The partners have joined from Ince & Co where they have been working for many of the major German and Scandinavian shipowners and P&I insurers. Their expertise encompasses shipping, yachting, admiralty and pilotage, as well as marine insurance, trade and energy, and offshore work. They also act in relation to commercial disputes with a focus on domestic and international arbitration work, advising on both German and English law. In addition to the four partners 16 associates will also be joining the firm.

‘Close knit team’

Simon Konsta, senior partner at Clyde & Co, said ‘hiring this top team and the opening of our second office in Germany is in line with our long established strategy of hiring the best lawyers across our core sectors in the geographies where our clients need us. Germany is a hugely important market for our clients and is the biggest economy in Europe, so we are excited about building on the success of our Dusseldorf office and our growing continental offering.’ Andrew Preston, partner and member of the global management board at Clyde & Co, added ‘this close knit team are one of the top marine groups in Germany and give us a strong presence in a key European shipping hub, which is a major centre for owners, operators, trading houses and marine insurers. They differentiate themselves from their competitors in Germany and northern Europe thanks to the diversity of their service offering across the sector and associated fields, including trade, energy and offshore work."

‘Same side of the table’

The joining partners are: Daniel Jones, an English qualified maritime lawyer; Dr Volker Lucke, whose practice covers matters relating to shipping, insurance and yachting; Dr Tim Schommer advises on commercial, shipping and insurance litigation and arbitration matters; and, Dr Eckehard Volz whose practice encompasses marine insurance, shipping and energy & offshore matters. Mr Jones commented, ‘we are very pleased to be joining Clyde & Co. Its heritage is derived from the marine and insurance industries and is very much the leading law firm in these areas. We have come up against several of the firm's partners over the years and so we now look forward to further deepening these relationships from the same side of the table.’