Squire Patton Boggs has hired Singapore-based Clifford Chance (CC) partner Kate Sherrard along with a senior associate as it continues to invest in its recently launched commodities and shipping practice.

The team's impending arrival comes a year after the practice group's launch with the hire in November 2019 of partners Barry Stimpson and Jessica Kenworthy in Singapore from Reed Smith. In June Squire went on to secure a six-lawyer commercial disputes team spanning London and Singapore from HFW.

Sherrard will be the eighth partner to join the team, which operates out of London, Singapore and Perth, according to the firm’s website.

She headed up CC’s Asia Pacific maritime and offshore team having joined the magic circle firm from Norton Rose Fulbright in 2016 along with fellow partner Gervais Green, who left CC last April, according to his LinkedIn profile.

She specialises in the financing of maritime and offshore oil and gas assets, representing corporates, leasing companies, banks and financial investors. Moving across with her is senior associate Bernice Chia.

“Our practice has taken great strides in a short period of time and after having known and worked on transactions with Kate through the years, I am delighted to now call her a colleague,” said Stimpson, who is co-managing partner of the firm’s Singapore office.

Sherrard added: “After almost twenty years in the industry, I have developed a huge enthusiasm for what my clients are achieving: in particular, to adapt, expand and diversify in response to market trends and challenges.”

The team offers a range of international trade and shipping services covering corporate transactions, trade finance, litigation and arbitration, regulatory matters, environmental law, renewable energy, derivatives and projects.

In October, CC announced the appointment of Singapore-based funds and investment partner Kai-Niklas Schneider to its global leadership group in a newly created role to lead the magic circle firm’s financial investors strategy.