HFW’s Tom Walters Named Among Most Influential People In Shipping Industry

HFW shipping partner Tom Walters has been named by Lloyd’s List as one of the 100 most influential people in the maritime industry and one of the market’s top 10 lawyers globally.

Tom specialises in high-profile maritime litigation, and recently helped secure victory in the Supreme Court for the Republic of South Africa in a long-running dispute over ownership of more than 2,000 bars of silver salvaged from a vessel sunk during the Second World War.

He also advises clients on complex technical issues varying from construction disputes involving commercial vessels and yachts, decommissioning and disposal of marine assets, insurance claims, towage disputes, transportation of yachts and offshore units, contractual disputes, and salvage cases.

Tom is part of the team at HFW advising on maritime cyber risk, Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

Tom Walters, Partner, HFW: “I’m very honoured to be included in this year’s Lloyds list. As my old rugby coach used to say, “all the talent in the world won’t take you anywhere without your teammates,” so I’d like to thank my friends and colleagues at HFW and all the clients that have supported me throughout my career. I’m incredibly fortunate to be part of a great team and to work for some amazing clients around the world who have afforded me the opportunity to thrive in this industry.”

Several HFW partners have previously been named by Lloyd’s List as one of the market’s top 10 shipping lawyers, including in recent years, Global Head of Shipping Paul Dean, and shipping partners Jean Koh, Claire Womersley and Rory Butler.

HFW’s market-leading global shipping practice comprises more than 220 shipping lawyers and Master Mariners throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, specialising in dry shipping, admiralty and crisis management, and transactional work for clients across the industry.

HFW has more top-tier rankings for shipping in legal directories Chambers and The Legal 500 than any other law firm. HFW has again been ranked by The Times as one of the UK’s top maritime practices.