Shipping: Finance & Non-Contentious
Global Guide 2024 : United Arab Emirates
Band 1
Contact number
+971 4 423 0555Chambers Review
HFW's distinguished UAE shipping practice was recently bolstered by multiple lateral hires from Clyde & Co. The newly enhanced team represents an array of clients, including P&I clubs, shipping lines and financial institutions. It specialises in admiralty and casualty response work, as well as advising on shipping finance, sale and purchase arrangements, and mortgage registration. Its lawyers also have complementary strengths in insurance matters. Clients benefit from the firm's significant regional footprint, as well as its substantial Arabic-speaking team.
Work Highlights
- HFW advised the Stanford Marine Group on a variety of vessel contracting and acquisition matters, cabotage issues and the group's Middle East financing requirements in the context of its financial restructuring.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The main strengths of HFW are that they are extremely fast, their advice is suited for the audience and that they always provide practical solutions to issues, which then makes it easy for stakeholders to make decisions."
"HFW has a great team. They stand out because of their understanding of the client; they respond well, provide tailor-made solutions and they are commercial in their advice."
"One of the key positives for us is the commercial understanding of the HFW team and their ability to look at the big picture."
"HFW's team is very commercially minded and their advice is always in the best interests of the client."
"The main strengths of HFW are that they are extremely fast, their advice is suited for the audience and that they always provide practical solutions to issues, which then makes it easy for stakeholders to make decisions."
"HFW has a great team. They stand out because of their understanding of the client; they respond well, provide tailor-made solutions and they are commercial in their advice."
"One of the key positives for us is the commercial understanding of the HFW team and their ability to look at the big picture."
"HFW's team is very commercially minded and their advice is always in the best interests of the client."
Notable Practitioners
Ian Chung is an accomplished lawyer who undertakes a wide variety of corporate and finance work in the shipping sector. His practice frequently sees him acting on asset and trade financings, as well as debt restructuring.
"Ian Chung has a strong understanding of political and commercial drivers. He can also navigate political, country and corporate risk considerations with ease."
"Ian Chung is very proactive, has excellent commercial acumen and consistently provides a very high level of service."
"Ian Chung knows the stakeholders and knows what is expected."
Tien Tai has considerable experience as a finance lawyer. His practice encompasses advice on shipping and commodity financing arrangements, including with regard to ship mortgages.
"Tien Tai has been in the region for a very long time and has great local market and legal knowledge as well as being very user-friendly and responsive."
Yaman Al Hawamdeh focuses his practice on shipping disputes, often advising on casualty matters. He also advises on corporate transactions such as the sale of stakes in shipping companies. He heads HFW's shipping team.
"Yaman Al Hawamdeh at HFW is a very good lawyer."
Richard Strub is an adept lawyer who is well versed in handling contentious shipping matters, including disputes relating to collisions. His client list features shipping companies, in addition to charterers and financial institutions. He heads the Middle East commodities team within HFW.
"Richard Strub has been simply remarkable in every respect during my association with him."
"Richard Strub is approachable, very fast in providing responses, very commercial and very customer-oriented."
"Richard Strub is head and shoulders above others because he can explain things well, even to non-lawyers, and he gets involved on the client's behalf before matters go to arbitration or to court."
Rob Lawrence is an experienced shipping disputes lawyer whose broad client base includes a number of high-profile ship owners. He is also noted for his expertise in marine insurance claims.
"Rob Lawrence is smart and astute in litigation and he knows how to win cases."
Ranked Lawyers at
HFW
United Arab Emirates