Full Profile
Will is a Partner in the Energy, Marine and Natural Resources department at Clyde & Co in London. He joined the firm in 2009, and advises clients on all aspects of commodities trading and shipping matters, both contentious and non-contentious. He is experienced in handling live and developing issues, including ship arrests and detentions, and has spent time on secondment to one of the world's leading commodities traders.
Will has significant experience of domestic as well as international (and multi-jurisdictional) dispute resolution, and has handled disputes in the English High Court as well as international arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, SIAC, HKIAC, SCMA, GAFTA and FOSFA Rules. He is experienced in working closely with foreign lawyers in other jurisdictions and overseeing proceedings for clients.
Will also provides assistance and advice to clients with non-contentious and transactional issues, advising on the drafting of charterparties, sale contracts, bills of lading, guarantees and various forms of security.
Will is a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association.
Will is ranked as a 'Rising Star' by Legal 500 2020 and 2021 and as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by Legal 500 2022 and 2023. He was also named a ‘Rising Star’ by International Financial Law Review and Euromoney in their 2021 and 2022 Expert Guides publication. Clients comment that Will "is a 'rising star'; he is commercially astute, technically spot-on and always available"; "is very calm, measured and is a sound lawyer"; "goes out of his way to provide an extremely helpful service and gives clear, to the point and commercially insightful advice"; "has the rare ability to see issues from a client's perspective"; “is both hands-on and strategically astute”; "is thoughtful, analytical and constantly striving to advance his clients’ interests"; and “is very astute and thorough. He will leave no stone unturned to try to get the best results for his client.”
Experience
- Glencore Energy UK Ltd v OMV Supply & Trading Ltd (The Seagrace) [2018] EWHC 895 (Comm): Representing the successful claimant in a dispute as to whether a period spent waiting during a cargo voyage was subject to a contractual demurrage regime.
- Advising owners, operators and charterers in relation to ship arrests and detentions across the world.
- Advising in relation to the availability of ancillary relief under a standard form arbitration agreement used in certain forms of commodities trading contracts (B v. S [2011] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 18).
- Advising one of the world's largest trading companies in relation to exposures arising out of the provision of letters of indemnity for the discharge of cargo without original bills of lading.
- Advising one of the world's largest fuel oil traders in English High Court proceedings relating to claims arising out of the collapse of OW Bunkers.
- Advising one of the world's largest trading companies in an ICC arbitration for non-performance of an alleged contract for the sale of 300,000MT of coal.
