The team at HFW Singapore LLP brings a ‘rare combination of global scale, local insight, technical excellence and pragmatic service delivery‘ to the full spectrum of matters affecting the shipping life cycle and supply chain, from ship casualty and crisis management, to transactional shipping work and ship finance, to associated regulatory advice. Toby Stephens acts as both the Singapore head of shipping and the broader APAC head of the firm’s global crisis management team; he is consequently well-versed in managing marine disasters of all scales. John Forrester is noted for his ship finance expertise, while Siri Wennevik is the key contact for transactional mandates, including vessel acquisitions.

Hill Dickinson LLP's group is best known for its marine disputes capabilities in Singapore and the surrounding region. The group regularly handles all aspects of casualties, including collisions, groundings and wreck removals; dry shipping litigation, including charterparty, bill of lading, bunker and shipbuilding disputes; and ship management, including commodities and yacht-related contentious matters. Offshore cases are a growth area. Andrew Lee heads up the practice, which also includes recommended practitioners Shanna Ghose, Matthew Dow and Ian Sharp. In team news, Donal Keaney was promoted to partner in January 2025, followed by ship finance specialist Ryan Tan's joining in April 2025.

The ‘fast and efficient‘ team at Stephenson Harwood LLP is well-versed in matters spanning the breadth of shipping advisory and risk mitigation work, from multi-jurisdictional shipping and offshore financings, to chartering arrangements, to complex disputes. Transactional expert Gregg Johnston has a dominant market position in respect of English law financings in Korea and across the APAC region, while Singapore office managing partner Daryll Ng is a noted litigator, as is Justin Gan. Pedram Norton is the key contact for ship finance work; Huay Yee Kwan is noted for her focus on PRC leasing; and Jeffrey Tanner is recommended for maritime and offshore energy matters. Maritime decarbonisation is an area of expertise for the group as a whole.

Maritime boutique Campbell Johnston Clark Singapore LLP has a growing presence and capability in the transactional space, where clients can receive advice on the full range of asset finance activities for the sale, purchase and construction of vessels. Paul Apostolis is singled out as a ‘truly leading expert in the industry‘, particularly in regard to wet shipping work. Gareth Williams and William Pyle are recommended for their strength in shipping-related disputes, with a focus on contractual issues arising under shipbuilding contracts, bills of lading, charterparties and marine insurance claims. Pyle and Apostolis co-lead the team.

Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore‘s practice serves all key sectors within the maritime industry, including shipowners, charterers, traders, offshore energy groups, insurers, ports, shipbuilders, and banks. The team capably handles both contentious and advisory matters throughout the shipping domain, ranging from project development to ship finance. Leon Alexander, Ik Wei Chong and Andrew Bicknell form the leadership trio. Increasingly, the group is instructed to advise on decarbonisation and alternative marine fuels.

The ‘commercially sound‘ team at Norton Rose Fulbright is particularly well-regarded for its expertise in ship financing work across all asset classes, from complex private equity and capital market financings to prominent offshore oil and gas projects. The ‘standout‘ Ben Rose heads up the firm’s Asia-based shipping and offshore practice, and is noted for his expertise in more complex structured financings, including Chinese sales and leasebacks, JOLCOs and limited recourse project financings. Sue Ann Gan is regularly involved with high-profile shipping restructurings. Sophie Polisena is a key contact also.

Reed Smith LLP's team offers clients comprehensive shipping services across the Asia Pacific region, spanning dry and wet litigation, ship finance, and relevant corporate mandates. In particular, the group is noted for its contentious capabilities, consistently handling complex cases, including those relating to unsafe ports, collisions, machinery failures, fires and vessel detentions. Team lead Peter Glover, who acts as the Asia co-chair of the firm’s global commercial disputes group, ‘offers seafaring and legal expertise that puts the firm at the pinnacle of casualty response and analysis‘. Associate Daniel Rainer joined the team in January 2025, further shoring up the firm’s litigation strength, particularly in the dry shipping space.

At Squire Patton Boggs, clients range from P&I Clubs, H&M underwriters, lenders and equity investors, to shipowners, charterers, managers and major commodity houses. Barry Stimpson and Kate Sherrard jointly lead the global commodities and shipping group; Stimpson handles the gamut of wet and dry shipping disputes and advisory mandates, while Sherrard focuses on the financing of maritime and offshore assets. Joel Cockerell oversees the dedicated wet shipping practice, focusing on vessel casualties, collisions, groundings, salvage, pollution, wreck removal, and hull and machinery insurance claims. Jessica Kenworthy provides additional expertise in complex commodity financings.

At Watson Farley & Williams LLP, as well as expertly handling core maritime transport and ship finance issues, the team is well-versed in matters relating to offshore oil and gas, container boxes, service vessels, logistics and ferries. Lizzie Roe provides strength in project, asset and structured finance, expertise shared by Asia assets and structured finance specialist Christoforos Bisbikos. On the contentious side, Sumeet Malhotra and Steven Burkill are key names. The four aforementioned oversee the group. Andrew Nimmo is noted for his niche focus on offshore oil and gas projects, and related maritime and floating asset work, while Kimarie Cheang is the key name for shipbuilding matters.

The team at Wikborg Rein is valued for providing ‘practical advice that reflects the client’s commercial considerations and risk tolerance‘. Seasoned maritime litigator Robert Joiner takes the lead on disputes, working closely with Wole Olufunwa, who has a growing Africa-related practice where he advises on related shipbuilding contracts as well as advising African based EPC contractors over the sale and supply of shipping offshore equipment. Ina Lutchmiah oversees the projects piece, advising vessel owners, managers and contractors on maritime and offshore transactions including EPC contracts, long-term floating production charters, and sale and purchase agreements. Joiner and Lutchmiah co-head the team.

K&L Gates Straits Law LLC‘s team continues to be best known for its expertise in contentious shipping work, from charterparty disputes, cargo damage, hull and machinery issues, to product liability, personal injury and environmental compliance matters. The firm is also shoring up its advisory capabilities, specifically ship financing and sale and purchase transactions, where it is increasingly assisting both ship financiers and ship managing companies as borrowers. Lead Henry Kim and Raja Bose are the key senior contacts.

With its strong disputes focus, Kennedys Legal Solutions' team continues to lend an ‘active and sensible approach‘ to international arbitration and litigation in the shipping space. Nick Francis expertly handles the full range of dry shipping cases, as well as ship construction and ship sale and purchase disputes. Karnan Thirupathy is noted for his knowledge of sanctions law as it relates to the shipping, international trade and marine insurance sectors. The pair spearhead the group.

Under the leadership of experienced marine insurance practitioner Iain Anderson, the team at RPC Premier Law remains a go-to for international underwriters, P&I clubs, ship owners, charterers, freight forwarders, cargo recovery agents, banks and trading companies seeking representation in bill of lading, charterparty, marine insurance policy, P&I and FD&D claims. The group also regularly helps clients navigate international sales contract and documentary credit disputes, and claims arising from other forms of transportation including trucking contracts, rail and air movements and storage and warehousing.