About me
I bring over 40 years’ experience to my role as a consultant in our Hong Kong office, spanning ship finance, leasing, sale and purchase, and commercial shipping law. I advise global banks, financial institutions, shipowners and managers on complex, cross-border transactions.
I’ve led market-first deals, including pioneering Japanese leasing structures for ocean-going vessels—one of which won the Lloyd’s List “Deal of the Year” award. Whether advising on shipbuilding contracts, vessel registration, corporate restructuring or joint ventures, I keep commerciality and client protection front of mind.
Clients value my deep experience, commercial instincts and practical, solution-focused advice. I’m also honorary legal adviser to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and sit on the Council of the Hong Kong Society of Notaries.
I remain an anglophile through and through with a love of Shakespeare, PG Wodehouse, and classic rock like Queen.
My experience
- Hong Kong Society of Notaries. Council member for many years. Former President for two years A member of the Shipping Consultative Committee between 2013 and 2015.
- Acted for a Hong Kong leading professional engineering consultancy specializing in mechanical and electrical and building services engineering across various sectors with around 600 staff in its offices and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam (the Target Company) and its majority shareholder (the Seller). The purchaser of the M&A Transaction was largest privately owned construction manager in the commercial building, industrial and healthcare markets, and a leading project/construction manager in the environmental and public infrastructure sectors (the Purchaser).
- Acted for one of the largest shipowners in the world and a recognised international leader in energy shipping, in relation to a joint venture it recently formed with a subsidiary of one of the largest Hong Kong ship owners. Advised our client on the draft documentation pertaining to the deal. The new joint venture, which will see the two companies operate a VLCC together, is worth upwards of USD98,000,000 in terms of an initial investment.
- Acted for a prominent family in Hong Kong in the sale and purchase of shares of a major shipping company in Hong Kong pursuant to a trust foundation. We advised on the negotiation and preparation of all transaction documents.
- Acted as special maritime counsel to advise upon the acquisition of a publicly listed Asian cruise liner for pension interests in the United States.
- Advised a client on the acquisition of a cruise line specialising in educational and adventure tours. In both these transactions, we conducted extensive due diligence into all aspects of the cruise lines and their business and operations. This involved examining and commenting on a plethora of cruise related agreements together with also investigating the finance, construction and ownership of cruise vessels.