Wikborg Rein is praised for its ‘ability to advise in English and Norwegian law’, which allows the firm’s shipping and offshore group to be a go-to outfit for multi-jurisdictional matters including those relating to casualties and sanctions. Practice head Chris Grieveson has a broad advisory portfolio that sees him dealing with work ranging from shipbuilding cases and contentious sale and purchase issues to wet shipping matters. The firm also has particularly strong connections to the Greek market, where Baptiste Weijburg took over as the group’s main contact following the retirement of Nick Shepherd in December 2022. Rob Jardine-Brown is the key name for contentious work, while Eleanor Midwinter has in-depth experience pertaining to dry shipping, marine insurance, and shipbuilding matters. The firm secured a major coup in September 2023 with the hire of a team of 17 fee earners from Ince including Michael Volikas and Ian Chetwood.
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Ian is a disputes lawyer with significant experience in shipping cases and large scale commercial disputes in court proceedings, arbitrations and ADR for clients around the world. His clients include ship owners, cargo owners and insurers. He specialises in wet and dry shipping cases and has taken cases to the Supreme Court and to the CJEU. He has provided expert advice on English law in foreign courts.
Chris is a Managing Partner at Wikborg Rein's London office and is an English Solicitor. Chris specialises in shipping, oil & gas, and commodity trading law. Shipping He has extensive experience of all aspects of shipping law (both globally and especially within Asia having lived and worked there for 12 years). He has been involved in handling some of the world’s major casualties and pollution incidents. Chris regularly advises shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs and traders on all aspects of carriage of goods, charterparty and marine insurance law. Chris also has extensive experience of shipbuilding and S&P disputes. Offshore In the offshore industry Chris advises operators and contractors in the drafting and negotiation of proposed contracts; handling claims and disputes concerning contractual performance; accidents; and claims under insurance policies. His experience includes all aspects of the industry from the initial bid and tender process through commissioning, and in-field operation. He has acted for all sectors of the industry including EPC and EPCI contractors, drilling contractors, FPSO/FLNG operators, accommodation rig providers, supply boat /barge operators, and oilfield service contractors. Trading Chris’ trading experience includes advising commodities traders, especially metals, coal and oil traders with their sale and purchase arrangements, particularly for long term off take contracts and disputes. Chris has handled numerous disputes for traders arising out of delays, force majeure, quality issues and letter of credit problems. Commercial Fraud Chris has extensive expertise of acting in civil fraud claims in the shipping and offshore industry including asset tracing, he has particular expertise in cases involving Russia, the CIS, China, Indonesia and Vietnam as well as Europe. Compliance and Crisis Management Chris has significant experience advising clients on compliance, regulatory and investigations in the Marine Sector. In particular, he has been extensively involved in anti-bribery and corporate crisis management including the conduct of internal investigations and the handling of criminal law consequences and civil disputes triggered by potential misconduct.
Rob's main area of practice lies within the shipping and offshore fields. He is a lawyer with a broad range of marine and offshore experience specialising in dispute resolution, mediation, commercial litigation and arbitration. Within shipping his experience covers all aspects of the construction of ships together with their employment, operation and disposal. In the offshore field Rob deals with a variety of commercial and operational issues with particular emphasis on disputes relating to the construction of offshore units including FPSOs, drilling rigs and offshore production and supply vessels. He also lectures on shipbuilding matters.
Michael specialises in resolving commercial disputes on behalf of those in the shipping sector, both in court and through arbitration. Michael works on both wet and dry shipping cases, with a strong focus on dispute resolution. He has specialist expertise in charterparties and bills of lading; sale and purchase agreements; and shipbuilding and refund guarantees. He has acted in cases that have reached the House of Lords, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, as well as in the European Court of Human Rights and the CJEU.
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Chris Grieveson