Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has expanded its global shipping practice and continued the growth of its Asia Pacific offering with the appointment of leading shipping litigation and international arbitration partner Elizabeth Sloane based in Melbourne.
Elizabeth joins HFW from Stephenson Harwood having spent nine years growing its shipping disputes practice in Hong Kong. She previously worked at HFW in Hong Kong between 2008 and 2016.
Elizabeth specialises in maritime law, international trade and transport, cross border fraud and asset tracing and enforcement. She has significant international arbitration experience, having acted as counsel under a wide range of arbitral rules including HKIAC, SIAC, LCIA, SCMA and LMAA. Elizabeth also sits as an arbitrator in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Elizabeth is admitted to practice in Australia, Hong Kong and England & Wales. She is a former President of the Hong Kong SAR chapter of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA). Elizabeth acts for a wide range of clients across the Asia Pacific region including shipowners and charterers, IG P&I Clubs, insurers, banks and financiers, family offices and privately held companies.
HFW’s market-leading global shipping practice comprises more than 220 lawyers advising on dry shipping, admiralty and crisis management, and transactional work for clients across the industry. Elizabeth’s appointment follows the firm’s recent hire of Master Mariner Mike Bunton in London.
Paul Dean, Global Head of Shipping, HFW: “I am delighted to welcome Elizabeth back home to HFW. She is a highly skilled practitioner with extensive experience across all facets of the shipping and maritime industry. As well as developing a practice in Melbourne alongside our existing team of maritime experts, Elizabeth will maintain her practice in Hong Kong and will also support our clients in Singapore and across Asia Pacific.”
HFW has been in Australia since 2006 and is now one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country, having now added 15 new partners across its offices in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney since the beginning of FY24. This includes the hire of a major corporate, projects, and regulatory team in Perth, a shipping, aerospace, energy, insurance, commodities, and litigation funding team in Melbourne, a corporate restructuring, insolvency and commercial litigation team in Melbourne, an environment and climate change partner in Sydney, and an energy M&A and projects partner and a construction disputes and international arbitration partner in Perth.
The firm now has 33 partners and more than 150 lawyers in total in Australia, working as part of an Asia Pacific team of more than 260 lawyers and a global team of more than 700 lawyers.
Gavin Vallely, Managing Partner, Australia, HFW: “Elizabeth is a terrific addition to our Asia Pacific shipping and commercial arbitration team. Her practice and experience will add further depth to these core areas of our regional service offering.”
Peter Murphy, Managing Partner, Hong Kong, HFW: “We continue to grow our business in Asia Pacific, and Elizabeth rejoining HFW is a great addition to that growth. We have a strong presence across our sectors in the region, and Elizabeth’s expertise in shipping, international arbitration and commercial litigation reinforces our current capabilities. All of us are looking forward to welcoming Elizabeth back to HFW.”
Elizabeth Sloane, Partner, HFW: “Returning to HFW was an obvious choice for me. HFW’s global maritime disputes practice is market leading. The firm’s strengths across its core sectors in Asia Pacific are unrivalled and align perfectly with my areas of focus in the region. I began my career as a maritime lawyer at HFW 17 years ago, spending eight years in HFW’s Hong Kong office. I am looking forward to collaborating with many of the same colleagues and clients again.”
Elizabeth’s arrival continues a period of sustained expansion for HFW globally.
The firm has added more than 50 new Partners across its international network since the beginning of FY23, including team and partner hires in Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Paris, Perth, Piraeus, Riyadh, Singapore, and Sydney. The firm also recently launched an office in Shenzhen to support its clients in China’s Greater Bay Area.
