Double partner hire for City firm
RPC has strengthened its insurance and marine capability in the UK and Asia with the hire of senior insurance litigation partner Leigh Williams from Clyde & Co, and shipping and international trade partner Steven Wise from Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW).
Leigh—who will be based in London—specialises in all aspects of complex high value international insurance and reinsurance litigation work, with a particular focus on the marine and energy sectors. Having originally qualified as a barrister at 7 King's Bench Walk, Leigh built up significant experience in insurance and reinsurance disputes as well as wider high value commercial litigation, during five years in practice there and subsequently at Slaughter and May before joining legacy Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (now merged with Clyde & Co) in 2005, where he became a partner in 2007.
Steven Wise—who is based in RPC's Hong Kong office—handles all kinds of dry shipping and trading disputes, including under charterparties, bills of lading, contracts of affreightment, commodity sale and purchase and other commercial contracts. He has particular expertise in complex charterparty and multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration. Steven has been in Asia for over 10 years where he acts primarily for the major P&I Clubs, in particular in relation to their members in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and mainland China. He also receives direct instructions from ship owners, operators and trading companies.
James Miller, head of RPC's insurance group, says: "We've grown our insurance and marine capability massively over the last two years, opening new offices in Bristol, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The international nature of Leigh's experience and the quality of Steven's practice in Hong Kong massively strengthen our existing capability and will allow us to offer our insurance, shipping and international trade clients a broader range of support across the globe."
