Watson Farley & Williams LLP fields a ‘highly specialised’ shipping practice, with particular expertise in restructurings involving shipping companies, and shipping disputes. The practice is co-headed by Ricky Kim, who oversees the assets and structured finance side, and Philip Do Youn Kim who is in charge of dispute resolution. The team also includes Madeline Leong, who is highly knowledgeable in finance matters relating to the maritime sector, and Christoforos Bisbikos, another ship finance specialist with experience in a wide range of shipping projects, such as acquisitions of fleets and joint ventures in the maritime space.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Watson Farley & Williams LLP has a strong presence in shipping finance in multiple maritime centers in Asia, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Seoul. The people are all more experienced than other firms and highly specialised, which leads to high efficiency in deal executions and in general communication with industry players.’
‘Madeline Leong, Christoforos Bisbikos and Ricky Kim are all outstanding lawyers with many years experience in shipping. They are great listeners, have wide networks on both the finance and client side, and are very responsive in addressing queries or comments.’
Key clients
- Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Singapore Branch
- Korea Development Bank
- Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
Work highlights
- Advised Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation on the financing of a 174,000 cubic metre newbuild LNG carrier.
- Advised The Korea Development Bank, Seoul Branch, on the refinancing of two large gas carriers.
- Advised Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank on the financing of two newbuild LPG carriers for SK Shipping.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Ricky Kim, Philip Do Youn Kim