Watson Farley & Williams

🌊 We're delighted to be shortlisted for Maritime Law Firm of the Year at The Maritime Standard Awards 2026. The awards recognise outstanding companies and individuals from across the global shipping and maritime industries in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. Congratulations to our Maritime team on this well-deserved recognition. 👏 🔗 Find out more: https://lnkd.in/exbJ6w-Q #WFW #Maritime #Shipping

🏗️📄 The Building Safety Regulator has announced a reset of its approach to issuing building assessment certificates for higher-risk buildings. London Partner Dev Desai, Senior Associate Rupi Chandla and Associate Daniel Grondin examine what this change means for stakeholders and the likely impact on the building safety regime in Construction Law Magazine. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eBsEQuXy (Subscription required) #WFW #BuildingSafety #Construction #ConstructionLaw

⚓ In a recent Lloyd’s List article, Partner Andrew Rigden Green examines the legal and commercial risks facing Chinese lessors when vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz.   Key considerations include:   ◾war risks and leasing arrangements; ◾the impact of conduct and decision-making on legal protections; and ◾assessing exposure in an increasingly complex risk environment.   Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eMWxfeQ9   #WFW #Maritime #ShippingFinance #StraitOfHormuz

⚓ Join us at the 10th Capital Link Annual International Shipping Forum in Shanghai, where Jian GUAN, Hong Kong Office Head and Partner, will moderate the ‘Chinese Leasing & Banking’ panel on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. The session will bring together industry leaders to discuss key trends shaping ship finance, leasing and banking in today's maritime market. The panellists include: ◾ Mr. Eahan SHI, Executive Director, Shipping Finance Department, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Financial Services LLC ◾ Mr. Kevin Kou, Director of Europe and America Department (Shipping), ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. ◾ Ms. Anna Mao, Deputy Head of Shipping Finance / Head of Origination Team, CMB Financial Leasing Co., LTD. ◾ Ms. Guanyu Zhu, Senior Project Manager, CIB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. ◾ Mr. Shao Renyu, Deputy General Manager, Cross-Border Finance Department, Shanghai Branch – Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) 📞 If you are attending the conference, please get in touch – Jian GUAN and members of WFW Hong Kong team look forward to connecting in person. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eSf2WvzK #WFW #Shipping #CapitalLink #Maritime

🥳 The IFLR1000 Western Europe 2027 rankings are here! We're delighted to be recognised in the latest rankings, retaining our top tier rankings in Spain for Project development and Project finance. WFW also features in the rankings for France, Germany, Greece, Italy and the UK. Congratulations to Lindsey Keeble (UK), Maria Pilar García Guijarro (Spain) and Virginia Murray (Greece) for their continued recognition as Women Leaders, with Maria Pilar also maintaining her Market Leader ranking, and to Rodrigo Berasategui (Spain) for maintaining his Market Leader ranking. Well done to everyone who contributed to these brilliant results! #WFW #IFLR1000 #IFLR

🥟🍵 Join us during Hong Kong Arbitration Week 2026 for a dim sum breakfast seminar.   Hosted by Partner Andrew Rigden Green, the seminar will explore how geopolitical conflicts, sanctions and supply chain disruption are shaping shipping and trading contracts, alongside the latest arbitration trends and practical strategies for managing contractual and dispute risk.   Our panel of industry and legal experts will discuss the impact of geopolitical conflicts, sanctions and supply chain disruption on shipping and trading, alongside key arbitration trends and risk management strategies.   📍 WFW Hong Kong Office 🗓️ 20 October 2026 | 🕣 08:30 – 09:30 (HKT)   Please contact us if you’re interested to join: events@wfw.com   #WFW #HongKongArbitrationWeek #Arbitration #Maritime

🎉 The Chambers UK 2027 rankings are live! We're delighted to share that the firm has achieved 13 practice area rankings and 27 lawyer rankings in this year's guide. Highlights include new rankings in Projects: Mainly International and Real Estate: £10-50 million, as well as an improved ranking in Construction: Non-contentious. We also maintained our Band 1 ranking in Asset Finance: Shipping Finance. Special congratulations to Jim Bell, our Global Head of Aviation, Aerospace and Defence, for attaining Band 1 in Asset Finance: Aviation Finance; and Tim Murray for maintaining his Band 1 ranking in Aviation: Dispute Resolution. And a particular congratulations to Lindsey Keeble, our Managing Partner, who has once again been recognised as an Eminent Practitioner in Asset Finance: Shipping Finance – a fantastic recognition of her long-standing expertise and reputation in the market. Great work by everyone who contributed to these brilliant results! 👏 #WFW #ChambersUK2027 #ChambersUK #LegalRankings

🏨 What’s driving the rapid rise of hotel franchising across Asia Pacific? In the latest edition of HM Magazine, Robert Williams, Head of Hotels & Hospitality Asia Pacific, explores how hotel brand franchising is evolving across the region, as owners increasingly seek the benefits of global brands while retaining greater operational flexibility. Key themes include: ◾ increasing investor interest in franchise models; ◾ new legal and commercial issues as franchise structures evolve; and ◾ growing demand for tailored branding and management arrangements. 📖 Read Robert's insights in HM Magazine: https://lnkd.in/e8QkQzwS #WFW #Hotels #Hospitality #HotelFranchising #AsiaPacific

⚖️ Just one week to go until Global Arbitration Review Live: Construction Disputes London! WFW Partner Theresa Mohammed will be speaking on the panel 'Holding the line: dispute boards and early intervention', exploring: ◾ how statutory and contractual adjudication frameworks are evolving across jurisdictions; ◾ which projects are best suited to adjudication and what European practice reveals about the effectiveness of adjudication and dispute boards; ◾ whether dispute boards are resolving disputes or delaying them; and ◾ how AI is influencing adjudication strategy, evidence and procedure. Rebecca Williams (she/her) will also be attending the conference. 📍 Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London 🗓️ 22 October 2026 We look forward to seeing you there. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/evTt2_Wa #WFW #ConstructionDisputes #Arbitration #DisputeResolution #GARLive #Infrastructure

Partners Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn, Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha and Associate Pawadee Suranaowarat have contributed two new articles to the 11th edition of The Legal Industry Reviews Thailand, providing practical guidance for investors and clients. Explore the articles: Disputes: 'Managing Construction Disputes in Public Airport Projects' ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dmd3_yjt Corporate: 'Thailand Cabinet Approves Relaxation of Foreign Business Prohibition in Key Service Sectors' ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ewEzMeZw #WFW #Thailand #DisputeResolution #CorporateLaw