance, commercial and corporate experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors and has advised on a large number of landmark transactions in the renewables sector. Henry continues to win mandates from leading banks, funds and sponsors and is considered by the market to be a leading lawyer for renewables transactions in Europe and emerging markets.

Jack Moulder

Jack Moulder is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution Group. He specialises in general commercial disputes, with experience in international arbitration and construction disputes. Jack joined the firm as a trainee in 2015 and qualified in 2017. He has worked in both the London and the Athens offices.

James Penn

James specialises in commercial, banking and property disputes. He has over 30 years’ experience in property enforcements in particular, including mortgage possession actions (such as successfully acting for the claimant in the leading case of Stockholm Finance Ltd v Garden Holdings Inc & Ors) and enforcement of judgments obtained against individuals by means of a charging order over real property assets held in the name of offshore companies (including successfully acting for the claimant in the leading case of United Overseas Bank Ltd v Iwuanyanwu). He also successfully acted for the respondent in Day v Tiuta International Ltd & Anr, a significant Court of Appeal case concerning the operation of the doctrine of equitable subrogation. James joined Watson Farley & Williams in 1991, became a Partner in 2003 and became a Consultant to the firm in 2016.

Jan Mellmann

Jan is Global Mining and Commodities sector co-head and a Partner in the Corporate M&A group. Jan specialises in corporate finance and M&A work, with an emphasis on businesses operating in the Mining and Commodities, Oil and Gas, energy, transport and infrastructure sectors, including cross-border and domestic acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, equity and debt issues for public and private companies, private equity transactions, corporate restructurings and commercial agreements. Jan is recognised as a leading lawyer by legal directories Chambers UK, Legal 500 UK and IFLR. In Legal 500 2025, Jan is ranked as a “Hall of Fame” lawyer and is described as a “technically excellent and commercially focused, corporate finance and M&A specialist”. He is also praised for his sector expertise: “The ability of Jan Mellmann to bridge the gap between UK legal requirements and mining industry realities makes him a first-class adviser.” Chambers UK 2025 notes that "Jan shows strong commitment to his client,” and “He finds solutions to make things work, particularly on cross-jurisdictional issues.”

Jane Keith

Jane has extensive general background and structured finance experience across a variety of jurisdictions. Her experience includes drafting, negotiation and transaction management of numerous structured debt facilities (including term loans, revolving credit facilities and related security packages), operating and finance leases, US Ex-Im Bank and European ECA financings, letter of credit facilities, sale and leaseback transactions, capital markets financing structures, Islamic financing transactions and tax based leases and financings. Jane has also gained experience in contractual defaults, aircraft repossessions and contract restructurings. Clients include large financial institutions, lessors, airlines and manufacturers. Jane has worked independently both as a senior associate and consultant, and also as the lead associate of a larger team supervising and training junior and senior colleagues.

Jemma Dhillon

Jemma focuses on commercial litigation and international arbitration, acting on cases before the High Court and various arbitration forums. Jemma has advised on many contractual and other commercial disputes. In particular, these have related to the natural resources, maritime and finance sectors. She has worked with a variety of clients, including financial institutions, administrators and liquidators of insolvent companies, ship-owning companies and high-net-worth individuals. Jemma is recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ in Legal 500 UK 2021.

Jim Bell

Jim has significant experience in advising financiers, lessors and operators on structured and asset finance, with the majority of his practice focussed on the aviation industry. He has advised on some of the most innovative, complex and high profile structured and asset finance transactions, including many ‘Deal of the Year’ award-winning transactions. Jim’s experience includes debt finance, export finance, operating leasing, PDP finance, portfolio transfers, portfolio and warehouse financing, tax leasing products, debt capital markets products, Islamic finance, helicopter finance, business jet finance, engine finance, OEM purchase agreements, restructurings, regulatory and a range of corporate and commercial matters. Jim has been recognised as a leading asset finance lawyer by prestigious legal directories, who describe him as “pragmatic, with a great commercial sense” and “very good at getting deals done”, “very commercial, bright and talented” and “genuinely one of the very rare aviation lawyers who combines strong technical expertise with an acute business sense”.

Joe Levin

Joe advises lenders and sponsors on a number of project finance, acquisition finance, reserve base lending and other structured financings and has a particularly impressive track record in the upstream oil and gas sector, advising E&P companies and both multilateral and commercial lenders. Joe advises on transactions across Europe and Africa including the UK North Sea, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Ghana. He is recommended for his trade finance and oil and gas expertise by The Legal 500 UK styling him “very reactive, efficient and pragmatic”.

Kate Silverstein

She specialises in asset finance with a focus on shipping. She has experience on a variety of transactions including ECA-backed products, offshore and FSRU financings, container and cruise ship financings and has advised on loan facilities, leasing arrangements and leasetails, portfolio transfers, complex restructurings and intercreditor agreements. Kate has acted for owners, lenders and charterers and is listed as a Key Lawyer at the firm in the Transport Finance and Leasing category by Legal 500. She has also advised on a number of award-winning deals including ‘Marine Money’s Structured Finance Deal of the Year Award 2023’. She joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2007 as a trainee solicitor and qualified into the Asset Finance group of the Paris office in 2009 before returning to the London office in January 2012.

Kavita Shah

Kavita specialises in international, structured, asset and project finance and leasing transactions in the maritime sector. She acts for a number of financial institutions and international corporations as well as shipping companies. Kavita has a wide range of experience including the structuring of shipping finance, lease and other credit-wrapped structures, export credit backed products and project financing transactions involving a variety of maritime and offshore assets. She has also advised on the sale and/or purchase of portfolios of performing and non-performing shipping loans. Kavita joined WFW in 2001 and has spent time in the firm’s Singapore, Paris and Athens offices, as well as on secondment with Lloyds TSB Bank in the shipping section of the Structured Asset Finance department. She is recommended as an expert shipping finance lawyer by The Legal 500 UK which described her in 2018-19 as “attentive, methodical and user-friendly”.

Lindsey Keeble

She specialises in structured finance and leasing within the maritime space, with a focus on transactions benefitting from export credit support and project financing transactions across a variety of maritime and offshore assets and in the ports and infrastructure space. She advises both borrowers and financiers and is especially highly regarded for her expertise in the cruise and LNG sectors. In November 2021 Lindsey was yet again named as one of leading maritime sector publication Lloyd’s List’s Top 10 Maritime Lawyers, an accolade she was also named in 2019 and a highly prestigious ranking spanning private practice lawyers, in-house counsel and barristers worldwide. In June 2021, Lindsey was also named Women in Business Law’s ‘Shipping and Maritime Lawyer of the Year’. Lindsey is recognised as a leading shipping finance lawyer by legal directories Chambers UK, Legal 500 UK and IFLR 1000. In 2021, Chambers reported clients as saying: “She is one of the most talented lawyers I have come across. In addition to being highly experienced, commercial and solution-orientated, she is great fun to work with”, while Legal 500 styled her “very pragmatic and solutions-oriented”. She joined the firm in 1999 and led its English law finance practice in Paris for four years.

Louise Mor

Louise has significant expertise in the rail and aviation sectors. Her transactional experience includes portfolio, secured debt, common terms platform, ECA-supported and Islamic financings, leasing company and asset acquisitions, operating leases and sales. She has represented several of the world’s largest leasing companies, operators and banks and has recently acted for Alpha Trains, Ermewa, NatWest, ECGD, Euler Hermes and Goshawk. Prior to joining the firm, Louise spent 12 years with White & Case, including three years in their Paris office. During this time, Louise was seconded to Angel Trains, where she advised on numerous aspects of their corporate and financial restructuring, prior to their sale by RBS in 2008, as well as on their day-to-day operational matters. She is recommended for her expertise in the rail sector by legal directory Legal 500 UK.

Mark Tooke

Mark’s practice encompasses mergers, acquisitions, domestic and international joint ventures, venture capital and private equity transactions, other corporate transactions and a broad range of commercial arrangements, including distribution, agency and licensing with a focus on the aviation, maritime/offshore, energy, infrastructure and technology sectors. Mark worked for three years at the UK Department of Trade and Industry, where he advised both them and the UK Patent Office on the operational, regulatory and legislative aspects of intellectual property and he continues to have a particular focus on the corporate and commercial aspects of IP.

Mark Mcallister-Jones

After training with the firm in London, Mark spent six years in the International Litigation and Arbitration group in the firm’s Singapore office before relocating to London in 2015. He specialises in international arbitration and commercial litigation, with a focus on construction, energy, oil & gas and corporate/joint venture disputes. Mark also has extensive experience of adjudications and mediation. Mark was part of the team that successfully advised Bester in the ground-breaking PBS Energo AS v Bester Generacion UK Ltd matter, as a result of which the team were awarded Legal Week’s Construction and Engineering Team of the Year 2019 and shortlisted for Legal Business’ Commercial Litigation Team of the Year 2020. Mark is recommended by Legal 500 UK 2023, where he is noted as being “committed, good on the law, and shows good judgement on difficult points”.

Martin Lucas

Martin has over 15 years’ experience of advising on projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors worldwide. His recent experience includes advising developers, debt and equity funders in the offshore wind sector, where he has advised on projects in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and the USA both during the development and construction phases, as well as acquisitions and disposals. Martin worked in a commercial and technical capacity for a large UK developer for nearly 10 years before qualifying as a lawyer.

Michael O'Donnell

Michael specialises in international financial transactions with a particular emphasis on advising on ship financing and tax-based leasing and export credit financing transactions across a variety of maritime assets, as well as on restructurings. His clients include international banks and other financial institutions, ship owners and leasing companies. Michael joined WFW in 1988 and spent a year on secondment to the firm’s Oslo office.

Mike Phillips

Mike specialises in shipping, contentious ship finance and ship and offshore vessel construction. Mike’s clients include shipowners, traders, insurers, banks, funds and shipyards. With over 20 years’ of practice in the marine and international trade sector, Mike has a wealth of knowledge and experience which he brings to bear to help clients resolve their most complex and difficult problems. Representing some of the largest and most well-known companies in the marine and international trade sector, Mike is known as both an exceptional lawyer and a clever strategist. Equally at home in London arbitration or multi-jurisdictional Court proceedings, Mike has a strong record of success for clients in a wide range of matters from shipping and cargo claims, groundings and vessel fires through to complex multi-vessel finance enforcement. On the construction side, Mike represents shipyards and buyers on a range of construction projects from super-yachts through to complex offshore vessels and rigs. Mike regularly delivers training to industry professionals, on a bespoke basis for clients, and through the leading industry association, BIMCO. The Legal 500 2019 has called Mike “outstanding”. Mike was shortlisted as Legal 500 Transport Lawyer of the Year in 2019.

Nick Walker

Nick provides contentious and non-contentious planning and environmental, health and safety (EHS) law advice across a broad range of sectors and jurisdictions, including transport and pharmaceuticals. He has particular expertise in the energy and real estate sectors, where he advises on the planning and EHS aspects of renewables, oil and gas and conventional power projects. In the real estate sector, he focusses on development projects, appeals, challenges, acquisitions, disposal and joint ventures. Nick is recommended for his planning expertise by legal directory Legal 500 UK.

Nicola Davies

Nicola’s practice focuses on shipping and aviation finance, with particular emphasis on the offshore and cruise sectors. Her work has a strong cross-border element and includes sale and purchase, commercial (EPC/EPCI) and building contracts, leasing and finance documents, shareholder and joint venture arrangements, vessel financing and general commercial contracts related to vessels.

Nigel Thomas

Nigel was a Partner at Watson Farley & Williams from 1988 to 2022. He also served as Chairman of the firm from 2017 to 2021. He specialises in international finance with an emphasis on shipping finance, commercial shipping and the offshore and cruise industries. He advises leading industry players in, and financiers to, the maritime sector and has previously been the firm’s Singapore Office Head and Oslo Office Head. Nigel acted as project lead and sponsor of the WFW team helping in the development of the Poseidon Principles, to support the IMO’s goal to reduce shipping’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. Nigel is recognised as a leading shipping finance lawyer both for the UK and globally by Legal 500 UK, Chambers UK and Chambers Global. Nigel is ranked by Chambers in band 1 for Shipping: Finance – Global Market Leaders, and has been ranked in this category for 11 years. He is also ranked band 1 for Asset Finance: Shipping Finance – UK Wide for the past 14 years in Chambers UK. Chambers recognises that “He is a very good lawyer – very prominent in the industry and very knowledgeable.” and he has an “esteemed reputation in the ship finance sphere,” with a client noting that “he is very well known for his approach and expertise. He has a very deep understanding and knowledge of the sector. He is also clear, concise and commercial”.

Nikki Chu

Nikki has over 11 years’ experience as a disputes lawyer in the marine and international trade sectors. She adopts a practical and commercial approach to ensure that disputes are resolved efficiently. She specialises in dry shipping, including charterparty, bill of lading, cargo and shipbuilding disputes and assisting clients with LNG shipping issues. Nikki has also advised on commercial disputes including injunctive relief and issues arising from ship finance contracts. She has worked on cases involving major incidents such as container stack collapses and fires. On the non-contentious side, she advises on the drafting and negotiation of shipping contracts (including LNG charterparties). She has acted for a wide range of clients including owners, charterers, P&I Clubs, insurers, traders, cargo interests and maritime investment companies. Having spent a year at an International Group P&I Club in London, she is well-experienced in dealing with FD&D and P&I matters, often with a real-time element. Nikki is listed as a Rising Star by The Legal 500 UK 2024. Clients value her dedication to cases and attention to detail and say that “Nikki Chu has the capacity to delve to the bottom of the legal issues at hand. She would leave no stone unturned to research all the available authorities and academic writings, and to consider the matter from all possible angles.” She is passionate about improving diversity within the legal industry and was shortlisted as a finalist in The Rising Star in Diversity Change category of Women, Influence & Power in Law UK Awards 2022.

Patrick Kirkby

Patrick has over 21 years’ experience advising on a wide range of cross-border matters, primarily in the maritime sector. His work in advising owners and financiers on deals has been recognised by Marine Money as recent Deals of the Year. He regularly supports banks, export credit agencies, multi-national and family shipowners, private equity, high net worth investors and operators on financing, investment, construction, operation, intercreditor and restructuring arrangements, achieving efficient solutions across complex projects. Areas of special expertise include the structuring and restructuring of shipping finance, lease and credit-wrapped projects, tax and operating leases, inter-company joint venture, chartering and service arrangements for a wide spectrum of vessel types, including cruise ships, LNG and other product carriers, tankers, container ships, bulk carriers, car carriers and many other specialist sectors. Patrick also works in the financing and operation of FPSOs and drillships. Patrick’s work often centres on the cross-over between owners’ needs – in the negotiation and documenting of construction, supervision, chartering, management, spares sharing, contracts of affreightment, joint ventures, supply agreements, service agreements and employment and procurement contracts – while assisting with them with their financing programmes, an approach he has developed having worked in private practice and in-house in Europe. Patrick is recognised for his ability to help clients by simplifying complex issues in project, asset and corporate finance, whether that be documenting the world’s first combination of Korean private junior funding with K-Sure backed loans, working through a UK maritime pre-pack administration, successfully countering Chapter 11 claims, assessing the interplay of an owner’s intended financing arrangements with the constraints of its existing financings, achieving solutions on the seizure of a cargo-laden vessel off Somalia or documenting flexible secured and unsecured working capital arrangements for banks in the lynchpin financing of a major container ship operator. He is recommended as a shipping finance expert by The Legal 500 UK

Patrick Moore

He specialises in finance transactions and restructurings across the transport sectors, with a particular focus on aviation and shipping. Patrick regularly advises banks, funds, borrowers and operators on cross-border syndicated and private placement loans, restructurings involving more than one class of debt, leasing transactions, export-credit backed financings, preferred equity investments and structured products. He has worked in the firm’s London, Singapore and Greek offices and has undertaken secondments to a banking client. Patrick’s recent work in the aviation sector includes acting on headline restructuring transactions including acting for creditors to Virgin Atlantic Airways in its recent restructuring by way of a UK Restructuring Plan and advising on the Norwegian Air Shuttle bond restructuring. He is co-editor of the English Conflict of Laws chapter in McBain. He is also named on Airline Economics’ prestigious 40 under 40 2020 list, which recognises the most outstanding individuals in that age group active in the aviation finance and leasing industry.

Philip Beswick

Philip focusses his practice on trade and commodity finance structures, ECA-backed financing and development finance lending. He has deep knowledge in advising sponsors, lenders and borrowers on domestic and cross-border financings in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Russia/CIS. He advises across a wide range of sectors including, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, trade and commodities. Philip was ranked as a Rising Star in Trade Finance, Legal 500 UK 2022.

Rebecca Williams

Rebecca has extensive experience in all major forms of dispute resolution in the construction, engineering, process, petrochemical and energy sectors including litigation, arbitration (both international and domestic and under various rules, including ICC and LCIA), adjudication and mediation. She offers real time advice during project execution and is an expert in all major standard forms of contract including FIDIC, IChemE, NEC, JCT and numerous bespoke contracts. Insurance-related disputes are another area of expertise. Rebecca has acted for owners/developers as well as major EPC contractors and sub-contractors on a wide range of infrastructure and energy projects both domestically and internationally. Rebecca has a particular depth of experience in disputes relating to Offshore Wind projects dating from 2008. Rebecca and her team have advised in varying capacities on projects comprising approximately 75% of the UK’s offshore wind energy generating capacity. As a result the WFW team are particularly adept at the early and cost efficient resolution of disputes before, during and after construction. In April 2019, Rebecca led the WFW team that successfully advised Bester in the ground-breaking PBS Energo AS v Bester Generacion UK Ltd matter and as a result of which the team were awarded Legal Week’s Construction and Engineering Team of the Year 2019 and shortlisted for Legal Business’ Commercial Litigation Team of the Year 2020. Rebecca has been named by leading UK legal weekly The Lawyer as one of its Hot 100 2020, a prestigious list of the lawyers of the moment who are shaping the legal profession. She was shortlisted for “Litigator of the year” at the Women in Law Awards 2020. Rebecca has been recommended as a leader in her field for a number of years. Legal 500 UK 2021 notes Rebecca “gives everything for her clients in each and every case. She is a real winner, and leads with confidence and tenacity a large team, who all support her completely. That support and loyalty is a real testament to her. Rebecca has great energy and enthusiasm for each case, which drives the team.” She is described as a “savvy operator” and “the epitome of the new generation of leaders in the construction legal industry”, as well as being “completely committed and determined to do the best for her clients.” Chambers UK 2021 cites “her main strengths are her attention to detail and ability to understand the technical complexities of cases. In her formulation and execution of a strategy, she never leaves any stone unturned and always identifies and addresses the key issues”, as well as “she is exceptionally good tactically and a very good case manager.”

Richard Dibble

Richard specialises in international finance and commercial contract work and in particular asset finance, project finance and leasing and commercial transactions in the maritime sector. Richard has a wide range of experience advising major international shipping finance lenders and major international shipowners and operators across a broad spectrum of work. This work spans complex financing structures, debt restructurings, shipping investments and divestments including the sale and purchase of shipping loan portfolios, sale and purchase transactions across all types of maritime assets including cruise vessels, leasing and charter arrangements, management service contracts and construction contracts. Richard is recommended for shipping finance in legal directory Legal 500 UK 2018-19.

Richard Hughes

Richard advises lenders, borrowers and other key market participants on a wide range of financing transactions including investment grade, leveraged, project and structured finance, restructurings and workouts, distressed debt trading and special situations. He has a particular focus on real estate finance and advises across the capital structure (senior and mezzanine debt, equity and capital markets instruments) and all asset classes on both investment and development financings. Richard also has considerable experience advising on restructurings and workouts, special situations and for buyers and sellers of loan portfolios secured on real estate.

Richard Stephens

Richard advises UK and multi-national companies on all aspects of UK corporation tax, with a focus on the maritime, energy and real estate sectors. Richard acts for a number of banks and international shipping clients in relation to their financings of maritime assets and has a particular interest in the UK’s Tonnage Tax regime. Richard is a member of the UK Chamber of Shipping’s Tax and Economics Committee and was a member of the Industry Advisory Group for the UK Government’s Maritime Growth Study. He acts for a number of international clients in relation to their investments in UK wind (offshore and onshore) and solar projects and has provided advice on the UK tax issues connected with numerous UK company disposals. In 2018-19, leading legal directory Legal 500 UK praised the WFW London Tax Group as “impressive” and as standing out for its “first-class” client service and “highly-responsive, proactive” approach to issues.

Rob Fidoe

Rob specialises in international commercial dispute resolution (particularly arbitration) and advises corporates and multi-nationals across a broad range of industry sectors including aviation, energy, infrastructure and international trade. Rob trained and qualified with the firm in London, then worked out of the Bangkok office from 2007 to 2016. He is recommended by Legal 500 UK 2025, where he is described as “an outstanding lawyer, adept at managing complex technical disputes and with a good eye for the issues that are important in a dispute”.

Robert Platt

A commercial contracts and dispute resolution specialist, Robert’s expertise spans a broad range of industry sectors, with a particular focus on shipbuilding and offshore construction. Most recently he has also been heavily engaged on a number of high-profile cruise newbuilding projects. His clients include leading shipowners, offshore contractors and well-known shipyards. Robert is recommended for his expertise by The Legal 500 UK. In 2019, Legal 500 reported that he has a “well-deserved reputation as a brilliant lawyer and tough negotiator”.

Ryland Ash

Qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor-Advocate, Ryland is a skilled construction lawyer with significant experience in all forms of dispute resolution. A highly rated advocate and lead representative in adjudication, arbitration and commercial litigation, he has worked on numerous construction projects around the world. Ryland primarily advises the real estate, transport and energy sectors on contractual and common law issues that impact upon a project throughout its lifecycle, from pre-contract through to post-completion, including strategic advice during the design, engineering, construction and development phases. He has carved a niche in adjudication and litigation proceedings, but also in the avoidance and early resolution of disputes through less formal procedures such as mediation and negotiation. He acts for employers, developers, professional teams, contractors and sub-contractors providing advice in respect of contractual and common law issues, the drafting of correspondence, claims, counterclaims and defences. Ryland provides ongoing, practical advice and training to clients, and has vast experience in the vetting, drafting and negotiation of a range of construction and engineering contracts (including the JCT and NEC suite of contracts) and in the drafting and review of main contracts, sub-contracts, bonds, guarantees, collateral warranties and terms of business.

Sarah Ellington

Sarah is a solutions-focussed disputes lawyer, who has been resolving disputes using both formal and informal mechanisms for multinational corporations, governments, governmental agencies and international organisations for over 15 years. She leads teams of lawyers and experts to resolve large and complex multi-jurisdiction litigation and arbitration. Sarah is particularly known for her work on environmental, social and governance (including human rights) disputes, IT and outsourcing disputes and fraud investigations and asset recovery, as well as ESG and impact advisory. She is one of only a few lawyers to combine experience on complex and high-profile group litigation with advising on complaints to non-judicial mechanisms, such as OECD National Contact Points, UN Special Procedure mandates and private, sector-based accountability mechanisms. She also has experience drafting and developing novel non-judicial grievance mechanisms. Sarah uses this experience to advise clients on managing liability and dispute risks in the context of compliance and regulatory advice and works with clients across several sectors on related risk management and governance issues in corporate transactions, commercial contracts, project development and financing. Sarah is recognised by Legal 500 UK 2025 for ESG. She is described as “a standout ESG expert” with a “great strategic mindset” and “huge experience and expertise in this area”.

Simon Kavanagh

Simon specialises in asset, project and structured finance, including debt capital markets and derivatives transactions, across a broad range of sectors and asset classes. He has advised on the financing of FPSOs, LNG carriers, containers, container vessels, cruise vessels, satellites and onshore and offshore windfarms.

Solange Leandro

Solange is a highly experienced competition lawyer. She advises a broad range of aviation, maritime and energy clients on EU and UK competition and regulatory issues, as well as advising on data protection, international trade and EU sanctions. She represents clients in competition investigations, mergers, state aid, public procurement and delivers compliance training. She has extensive experience in EU and UK competition compliance matters and in EU litigation before the European Commission and the UK CMA, as well as other EU national competition authorities, particularly in cartel proceedings. Solange also has significant expertise in follow-on damages claims before the UK courts. Solange is dual qualified in Portugal and England and has been admitted to practice at the Paris Bar. She has practiced in Brussels, Lisbon, London and Paris, and during her career has worked at the Legal Service of the European Commission.

Theresa Mohammed

Theresa specialises in contentious construction and has significant experience of acting for developers, employers and main contractors, making High Court applications and the Enforcement of Adjudicators’ decisions in the Technology and Construction Court. She is familiar with both standard and bespoke forms of construction contracts. She has been the lead lawyer on major infrastructure disputes concerning a bascule lifting bridge, viaducts, examining defects in transport infrastructure, airports and providing risk management advice on high value social infrastructure matters. Theresa also has experience of running High Court trials, instructing experts on technical engineering matters, resolving construction disputes through mediation and drafting settlement agreements, claims, defences and adjudication submissions. She has been advising clients on a variety of high value and complex matters concerning fire safety and the implications of the new legislation. Theresa has also acted for clients in domestic and international arbitrations and frequently works with international clients in contentious proceedings. Theresa has worked on international oil and gas disputes, renewable energy disputes and large domestic infrastructure matters. She has recently acted in Court of Appeal proceedings for an international client and has made applications to the Supreme Court. She is a regular speaker at London Build and for the RICS CPD training programme and is a frequent contributor to Building Magazine, Construction Law and Construction Manager. She is the Chair of the RICS Dispute Resolution Appointments Board, the former Chair of the National Association of Women in Construction, is a member of the Adjudication Society London Committee and was awarded ‘Best Woman in Construction Law’ at the European Women in Construction & Engineering Awards 2017. Theresa was a finalist for the ‘Litigator of the Year’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ in the Women in Law Awards 2020 and is a finalist for ‘DE&I Champion of the Year’ at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards 2024.

Tim Murray

Tim is an aviation and dispute resolution expert with over 25 years’ experience working on aviation and travel-related matters. He represents aircraft leasing and finance companies, airlines, airports, corporate and general aviation operators and other businesses involved in the aviation and travel industries. Tim has extensive experience in aviation and travel-related dispute resolution matters – often with multijurisdictional elements – in the English courts and in arbitrations, including leasing, aircraft finance, insurance (with a particular focus on advising the insured party), aircraft repossessions, aircraft engineering and technical issues, accidents and general contractual disputes. He has also advised on a wide range of regulatory issues, including matters before the European Commission, the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport. Tim has been recognised as a leading individual in the legal guides for many years. . In Legal 500 UK 2025 he is described as “an exceptional person to work with” and “a very effective litigator”.

Toby Royal

Toby has a wealth of experience in the maritime sector advising shipowners, operators, private equity funds, investors and financial institutions across the full spectrum of non-contentious shipping work. His practice has a particular emphasis on commercial contracts and environmental matters ranging from newbuildings, sale & purchase (including back-to-back re-sales and green recycling/disposal), charterparties, ship management agreements and commercial and environmental due diligence. Recommended as a transactional maritime expert by leading legal directory Legal 500 UK and praised for his “very broad experience” (2020), “looking out for his client’s best interests” (2020) and being “thorough and commercially minded” (2021), he is admitted to practice in both England & Wales and Ireland, and holds qualifications in maritime law, ship management and notarial practice.

Valentina Keys

Valentina regularly advises clients on various aspects of Net Zero, EU Green Deal, Fit for 55, EU ETS, Circular Economy and wider sustainability/climate change/decarbonisation agenda applicable to different sectors. Valentina also has broad experience of providing stand-alone regulatory advice to international companies on environmental risk management (i.e in the fields of waste, chemicals, energy, water, responsible ship recycling etc) and in particular on REACH, RoHS and WEEE compliance. On the transactional side, she has extensive experience of drafting and negotiating environmental sections of the due diligence reports. Her experience includes defending environment prosecutions and some health and safety actions. She represents multinationals defending claims, supporting witnesses and directors/managers. Valentina has also spent time on secondment at DECC analysing disparate financial investment measures which could be offered to consumers and companies alike in order to encourage greater uptake of energy efficiency and renewables. Valentina’s advisory remit also includes advising corporates and financiers in relation to contractual transfer of risk and apportionment of liability for environmental damage and contaminated land as well as on the EU Green Deal, Fit for 55, Circular Economy, Extended Producer Responsibility, ESOS, SECR, EU ETS, Eco-Design of Energy Using Products, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, EU Ship Recycling Regulation, climate change and cleantech, hazardous substances (including asbestos), packaging waste, packaging tax, international carriage of dangerous goods, transfrontier shipment of waste, conflict minerals and Brexit. Valentina is a regular speaker at international maritime and clean cargo events and advises on a range of topics from compliance with cleaner fuel and emission reduction requirements to sustainable ports, clean cargo and innovative financing models such as Poseidon Principles and the Sea Cargo Charter, amongst others. Valentina has been named as a ‘Rising Star’ by Legal 500 in 2022.

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