Will is a Special Counsell within the Energy, Marine and Natural Resources group. He trained at Clyde & Co and worked as an Associate in London before relocating to Melbourne in 2021.
Will's practice focuses on advising commodity traders, shipowners and charterers on contentious and non-contentious issues relating to international sale contracts, charterparties and bills of lading. He also has experience in oil and gas and shipbuilding disputes. Most of his matters are, by their nature, cross-border and multiparty, and he acts for a wide range of domestic and international clients.
Will has experience of international arbitration in several forums, including LMAA, LCIA and ICC, and has acted on various cases in the English and Australian Courts. He has also represented clients at mediations.
Will has been on two client secondments – one to a commodity trader based in London and one to an oil trader based in Geneva – and has spent six months working for Clyde & Co’s Marine team in Hong Kong.
Experience
Acting for a shipowner in a multiparty dispute against oil majors arising out of the breakdown of a vessel's engine, which exposed the shipowner to liabilities under a chain of charterparties and a term supply contract. The dispute was settled following 15-hour mediation.
Acting for one of the world's leading commodity traders in ICC arbitration proceedings arising out of a storage and throughput agreement for a port in Eastern Europe.
Acting for a P&I Club in connection with the c.US$300 million "Alpine Eternity" claim, which involved complex issues relating to US sanctions.
Vitol SA v Beta Renowable Group SA, 2017: Acting for the successful claimant in proceedings arising out of the non-delivery of a cargo of biofuel and related hedging losses.
Acting for a renowned tanker company in an arbitration concerning the construction of a profit-share clause in a charterparty. The claim against our client was defended successfully.
Acting for a Greek ship-management company in a complex and fast-moving arbitration against the Greek owner of the managed fleet of vessels.
Acting for a P&I Club in a dispute arising out of the inability of a vessel to berth and discharge its cargo in China for over 6 months due to an unofficial ban on discharging Australian coal in China.
