Wikborg Rein Appoints New Shipping and Energy Partners in London

Leading international law firm Wikborg Rein has appointed two new partners and a senior lawyer to its Shipping, Trade, Energy & Infrastructure team in London.

Renaud Barbier-Emery, who joins Wikborg Rein as a partner from Ince & Co, is a specialist in the energy, maritime and international trade sectors on both transactional and contentious matters. His practice focuses on the development and financing of offshore energy projects, most frequently for the publicly listed owners of large fleets of drilling units, FPSOs and LNG vessels.

Renaud also acts for shipowners, shipbuilders, financiers and investors on a range of transactions involving the construction, conversion, repair, sale & purchase, leasing, chartering, management and financing of vessels, as well as advising on joint ventures. In addition, he advises on a wide range of transactional trade finance matters.

Renaud recently participated as part of the Wikborg Rein team which advised Belgian gas carrier operator Exmar on its agreement with Argentina’s YPF for the long-term deployment at Bahia Blanca of the Caribbean FLNG unit, now renamed Tango FLNG, to produce and export LNG from Argentina.

Jonathan Goldfarb, who also joins as a partner from Ince & Co, specialises in energy and trading projects across the oil and gas and renewables sectors. He advises on project tendering, vessel construction and conversion, and financing, sale and purchase and leasing arrangements for FPSOs, FSOs, FSRUs, LNGCs, FLNG, drilling units and drillships.

Jonathan also acts for international traders in relation to structured trade finance transactions and trading projects. He represents some of the world’s largest contractors and energy traders, as well as financing banks, and handles a wide variety of projects in the energy and trading sector. He has been particularly active on Floating Storage and Regasification (FSRU) projects in the LNG sector.

Meanwhile, senior lawyer Ina Lutchmiah has also joined Wikborg Rein from Ince & Co. Ina has particular expertise in LNG projects and other offshore energy transactions, and her experience includes advising on the decommissioning and recycling of offshore assets and long-term charters for FSRU projects.

Chris Grieveson, manager partner of Wikborg Rein’s London office, says, “We are delighted to welcome Renaud, Jonathan and Ina to our team. Their appointments continue Wikborg Rein’s policy of  recruiting experienced and respected industry professionals who will strengthen still further the firm’s reputation as a leading specialist in the shipping and energy sectors.”