Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has boosted its Middle East practice with the hire of top-ranked shipping and offshore marine partners Robert Lawrence and Ian Chung.
Robert and Ian collectively have more than 30 years’ experience in the Middle East, and join HFW’s Dubai office from Clyde & Co, where Robert headed the firm’s International Trade and Transport practice in the region. The move sees Ian return to HFW, where he was a partner until 2017. Robert joins HFW on 22 August; Ian will join on 5 September.
Robert and Ian are both rated as market leaders by legal directories Chambers and The Legal 500. HFW now has five of the 11 lawyers ranked by The Legal 500 as leading individuals for shipping in the UAE, and two of the three lawyers ranked by Chambers in Band 1 for ship finance in the UAE – both more than any other law firm.
HFW has operated in the Middle East for more than 15 years and now has 20 partners and over 50 lawyers in total across offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait City and Riyadh, making it one of the largest practices of any international law firm in the region.
Yaman Al Hawamdeh, UAE Managing Partner, HFW: “This is a very significant development for HFW in the Middle East. Robert and Ian are go-to lawyers for maritime, offshore and international trade work, and adding them to our already market-leading team means that we are now unquestionably the number one shipping practice in the region for both disputes and transactional matters.
“HFW has been in the Middle East for a long time and we remain deeply committed to the region, as evidenced by our ongoing investment into new offices and top talent. We plan to continue to invest in the Middle East and will actively pursue opportunities to further strengthen and broaden our offering to clients.”
Robert is a disputes lawyer with a particular focus on the marine and offshore industries, including English law and Middle East claims arising from EPC contracts, offshore casualties, ship build and ship conversion projects, trade and transport, and marine insurance. He also advises on enforcement proceedings – onshore and in the DIFC; commercial litigation, including joint venture disputes; as well as non-contentious and regulatory matters.
Robert acts for a wide range of clients across the Middle East, as well as ship owners with assets operating in the region, including those based in Singapore, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. He will also work closely with HFW’s team in Riyadh, where he has significant experience advising Saudi-based clients, as well as litigating before the Saudi Commercial Courts and the Saudi Insurance Disputes Committee.
Ian specialises in transactional matters within the marine and transportation industries, including M&A and joint ventures, corporate and commercial, regulatory and licensing, finance, and general advisory work. He also has significant experience on insolvency and restructuring, and has acted for banks and borrowers on some of the most significant regional restructurings in recent years.
Client testimonial in The Legal 500 describes Ian as an “outstanding individual with an in-depth knowledge of the industry”, while client feedback in Chambers says that “in terms of commercial knowledge, Ian is one of the best”.
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