Dora Mace-Kokota
Stephenson Harwood confirms nine promotions to partnership
International law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP today announces its largest ever number of internal promotions to the partnership*. The nine candidates are drawn from across the firm’s practice groups and offices, and are joined by a further two colleagues who will be promoted to partners in their local offices.
Commenting on the appointments, which will take effect on 1 May 2016, Sharon White, CEO of Stephenson Harwood, said:
Chris Vartzis
“It is particularly heartening to this year be announcing our highest ever number of internal partner promotions. This achievement is testament to the skills, abilities and dedication of our new partners, seven of whom took part in our award-winning High Potential Associate programme. The programme was introduced with the specific ambition of increasing our internal promotions to partnership.”
Graeme Barton, corporate (projects and infrastructure), London
Graeme advises on domestic and international engineering, construction and infrastructure projects across all sectors, including energy and renewable, education, waste, transport, accommodation and commercial real estate development.
Anthony Chan, corporate, Hong Kong
Anthony advises on IPOs and capital market matters, mergers and acquisitions as well as equity and debt financing transactions. His practice includes advising sponsors and issuers in initial public offerings in Hong Kong and advising lenders, investors and borrowers in equity and debt financing transactions, including pre-IPO financing, bonds and commercial loans.
Roy Chan, finance, Hong Kong
Roy is a maritime law specialist whose practice covers both non-contentious shipping work and contentious shipping and disputes in Hong Kong and the Far East. Roy has broad experience in ship finance and leasing transactions as well as in a wide range of commercial shipping and regulatory advisory work, particularly relating to the cruise and yacht sectors. He frequently advises financial institutions, leasing companies, shipowners, charterers and shipbuilders on situations involving contentious issues and shipping disputes.
Nicolas Demigneux, commercial litigation, Paris
Nicolas’ expertise covers the various fields of civil and commercial law, including construction, mining, project and corporate disputes, product liability and contracts for large French and international companies. In the insurance sector, Nicolas advises on matters relating to professional or product liability in the areas of aviation, pharmaceuticals, energy, chemicals and construction.
Rob Jacob, intellectual property, London
Rob specialises in both contentious and non-contentious IP issues, with a focus on trade mark and copyright matters. He has particular expertise in the life sciences, offshore construction and luxury brands sectors.
Kiersten Lucas, employment and pensions, London
Kiersten has extensive experience advising clients across the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment matters on all aspects of the employment lifecycle. Her particular expertise is in high value litigation (having led many cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Employment Tribunal), remuneration arrangements, senior executive appointments and terminations, restrictive covenants/protection of confidential information and advising firms and individuals on the employment law aspects and implications of regulatory contraventions (including LIBOR and FX manipulation and market abuse).
Dora Mace-Kokota, finance, London
An asset finance specialist with a particular focus on the shipping sector, Dora is well known for the breadth and depth of her skills in relation to international financing and restructuring matters. She advises banks and owners in relation to general finance, ship finance, restructuring and leasing matters.
John Meehan, tax, London
John advises on a broad range of UK tax matters, including the tax and structuring aspects of onshore and offshore funds, M&A, joint ventures and group reorganisations, and corporate and asset finance.
Chris Vartzis, finance, Piraeus
Chris is an asset finance specialist with a particular focus on the financing of all types of commercial vessels (including yachts) and aircrafts (mainly corporate jets), project financings, loan restructurings, work-outs and enforcement. Chris works with major international banks and financial institutions specialising in asset financing (including ECA facilities). He also advises owners who operate out of jurisdictions that include Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia and Norway, in the context of negotiating and entering into ship financing facilities and sale and purchase transactions.
The firm also announces the promotions of Evangeline Quek (marine and international trade, Hong Kong) and James Willn (marine and international trade, Dubai), both of whom will become local partners.
Evangeline is a dual-qualified solicitor in Hong Kong and England and Wales. Since she started practicing in 2006, she has focused on contentious shipping and international trade matters, focusing in particular on charterparty disputes, carriage of goods by sea and cargo claims, ship financing disputes and bunkering claims. She is instructed on a regular basis by International Group P & I Clubs and owners, charterers and operators in North Asia.
James is a dispute resolution lawyer with particular expertise in litigating disputes for offshore and onshore contractors in the oil, gas and energy industry. He is also regularly instructed to negotiate the formation of construction and shipbuilding contracts, offshore drilling contracts and vessel conversions, as well as long term charter contracts of specialist offshore vessels.
The appointments will take effect from 1 May 2016. They add to the seven lateral hires that the firm has made during the 2015/16 financial year. As of 1 May 2016, Stephenson Harwood LLP will have 142 partners internationally.
*This figure represents a 50% increase from 2015, and a threefold increase from the average of the previous five years
