11 August, 2026 – SINGAPORE: Global law firm Reed Smith today announces the relocation of global shipping and sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore.
Brandt advises insurers, owners, charterers, brokers, and traders on all aspects of sanctions-related challenges, providing analysis of applicable legislation, assistance with crucial due diligence work, and training.
He has extensive experience of U.S. and UK government investigations, disclosures, and enforcement actions and has been centrally involved in many of the most high-profile designations, seizures, and enforcement actions brought against members of the international shipping community.
Brandt also has wide-ranging experience drafting protective language for transportation, trade and financing contracts, and has worked with major lenders and other organisations to develop best-in-class compliance programmes. He also has sat on a number of BIMCO and other organisations’ drafting committees, assisting in the development of industry standard clauses.
In addition to his role in the global sanctions practice, Brandt routinely advises on contractual and tortious rights and obligations pertaining to a wide range of dry shipping matters, including charterparties, P&I club rules, bills of lading, ship sales and purchases, and shipbuilding.
Brandt has previously spent four years in Reed Smith’s Hong Kong office, where in addition to his dry shipping work, he assisted in a number of casualty investigations and criminal prosecutions arising from major casualties.
Praj Samant, Reed Smith’s Asia-Pacific managing partner, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Alex to the Singapore office, and back to Asia. He is a tremendous talent with a global perspective and commercial outlook, which is an invaluable asset to clients both in the region and beyond.”
Richard Hakes, global chair of Reed Smith’s Transportation Industry Group, said: “Our transportation practice’s commitment to Asia and to our clients based in the region is longstanding and Alex’s relocation is a direct response to the needs of our clients. We have a leading and growing shipping practice across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore – with a number of new arrivals in the last year. Alex will be joining that team at an exciting time for us, and at a time where there is high regional demand for his complex sanctions advice.”
Brandt added: “I am delighted to be making the move to a region I am very familiar with already. It is clear that our global clients require increased support in the region, and I look forward to working with the regional team here, as well as continuing to collaborate with our market-leading sanctions team globally.”
