Boutique shipping law firm Campbell Johnston Clark has been expanding rapidly during the twelve months since it was set up by three former Holman Fenwick Willan partners, Jonathan Campbell, Alistair Johnston and Julian Clark.
From a base of three partners, two assistants, one paralegal and two secretaries, the law firm now numbers five Partners and a total of 19 fee earners, including two Marine Managers, both of whom have prior extensive City Firm and Marine experience. In addition, joining as a consultant from 1 September is Filippo Lorenzon a senior lecturer at Southampton’s Institute of Maritime Law and its current Director.
The three partners who had previously worked together during their seven years at HFW perceived a gap in the shipping legal market and decided to set up their own niche shipping business. As such they are unusual as many boutique shipping partnerships are being snapped up by larger firms.
“We set up last year when we identified the need for a full range pure shipping practice that could act as an extension of its clients’ business.”
The team cover the whole range of services from insurance to commercial work, from ship finance to casualty work. Some 70% of clients are owners, with 30% finance clients. “We are increasingly working for entrepreneurs and private equity clients as well as corporate ones,” says Jonathan Campbell.
The firm already has a wide geographic spread of clients spanning the UK, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Germany, Dubai, New York, Houston, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Japan and Singapore and are expanding their international trade practice to service to the big trading houses. To date, the firm has received instructions from virtually every International Group Protection & Indemnity Club and a number of the major Marine Insurance syndicates and companies.
The founding Partners comment: “Our aim has been to try and reinvent the way law firms operate in the marine sector. We don’t have targets for fee earners, but work as a team, much more like a legal department than a traditional law firm. We don’t operate an “eat what you kill” policy and both our lawyers and Partners are focused on client service rather than hourly rates. Our fee structures are innovative and include fixed fees for stages of the work, and annual retainers that include free advice when the client needs it.
The new firm continues with its aim to become the world’s leading pure shipping practice, with an eventual target size of 10-15 partners and 20-30 assistants. “By not becoming too big and therefore compartmentalised we will continue to give clients the personal service they deserve for a cost that they appreciate”.
For further details please contact Julian Clark on Tel 0207 855 9669 or email Julian@cjcmarinelaw.com.