HFW welcomes Shamsheer Singh as Region’s first Master Mariner

Global law firm HFW continues to strengthen its Middle East shipping practice with a significant move – relocating Master Mariner Shamsheer Singh (pictured) from London to Dubai. 

With over 2 decades of sea-going experience, including commanding the Vale Max Ore Carriers (400 K, VLOCs) for Oman Shipping, Singh brings a wealth of expertise to HFW. As a Master Mariner, he offers valuable counsel to clients in the shipping industry, covering collision investigations, personal injury, MLC complaints, insurance claims, sustainability issues, and cybersecurity matters. 

Singh’s professional journey includes working as a Quality Manager for a German Ship Owner, overseeing a fleet of 33 bulk vessels. During this period, he served as both their Designated Person Ashore (DPA) and Company Security Officer (CSO), playing a pivotal role in integrating the Cybersecurity Manual into the safety management system and implementing Cyber Security protocols on board vessels. 

At HFW, Singh’s focus will extend to sustainability in shipping, as he led the monitoring and reporting of EU MRV and IMO DCS regulations (fuel consumption reporting) for the fleet since their inception. His qualifications as an Internal Auditor of Integrated Management Systems in Maritime, Designated Person Ashore (DPA), and Internal Auditor ISM-ISPS-MLC for shipping companies further enhance his credentials. 

Singh has a track record of handling investigations into collisions, personal injury, MLC complaints, and insurance claims. His previous experiences in Hamburg and Singapore add valuable international perspective to his expertise. 

Yaman Al Hawamdeh, Middle East Managing Partner, HFW: 

“We have the largest shipping and logistics team in the Middle East, and have been involved in almost every major marine causality in the region during the last 10 years. Our combination of industry expertise, local law capability and network of offices in the Middle East is unrivalled, and we are committed to continue leading this sector in the region. Shamsheer’s relocation to Dubai will improve our local capabilities and allow better collaboration with our international admiralty team across the globe.” 

Dominic Johnson, Global Head of Admiralty and Crisis Management, HFW: 

“We pride ourselves as a global admiralty and crisis management team on responding rapidly to incidents, no matter where they occur or the time of day, which we’re able to do thanks to our market-leading network of more than 30 specialist lawyers and mariners based throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. The Middle East is an important market to our clients, and Shamsheer’s relocation further strengthens our presence, giving us the only law firm Master Mariner in the region.” 

HFW is widely recognised as a prominent shipping and maritime law firm and has been serving clients in the industry for almost 140 years. The firm has more than 200 shipping lawyers and 11 Master Mariners across its global network, specialising in dry shipping, admiralty and crisis management, and transactional work. 

HFW now stands as the only law firm in the Middle East with a mariner-based in the region. This follows the firm’s recruitment of top-ranked Dubai shipping and offshore experts Robert Lawrence and Ian Chung.

With over 15 years of operation in the Middle East, HFW boasts a strong presence with 20 partners and over 50 lawyers across offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait City, and Riyadh.