Team size: Nine
Key team members: Nick Fell, Stephen Harper, Susan Barit , Jillian Swainson, Iain Platfoot, Rory Macfarlane, Justine Fox, Pravin Thevarand Yiyi Tan (executive assistant)

Major legal advisers: Nordisk, Advokatfirmaet Thommessen, HFW, King & Spalding, Stephenson Harwood, Wikborg Rein

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The team has been involved a number of significant cases and transactions. We have recently been involved in a SEK 1B investment by BW Energy Storage Systems in Swedish energy storage firm Ingrid Capacity for battery energy storage development. We have also been advising BW LNG on BW Batangas FSRU delivery in the Philippines and interpreting contractual provisions. We have been advising BW LNG on commercial contracts for BW Singapore FSRU as well as the sale and purchase agreement for the Vessel.

The team has also been handling legal issues concerning the release of BW Lesmes by Egyptian authorities after the Suez Canal collision, the BW LPG Group re-domiciliation from Bermuda to Singapore. Finally, the has been responsible for drafting and implementing enhanced sanctions policy and protocols, including IT and AI solutions, addressing risks for 240 owned and managed Pool product carriers post-Ukraine conflict.

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

Our team has undertaken two significant innovations, both of which involved no cost. Firstly, we constructed a ‘precedent document repository,’ which involved curating a repository of high-quality precedent documents from our past projects and having them readily available and accessible for our global team. This repository allows us store and utilise our collective knowledge and experience for more efficient legal reviews.

We have also established an ‘external legal counsel database,’ a comprehensive record of our interactions with law firms and lawyers, detailing their expertise and jurisdictions. This database streamlines the selection of preferred external counsel, aligning with our organisational culture and approach through accumulated departmental experience.

Can you sum up the team culture or ethos?

Our team is guided by a core set of values centred around transparency, trust, and a shared commitment to delivering exceptional service to our internal stakeholders. We honour diverse perspectives, harnessing the wealth of experience and knowledge within our team to advance our shared goals.

Our team culture fosters a collaborative environment, enabling us to achieve our objectives collectively, handle change effectively, and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. We take pride in celebrating each other’s accomplishments.

Inclusivity forms a fundamental part of our approach, as we actively embrace diverse perspectives and backgrounds to foster creativity and spark innovation. We encourage continuous learning and skill development to ensure our team remains at the forefront of our field, continuously enhancing our collective capabilities and expertise.

Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives?

The team has worked with various stakeholders within the organisation to successfully deliver a wide range of initiatives, which included revising the sanctions compliance manual and procedures, and updating our compliance program to address the requirements of the newly enacted Norwegian Transparency Act. This involved the creation of a new Omnibus Human Rights Policy and the updating of our code of conduct.

Our team also worked to address compliance needs associated with the continually evolving global personal data protection laws. We played a pivotal role in establishing a leadership framework designed to ensure consistency among our senior leaders in fostering our corporate culture and values, as well as a framework to enhance personnel development.

The team has also had to prepare for potential Dawn Raids and participate as speakers in conferences covering a wide array of topics, including the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network.