Squire Sanders continues the expansion of its global Transportation, Shipping and Logistics industry group with the launch of a wholly new maritime practice team in London, led by three new partners Graham Harris and Dharmendra Nair, who both join from Thomas Cooper, and Linos Choo, who joins from DLA Piper. Harris will head up the team in London, which is supported by associates Anne Pickering and Ann Mazzucco, also from Thomas Cooper.

The launch of a shipping team in London marks the next step in the global growth of the firm’s maritime practice which has built a strong presence in New York since 2008 under the leadership of Brian Starer. London is an international centre for shipping and the Squires Sanders team there brings with it extensive experience of the maritime markets in Greece, Germany, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea. 

• Graham Harris has some 30 years’ experience of maritime law. His expertise lies in commercial shipping, with an emphasis on charterparties, bills of lading, shipbuilding, ship sale and purchase, and insurance. He is also widely experienced in international trade issues and travel law. Advising owners and operators, in the main, Graham has acted in many important cases in the English courts, and has wide experience of LMAA and LCIA arbitrations, as well as leading on cases in other jurisdictions such as the US.
• Dharmendra Nair, who has worked in both London and Singapore, is a specialist in shipping law, sale of goods, trade and commodities with a focus on carriage of dangerous goods, contracts of affreightment, charterparties and bills of lading disputes. He continues to advise and represent some of the largest companies in the world.
• Linos Choo, a fluent Greek speaker born in Singapore, is a specialist in the full range of marine litigation, ship finance and shipbuilding, commodities litigation and international trade finance, where he advises on letters of credit, bills of exchange, derivatives and freight futures.

Brian Starer, global head of Squire Sanders’ maritime practice, who has been leading the Prestige litigation, commented: “This is an important new platform for us – one which takes our global maritime capabilities to another level. All of our London team, partners and associates, are highly experienced, well respected experts in all matters shipping and trade; they have consummate technical skills, deep commercial awareness and a flair for building relationships with clients. The strength of this London team is a key plank in our future strategic expansion.” 

Commenting on the new team Graham Harris added: “Squire Sanders offered a once in a career opportunity – to launch and build up an international maritime practice, genuinely global in its ambition and reach. From London we will be developing our shipping capabilities even further. This means that with Squire Sanders’ global platform and its panoply of existing legal services, including real strengths in litigation and arbitration, wherever our clients have transportation issues – whether in finance, contracts or insurance – we will be able to support them to the full.”