罗夏信律师事务所迎来一支新的律师团队加盟其上海及北京办公室。这支团队由合伙人何保罗律师带领，由两位顾问、三位资深律师以及两位律师组成，专攻航运及海商海事法律服务。
这支团队的律师悉数来自英士律师事务所，其中何保罗律师是英士曾经的大中华区及上海办公室负责人。他们深耕于船舶建造、海上工程、船舶融资、国际贸易、船舶买卖交易以及一般商事诉讼业务。
“中国内地是一些世界上最大的船东、造船厂和航运融资租赁机构的所在地，何律师和他团队的到来将为我们在大中华区的海事海商和国际贸易领域增加重要力量，并显著扩大我们上海办公室的规模。同时也为我们提供了更多直接机遇，使我们有机会与造船厂、贸易商到液化天然气运营商在内的广大中国内地客户合作。”罗夏信大中华区管理合伙人郭懿玲律师表示。
这支团队还包括两名顾问律师李萍、汤亦林。李律师此前任英士上海办公室合伙人，她自2004年开启法律执业时便在英士工作。李律师专注于航运、国际贸易、保险和国际商事诉讼，在中国从事相关业务已超过15年。她擅长为众多国内和国际的船东、承租人、物流公司、贸易商、船厂、船东互保协会和保险公司在航运的各个方面提供法律意见, 当中包括租船合同、海上货物运输、船舶撞损、污染、船舶建造和船舶买卖。
汤律师在英士也工作了20余年，此前任该所资深律师。汤律师擅长于航运、商务与融资业务，从事法律服务超过20年。她的执业范围涉及航运业的各个方面，尤其是船舶买卖、船舶建造、海工建造、船舶融资、融资租赁、跨境资产及项目融资、外商投资和一般企业融资事宜。汤律师曾代表众多国际和国内的船东和运营商，处理船舶及其他资产的买卖交易。
何律师也成为了本月以来第三位离开英士香港的合伙人。不久前，争议解决律师陈凯南加盟了英国思雅仕律师事务所；航运及保险合伙人Richard Oakley则以顾问身份加盟了CMS。目前，英士香港共有11名合伙人。
今年早些时候，英士的母公司、英国上市企业英士集团进入破产管理程序，但英士香港办公室宣称自身业务并不受影响。这是因为在2018年英士和美国律所Gordon Dadds完成合并后，英士香港已然获得了自主权，作为独立实体注册于香港律师会，并实现独立运作。
不过，英士北京、上海两家办公室则直接由英国总部运营，目前情况不得而知。
目前罗夏信香港办公室由20位合伙人，包括从普士高加盟的任勇，以及从竞天公诚加盟的马隽宁。
INCE HK LOSES ANOTHER PARTNER AS SH PICKS UP SHIPPING TEAM
Global law firm Stephenson Harwood has added an eight-attorney shipping and maritime law team led by Paul Ho, head of Ince & Co’s Greater China practice and Shanghai office lead.
Ho, along with a team of counsel and associates, will join Stephenson Harwood in its Shanghai and Hong Kong offices. The group specialises in shipbuilding, offshore construction, ship finance, international trade and ship sale and purchase transactions, as well as general commercial litigation.
"The Chinese mainland market is home to some of the world's biggest shipowners, shipyards and shipping financial leasing institutions," said Evangeline Quek, Stephenson Harwood's Greater China office managing partner. "The arrival of Paul and his team will add significant bench strength to our Greater China Maritime and International Trade practice, expand our Shanghai office significantly, and give us immediate opportunities to work with a greater pool of Chinese mainland clients, from shipyards to traders to LNG operators."
Ho becomes the third Ince Hong Kong partner to leave this month. Disputes partner Stephen Chan joined Charles Russell Speechlys, and CMS added shipping and insurance partner Richard Oakley as a consultant.
With Ho’s departure, Ince Hong Kong now has 11 partners, including Priscilla Wong, who joined from Loeb & Loeb earlier this year.
The UK-listed law firm Ince Group collapsed early this week, but Ince Hong Kong said the firm remain unaffected as it began to gain autonomy following the merger between Ince in London and the US law group Gordon Dadds in 2018. Ince Hong Kong is an entirely separate firm and is registered with the Hong Kong Law Society as such.
Meanwhile, Stephenson Harwood has 20 partners in Hong Kong. Notable hires this year include Ren Yong, who joined from Proskauer Rose; and Justin Ma, who joined as a partner from Jingtian & Gongcheng
