Admiralty lateral hire for Singapore office
25 September 2008
International law firm Stephenson Harwood has boosted its Singapore office with the lateral hire of Timothy Elsworth, a leading casualty practitioner. Timothy, who joins the office as a partner, will be working with the existing team on all aspects of marine, insurance and offshore litigation, but with a clear focus on Admiralty law.
Timothy's appointment underlines Stephenson Harwood's continuing commitment to expand its presence in Singapore. Within the past year, the Singapore office has increased its partner numbers from four to seven, which has included the establishment of a corporate practice. Overall, 20% of the firm's headcount work out of Asia.
Timothy, who has over 20 years experience in Asia, joins Stephenson Harwood from Australian law firm, Ebsworth & Ebsworth. Prior to that, he was senior admiralty partner at Sinclair Roche and Temperley, based in Hong Kong. A former deck officer, Timothy is recognised as a leader in his field with a career in shipping spanning over 25 years.
Timothy has been involved with many high profile casualties and multi jurisdictional disputes over the years, from the "BETELGEUSE" Bantry Bay disaster, the sinking of the "KOWLOON BRIDGE" off the coast of Ireland, the “AKADEMIC VEKUA” triple collision and sinking in Hong Kong, to the "EAGLE BREEZE" multiple warship collision in Bangladesh, the grounding of the “BUNGA TERATAI SATU" on the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney / Hobart Yacht Race Disaster. He has extensive experience in maritime insurance and “dry” cases and also advises on pollution issues regarding international and local obligations, and liabilities concerning dangerous or noxious cargos. His clients include shipowners, P&I clubs, shipyards, freight forwarders, commodities traders, insurers and banks.
Martin Green, managing partner of Stephenson Harwood's Singapore office said, "Our Singapore practice has made great strides in the last year and is continuing to grow. Singapore and the wider south east Asian region are important markets for our firm, and the appointment of Timothy will help us to further strengthen our offering to our clients."
Paolo Ghirardani, head of Stephenson Harwood's Shipping Litigation practice commented, "Timothy's appointment is a real coup. It strengthens our admiralty practice in Asia. We have the highly regarded Jason Toms in Hong Kong and Timothy's arrival in Singapore builds on the existing practice, led by Durai Shunmugam, and boosts our geographic cover and capacity."
Timothy Elsworth added "The firm is a market leader in shipping litigation. This is a very exciting opportunity to enhance the practice further and continue Stephenson Harwood's progress both internationally and across Asia."
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