COMMODITIES
Our team of transactional and dispute resolution lawyers offer a comprehensive suite of legal services to meet the complex and dynamic needs of the energy sector. With decades of experience, we’ve developed a robust international practice, serving clients across the energy supply chains of the LNG, oil & gas, and renewables sectors. Our team provides expert legal solutions with seamless integration across our English and US law capabilities, providing clients a competitive edge as they navigate the complexities of the global energy market.
Over the years, we have built strong, long-term relationships with energy majors, refineries, shipowners, traders, pipeline operators, and offshore companies, ensuring that we deliver practical, results-driven advice tailored to your needs.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
The LNG industry is undergoing continual transformation, with shifting market dynamics, geopolitical factors, and regulatory developments at play. Our team brings a unique blend of in-house and private practice expertise, a dual perspective which allows us to understand the commercial drivers of this complex industry.
With over a decade of experience, we support our clients across the full LNG supply chain, from project development and structuring, to trading, shipping, and dispute resolution. Our lawyers routinely advise on conventional LNG projects, as well as small-scale LNG and LNG bunkering.
- Acting for a shipowner in a multimillion dollar LMAA arbitration relating to the early redelivery of an LNG Carrier. The dispute went to a 5-day hearing. We were successful on all points including detailed analysis of the losses suffered as a result of market seasonality and fluctuations and unexpected LNG heel on redelivery.
- Advising an oil and gas major in connection with a US arbitration of a dispute under a long-term agreement for the sale and purchase of LNG relating to a continuous failure to deliver cargoes.
- Advising an LNG trading house in relation to the successful rejection by it of a multi-million dollar claim for an alleged failure to take under a MSPA and CN for a strip of cargoes.
- Advising an LNG trading house in relation to force majeure provisions under a CN /MSPA.
- Acting for an LNG shipowner in a claim brought by charterers under a long term time charter, for approximately $60million, including trading losses, arising out of the failure of the pumps on a newbuild LNG Tanker. Bringing a related claim against the shipyard under a shipbuilding contract.
- Advising Charterers under a long-term LNG charter on early termination of the charter pursuant to bespoke sanctions clause, and subsequent dispute with Owners for approx. $100 million.
- Represented a major LNG producer against its Buyer under an CN / MSPA in relation to a $2million demurrage dispute arising out of delays at the receiving Terminal due to bad weather. Despite Buyer’s claim that this was an event of Force Majeure we achieved a successful settlement in our client’s favour for approx. $1 million.
- Advising a trading company on their rights and remedies in relation to delivery of an off-spec cargo of LNG pursuant to a CN / MSPA.
- Off-hire dispute regarding which party was responsible for gas-up and cool-down operations and the heel costs following repairs to the vessel.
- Advising in relation to off-hire and damages (including trading losses under the associated sales contracts) claim following engine breakdown allegedly caused by the provision of off-spec bunkers provided to a LNG carrier.
- Advising a trading house in relation to validity of a multi-million dollar SPA basis a dispute as to the use of “subject” in a term sheet.
- Advising Charterers under a long-term LNG charter on early termination of the charter pursuant to the sanctions clause, and the credit support provisions and subsequent dispute with Owners for approx. $100 million.
- Bespoke drafting of long-term sale and purchase agreements for European utilities companies and producers of North American LNG.
- Drafting and negotiating master LNG sale and purchase agreement on behalf of African national oil company, requiring incorporation of terms from suite of complex upstream contracts, including tolling agreements and long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements.
- Drafting and negotiation of TCP for the dual use of the vessel as a Floating Storage Unit (FSU) for LNG bunkering and break-bulk cargoes, and as an LNG Carrier.
- Support with drafting Confirmation Notices and associated documentation (e.g. credit support and novation agreements) for spot and strip deals for various oil and gas majors, European energy trading houses and LNG producers.
- Bespoke drafting of long-term sale and purchase agreements for European utilities companies and producers of North American LNG.
- Drafting long and short-term charters from owner’s and charterer’s perspectives for major LNG producers and charterers.
- Advising clients in relation to the purchase of LNG assets and portfolios of an energy major, on behalf of a European utility company.
Oil & Gas
Oil and petroleum continue to be central to the global energy mix, and navigating the legal complexities of exploration, production, transportation, refining, and trade is crucial for success. We serve market participants across the oil and gas sector, providing tailored legal solutions for every phase of the business, from upstream to downstream.
- Acting for a leading Swiss trading house in English Commercial Court litigation in relation to the sale and purchase of oil and the interaction with various washout agreements, plus related enforcement proceedings in Poland.
- Acting in English Commercial Court litigation and ancillary court proceedings in Spain over the theft/misappropriation of USD 23m of oil products from Spain and in relation to an associated insurance coverage dispute.
- Acting for a global bunker supplier in a dispute concerning the pricing formula for contracted quantities of product not taken.
- Acting for a Swiss trading house in a USD 100m dispute concerning unlawful termination of an oil sale and purchase agreement and a related US sanctions point which resulted in a successful settlement.
- Representing a Swiss trading house in a charterparty cancellation dispute related to loading and carrying a cargo of crude oil. This included successful attachment proceedings against bunker fuel in the US and a London arbitration resulting in a favourable settlement agreement.
- Advising a major energy company in relation to the nomination of potentially sanctioned vessels and load port under a sales contract.
- Advising in relation to a dispute arising from the “operational tolerance” wording in the delivery provisions of sales contracts.
- Advising on a USD 400m structured finance transaction concerning the prepayment for, and security structures in relation to, various deliveries of crude oil from West Africa for a Swiss trading house.
- Advising a Middle Eastern oil trader on the structuring of an agreement for the sale and purchase of crude oil into Brazil, including devising related security structures in accordance with Brazilian law.
- Advising a Singaporean oil trader on an unusual USD 30m offtake arrangement -including advising on sale and purchase of crude oil and designing related security structures in compliance with Indonesian law.
- Providing counsel to a Singaporean oil trader on the structuring of a template tri-partite agreement for the sale and purchase of crude oil into Thailand, including devising related security structures in accordance with Taiwanese law.
- Providing counsel to an owner/operator of nearly twenty ATBs moving crude oil and refined products for various oil majors and their customers, including assisting on compliance with domestic law enforcement / regulatory agencies, letters of indemnity with customers, and claims brought under charterparties for alleged non-performance.
- Representing a major European energy producer and supplier, providing a legal opinion in the context of a long-term sale and purchase agreement and a related Consent to Assignment Agreement.
- Representing a major Swiss Limited international energy trading company, drafting a template tri-partite sub-storage services agreement for use in the sale of oil products into Brazil. The agreement contemplates three parties to the contract: our client, a Brazilian terminal or terminal operator, and an end buyer of oil products.
