Digital Trade

Sector focused digital trade advice

At HFW, we are committed to helping our clients understand and engage with market innovations and key disruptors that have the potential to revolutionise their industries.

We understand that while blockchain technology could transform global trade and is very topical, it is just one aspect of the digital transformation engulfing industries and economies.

What we do in Digital Trade

Our Digital Trade Group supports clients in relation to digital trade technologies throughout the global supply chain. We advise from a legal, regulatory, competition and compliance perspective on electronic trade and electronic finance instruments; on the set up and operation of digital trading platforms and paperless trade systems; on blockchain technology and smart contracts; on digital currencies, including the issuance of new tokens; and on ICOs. We also advise on the cyber risks that can arise in digital trade.

We advise on these areas across our specialist sectors of expertise, particularly in relation to commodities, trade, shipping, aviation, logistics, energy and insurance.

Our experience in Digital Trade

This work currently includes:

Advising on the development of online trading platforms, including providing regulatory and data protection advice at every stage of development.
Advising a client on the issuance of a new cryptotoken to be supported by commodities, from a legal and regulatory perspective.
Advising e-bill of lading providers on the legal aspects of setting up their electronic bills system and on the development of further paperless trade products.
Advising clients on the application of digital technologies to their businesses, from the well established use of electronic trade (and trade finance) documents (including e-bills of lading, e-letters of credit and e-air waybills), through to the more recent breakthrough applications of distributed ledger technology/public and private blockchains, smart contracts, digital currencies and the Internet of Things.