HFW

We have further strengthened our market-leading global commodities practice with the hire of Anna Fomina in London. Anna specialises in physical commodities disputes, with a particular focus on the oil, gas, petroleum, chemical products, and metals sectors. Our Global Head of Commodities, Alistair Feeney, says: “Anna is an outstanding lawyer with years of experience in handling complex, high-value disputes for leading international trading companies. She will be an excellent addition to our team in London and further strengthens our global team. We are very pleased to welcome her to HFW.” Anna has more than 15 years’ experience advising on a wide range of commodities and international trade-related disputes in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, having spent almost a decade based in Dubai until 2019. She also advises commodities clients on a wide range of commercial disputes and on non-contentious matters such as sale and purchase contracts, general terms and conditions and charterparties. Anna adds: “I am excited to join HFW’s actively expanding top-ranked commodities practice. The firm’s deep industry knowledge and focus on shipping, commodities, trade and energy, on both the disputes and non-contentious sides, across their entire international network align perfectly with my practice. HFW’s collaborative culture and commitment to delivering strategic, commercial solutions make it an ideal platform to help clients navigate the ever-evolving challenges of global trade.” This continues our rapid expansion across our core sectors and international network. We have now added more than 50 new partners and teams since FY23 – equivalent to more than a quarter of our entire partnership globally – including hires in?Hong Kong,?Kuwait City, London, Melbourne, Paris, Perth, Piraeus, Riyadh,?Singapore, and?Sydney. We also recently?established a new entity in Saudi Arabia?to continue the growth of our leading Middle East offering, and?launched an office in Shenzhen?to support our clients in China’s Greater Bay Area. To find out more, visit: https://lnkd.in/e9X_u7Jq #Commodities #CommoditiesDisputes #OilAndGas #Metals #Petroleum #ChemicalProducts

Happy UAE National Day to our clients, colleagues, and friends. Our Dubai office celebrated the event with a traditional Emirati breakfast, including Lugaimat, Balalit, finger foods, and beverages such as Karak tea, Haba Hamra, and Arabic coffee. We also set up a Dukan - a traditional Emirati shop. A special thank you to HFW's Wajdan Saeed, Ikram Addouz, Amal Rahma, Shahad Belkhair and Mohammad Jaber for organizing the event and making it a success. #UAENationalDay #UAE #MiddleEast #Dubai #Emirates

We were pleased to co-host a knowledge-sharing session on Employee Matters in the UAE with Al Futtaim Willis Co. LLC, WTW, and iO Health. HFW insurance partner Justin Whelan discussed the legal considerations around data privacy and the regulatory landscape in the health and insurance sectors. He was joined by WTW General Manager Carole Khalifé Khalifé, iO Health Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, WTW Senior Director Michael Brough Brough, and WTW UAE Head of Work & Rewards Eungchang Lee ? Thank you to the speakers and to all who attended. #EmployeeMatters #DataPrivacy #Insurance #InsuranceIndustry #EmploymentLaw #HealthIndustry

We were pleased to welcome clients in Dubai for a seminar on the UAE's new Insurance Brokers' Regulations - the most important restatement and development of the law in a decade. HFW insurance partner John Barlow covered how the new regulation - which comes into force on 15 February 2025 - will impact brokers and insurers. For brokers, we looked at what now constitutes broking activity, and why certain activities not carried out by brokers will now fall within the regulations, as well as some of the new opportunities the regulations will present to brokers. For insurers, we covered where the responsibilities lie for payment of premiums under the new regulations. John and fellow HFW insurance partner Samuel W. would like to thank our clients for making it such a well-attended event, and for their input which led to a valuable discussion. #InsuranceBrokersRegulations #Insurance #InsuranceIndustry #UAEInsurance #InsuranceBrokers #InsuranceLaw

2024 has been an important year for arbitration in Paris, marked by a landmark court decision concerned with bias, an award from the Court of Arbitration for Sports emanating from the Olympics, and the creation of new arbitration venues.? ? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g25t7Tx9 ? This article featured in our recent International Arbitration Quarterly, read the full edition here: https://lnkd.in/exFMyc3X ? Find out more about our dispute resolution practice: https://lnkd.in/eaytVKt4 ? #InternationalArbitration #DisputeResolution

On 29 November, HFW partner Karen Cheung will join a hybrid panel discussion on "One-stop Wealth Legacy Services in Hong Kong" in Guangzhou, China, hosted by Wang Jing & GH Law Firm. ? This event is designed to offer clients, entrepreneurs, and interested individuals a comprehensive platform to deepen their understanding of inheritance and legacy law practices in both Hong Kong and Mainland China. Karen, along with her fellow panellists, will explore a range of critical topics, including the legal intricacies of inheritance practices in Hong Kong and Mainland China, the key challenges of cross-border inheritance, and the wealth inheritance services available in Hong Kong. ? To register, please scan the QR code on the image. Live streaming of the event which is in Mandarin will be available upon successful registration.

On 19 November, HFW's Thilo Jahn participated in a panel discussion on BIMCO HEAVYLIFTVOY contract during Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024. Thilo was joined by fellow panellists Stinne Taiger Iv? of BIMCO, Liang Yanyi of COSCO Shipping Special Carriers and Benjamin Seow of NorthStandard P&I Club, the session was moderated by Quentin Drew of West of England P&I Club. During the session, Thilo and the other panellists shared their insights on offshore and heavy-lift construction related topics. The panel discussion included a case study, the use of bills of lading for heavy-lift cargoes and disputes that tend to arise. The session was followed by an engaging Q&A. Thank you to those who attended the session. For more information on our Shipping practice, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eufe9hBi

This week we hosted a Ladies Afternoon Tea at Aelia with Michelle Chance, Rula Dajani Abuljebain, Missba Nizami, and Stephanie Kingston at the stunning One&Only One Za'abeel, Dubai. It was a private and intimate gathering with some key clients, making for a truly special afternoon. #MiddleEast #Networking #WomenInLaw

We are delighted to welcome the newest clerks to our HFW Sydney and Melbourne clerkship programs. In Sydney, we have Lachlan Cicurel, Alana Hodzic, and Amelia Chadwick. In Melbourne, we are joined by Ellie Hondrakis, Maria Wu, and Isabella Tang. Our clerks will gain hands-on experience and insights into our core sectors and practice groups. They will work alongside our partners and specialist lawyers on a diverse range of local and international client matters. We look forward to supporting them as they broaden their knowledge and develop skills that will pave the way for their future success. Welcome to HFW! #Clerkship

HFW was pleased to host a topical sustainability seminar at the Hotel Parc des Eaux Vives last Thursday with a selection of experienced speakers covering the legal, financial, political and market challenges of decarbonisation. The seminar was extremely lively with many engaged questions from the audience for our panel. The timing of this event could not have been better with the end of the COP29 last week and the ongoing change of political decisionmakers in the US and in the EU. Ruth Dawes, our global environmental and climate change law expert, and Jason Marett, our expert on sustainable finance, delivered keynote speeches. Ruth explored the latest developments and trends in the sustainability space whilst Jason explored the latest market trends in the sustainable finance market, including Sustainability Linked Loans (SLL) in the Swiss commodities market. ? Finally, the insightful discussions led by our panel of lawyers Michael Buisset and Ruth Dawes and two industry experts Andrew Glass and Tuomas Tierala, shed light on the upcoming challenges and opportunities presented by the EU’s evolving sustainability agenda. Key takeaways of the debate included: The new EU Commission / Parliament reflects a move towards the right of the political spectrum but the EU objectives in terms of sustainability remain unchanged; With the election of Donald Trump in the US, we will see a certain decoupling of the agendas and an increased push towards "clean" energy, rather than "green" energy in the EU; The market for sustainable finance has fallen in the last couple of years due to the greenwashing stigma and an excess of regulations but it will rebound as the fundamentals are solid; and The changes in the sustainability sphere and the geopolitical shifts are an opportunity for traders due to increased volatility and those who have prepared the road ahead, will gain a strategic advantage in the years to come. In view of the enthusiasm and interest for the subject in Geneva, we already look forward to hosting a second seminar on this topic in Spring 2025. We also look forward to continuing the dialogue and supporting you on this journey toward a more sustainable future. #Sustainability #EU #Commodities #Shipping #Law