Law firm HFW has expanded its global shipping practice and continued the growth of its Asia Pacific practice with the appointment of shipping litigation and international arbitration partner, Elizabeth Sloane, based in Melbourne.
Elizabeth joins HFW from Stephenson Harwood having spent nine years in its shipping disputes practice in Hong Kong. She previously worked at HFW in Hong Kong between 2008 and 2016.
Elizabeth specialises in maritime law, international trade and transport, cross border fraud and asset tracing and enforcement. She has significant international arbitration experience, having acted as counsel under a wide range of arbitral rules including HKIAC, SIAC, LCIA, SCMA and LMAA. Elizabeth also sits as an arbitrator in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Elizabeth is admitted to practice in Australia, Hong Kong and England & Wales. She is a former President of the Hong Kong SAR chapter of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA). Elizabeth acts for a wide range of clients across the Asia Pacific region including shipowners and charterers, IG P&I Clubs, insurers, banks and financiers, family offices and privately held companies.
Gavin Vallely, Managing Partner, Australia, HFW: “Elizabeth is a terrific addition to our Asia Pacific shipping and commercial arbitration team. Her practice and experience will add further depth to these core areas of our regional service offering.”
Elizabeth’s arrival continues a period of sustained expansion for HFW globally. The firm has added more than 50 new Partners across its international network since the beginning of FY23, including team and partner hires in Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Paris, Perth, Piraeus, Riyadh, Singapore, and Sydney. The firm also recently launched an office in Shenzhen to support its clients in China’s Greater Bay Area.
HFW has been in Australia since 2006, the firm now has 33 partners and more than 150 lawyers in total in Australia.
