Commodities disputes

Stephenson Harwood

At Stephenson Harwood, ‘the team consists of excellent lawyers who are thoroughly versed in and dedicated to the commodities sector’. Historically, the firm has been a leading player in the energy, metals and minerals sectors, acting for trading houses, oil majors and refiners, and mining companies. Over the last four years, the firm has expanded its presence in disputes concerning soft commodities, having built up a strong client base among traders, producers and food companies. ‘Wily’ practice head Haris Zografakis oversees a strong bench of talent that handles contentious matters arising from physical commodities trades, commodity financings, and sanctions. Emma Skakle, who is ‘particularly skilled at dealing with commodities tribunals that often have their own idiosyncrasies’, and the ‘unflappable’ Jonathan Spearing are considered experts in GAFTA arbitrations, though Skakle also handles disputes in many other fora, including High Court litigation. Peter Bennett, who is ‘good at the coalface’, is another standout practitioner in energy and trading disputes.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Emma Skakle is excellent - very approachable and delivers on arbitration cases.’
‘The service of the firm is really outstanding: quick responses, deep knowledge of the market and great authority in the legal issues involved. Great in advising the client.’
‘Peter Bennett is really an expert in this area. He is particularly skilled in arbitration strategy and tactics; always available, reliable and – above all - effective, he conducts all the trial phases with precision and appropriateness.’
‘Excellent knowledge and competence within the team - the skillsets complement each other. Responsive. Sensible billing. Partner-led.’
‘I primarily work with Jameel Tarmohamed, who is very well-versed in his industry and has strong commercial savvy. He is exceptionally responsive, efficient, and business-orientated, which translates to solutions-orientated advice and business-friendly billing practices. He takes the time to understand his client's businesses and is always cognizant of the time requirements around the work that he is performing. Having him as external counsel is an asset for our business.’
'The team consists of excellent lawyers who are thoroughly versed in and dedicated to the commodities sector.'
'Haris Zografakis is wily. Jonathan Spearing is unflappable. Peter Bennett is good at the coalface.'
'Emma Skakle has considerable experience of commodities disputes and is particularly skilled at dealing with commodities tribunals (e.g. GAFTA) that often have their own idiosyncrasies. Hayley Flood is very hard working, very reliable and a good lawyer.'