Our hard commodities team advises clients across the metals and extractives supply chains

Our hard commodities team advises on a wide range of issues, including transactional matters, such as acquisitions and disposals, financing, production, stockholding, distribution agreements and delivery to end users. We also advise on LME trading, restructuring, regulatory issues and market abuse and have deep experience of resolving disputes in this sector.

We are experienced in advising clients in the steel sector, particularly on their midstream and downstream activities, the raw materials used in production and on trading matters. We also advise clients in the iron and coal industries.

Hard commodities in particular are affected by factors such as geopolitical risk, and the accessibility and scarcity of resources. Increasingly, these trends have seen businesses meeting protectionism and resource nationalism in mineral rich nations.

Our Hard Commodities Work

  • All
  • Asia Pacific
  • North America
  • UK & Europe
  • Advising Russian Coal Producer on English Sale Contracts

    Advising a Russian coal producer on the drafting of several of their English law sale contracts and re-drafting their precedent contracts.

    Russian Federation

    Advising bank on facility to finance metal stocks

    Advising a trade finance bank on a facility to finance metal stocks in LME approved warehouses in the US and the Netherlands and take security over them

    United States

    Advising major commodities trader on anti-bribery and corruption procedures

    Advising a major international commodity trader on their anti bribery and corruption procedures including sitting on their Business Ethics Committee and performing annual compliance audits

    United Kingdom

    Australian bank on metal trading and business in China

    Advising an Australian bank on the establishment of their metals trading desks, their standard form contracts and legal requirements to carry on business in China

    Australia

    Contract of Affreightment advice for shipments of coal

    Advising a major end user of coal on multiple Contracts of Affreightment for the shipment of coal

    United Kingdom

    Insurance advice on Western Australian mining joint venture

    Advising a major mining company on insurance arrangements for a proposed joint venture with another mining company in Western Australia

    Australia

    International Arbitration claim over Russian coal contract

    Acting on a USD 30 million LCIA claim relating to a contract for Russian coal. Advising on the effect of various shipping documents and on quality, quantity and contamination issues, including oversized and frozen cargo. Index pricing and SCoTA terms considered. Case settled on favourable terms.

    Russian Federation

    Multi-million dollar Indonesian coal arbitrations

    Acting for a coal exporter in various arbitrations valued at USD 500 million. Including a USD 280 million SIAC arbitration against a power producer concerning the export of several million tonnes of thermal coal from Indonesia after the Indonesian Government imposed new export requirements

    Indonesia

    Negotiation of metal supply contracts for mining company

    Acting for a mining company on the negotiation and documentation of long term metal supply contracts together with the associated share option and joint venture arrangements

    United Kingdom

    Offtake agreements and financing arrangements over Serbian steel mill

    Advising a commodities trader on the supply and offtake agreements and financing arrangements in respect of a steel mill in Serbia

    Serbia
  • Insurance advice on Western Australian mining joint venture

    Advising a major mining company on insurance arrangements for a proposed joint venture with another mining company in Western Australia

    Australia

    Australian bank on metal trading and business in China

    Advising an Australian bank on the establishment of their metals trading desks, their standard form contracts and legal requirements to carry on business in China

    Australia

    Multi-million dollar Indonesian coal arbitrations

    Acting for a coal exporter in various arbitrations valued at USD 500 million. Including a USD 280 million SIAC arbitration against a power producer concerning the export of several million tonnes of thermal coal from Indonesia after the Indonesian Government imposed new export requirements

    Indonesia
  • Advising bank on facility to finance metal stocks

    Advising a trade finance bank on a facility to finance metal stocks in LME approved warehouses in the US and the Netherlands and take security over them

    United States
  • Advising Russian Coal Producer on English Sale Contracts

    Advising a Russian coal producer on the drafting of several of their English law sale contracts and re-drafting their precedent contracts.

    Russian Federation

    International Arbitration claim over Russian coal contract

    Acting on a USD 30 million LCIA claim relating to a contract for Russian coal. Advising on the effect of various shipping documents and on quality, quantity and contamination issues, including oversized and frozen cargo. Index pricing and SCoTA terms considered. Case settled on favourable terms.

    Russian Federation

    Offtake agreements and financing arrangements over Serbian steel mill

    Advising a commodities trader on the supply and offtake agreements and financing arrangements in respect of a steel mill in Serbia

    Serbia

    Advising major commodities trader on anti-bribery and corruption procedures

    Advising a major international commodity trader on their anti bribery and corruption procedures including sitting on their Business Ethics Committee and performing annual compliance audits

    United Kingdom

    Contract of Affreightment advice for shipments of coal

    Advising a major end user of coal on multiple Contracts of Affreightment for the shipment of coal

    United Kingdom

    Negotiation of metal supply contracts for mining company

    Acting for a mining company on the negotiation and documentation of long term metal supply contracts together with the associated share option and joint venture arrangements

    United Kingdom

Our Hard Commodities team

Marko Kraljevic
Marko Kraljevic

Partner

Hatty Sumption
Hatty Sumption

Partner

John Whittaker
John Whittaker

Partner

Ik Wei Chong
Ik Wei Chong

Partner / Managing Director, Asia

Leon Alexander
Leon Alexander

Partner

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