Hill Dickinson has a dedicated ship and yacht finance group which deals with transactional work, particularly bi-lateral and syndicated debt financing transactions in connection with ship sale and purchase.
We are an acknowledged market leader in the yacht market and represent all sectors of the industry. As well as acting on behalf of the key parties in yacht insurance, we routinely advise lenders, owners, managers, brokers, designers and builders on the financial issues involved in the sale, purchase and leasing of yachts and super-yachts.
Hill Dickinson has a proven track record of acting for leaders in this specialist field. Our team has been appointed to a number of panels for yacht finance and we handle transactions of up to £50 million on behalf of banking clients. We act for existing client borrowers when sums can be well in excess of this figure.
The shipping team has a long and enviable reputation for dealing with all aspects of both contentious and non-contentious shipping-related work. The team receives instructions from the full spectrum of organisations involved in the maritime industry. This includes ship owners, charterers, shipyards, P&I clubs, port and terminal operators, underwriters and traders.
We have an in-depth understanding of the legal issues that arise out of banking documentation and are able to advise on commercial and practical matters. We are also instructed by banks in relation to enforcement issues, when our in-depth industry knowledge and relationships with the major brokers are invaluable to both borrower and lender.
We advise on areas such as:
- Debt and equity financing
- Pre and post-delivery financing of new buildings, including assignment of shipbuilding contracts and refund guarantees
- Financing of second-hand vessels and sale and purchase work
- Refinancing
- Flagging issues
- Leases
- Commercial, technical or management and agency agreements
- Joint venture agreements and special projects
- Formation, acquisition and investment in shipping companies worldwide
