Global, sector-focused law firm has announced the promotion of seven new Partners and four new Legal Directors, effective 1 April 2025.
The promotions continue HFW’s growth across its international network and core sectors, spanning the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, and the firm’s global aerospace, commodities, construction, re/insurance, and shipping groups.
Jeremy Shebson, Managing Partner & Giles Kavanagh, Global Senior Partner, HFW:
“We are proud to welcome this outstanding group to the HFW partnership. Their expertise, values, and commitment to exceptional client service exemplify our approach as a business. We look forward to working with them as we continue to grow and develop our offering to clients around the world.”
New Partners
Alix d’Arjuzon (Aerospace, Brussels)
Alix advises and represents different clients in the transport sector, such as major airlines, insurers and other aerospace entities on a wide range of legal matters, including the drafting and negotiation of leases and financing contracts and on regulatory matters such as environmental and European regulations. Alix has also extensive expertise in litigation and arbitration. She assists clients in multi-jurisdiction major losses matters in the construction, insurance, distribution, and transport sectors. She pleads regularly before the commercial and civil courts in France as well as arbitration courts. Alix is fluent in French and English. She is qualified in Paris and a member of the Brussels bar.
Alex Sayegh (Shipping, London)
Alex specialises in the transactional aspects of the commercial shipping and yachting industries; advising owners, shipyards and financiers on the construction, refit, repair, sale and purchase of various types of vessels. He has a particular focus on construction contracts for new builds and has extensive experience of negotiating with shipyards and yacht builders throughout the world. Alex also regularly lectures on the subjects of shipbuilding and sale and purchase contracts.
Anas Al-Tarawneh (Shipping, Kuwait)
Anas specialises in litigation in the Middle East. He handles a wide range of civil and commercial disputes focusing on litigation in the shipping, logistics and transport sectors. Anas’ experience extends to representing local and international clients in banking disputes, civil and commercial agency disputes and construction disputes. He also manages enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards, as well as criminal claims arising out of corporate fraud, breach of trust, casualties and work-related injuries. Anas holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Jordan and then gained his Masters in International Commercial and Business Law from the University of East Anglia, UK. Prior to joining HFW, Anas worked at leading law firms in Jordan and the UAE. Anas is qualified in Jordan.
Francesco Fiorilli (Aerospace, Riyadh)
Francesco brings a wealth of experience in advising aviation stakeholders on a wide array of contentious and non-contentious matters across multiple jurisdictions, with a primary focus on liability, regulatory, and commercial issues. He has been based in the Middle East for over 10 years and before joining HFW, served as legal counsel for a major airline based in the region, managing the airline’s litigation and regulatory portfolio. His career also includes roles in the Milan offices of a US-headquartered law firm and a prominent Italian law firm. Francesco is qualified as an Avvocato in Italy and as a Solicitor in England and Wales. He holds an LL.M. (Adv.) in Air and Space Law from Leiden University in The Netherlands.
Jason Marett (Commodities, Geneva)
Jason specialises in trade finance, advising commodity traders, producers, funds, banks, and financial institutions on a broad range of financing transactions in the commodities markets. He has extensive experience in structured trade finance, derivatives, and receivables financing, as well as syndicated financings, including borrowing base, revolving credit, and letters of credit facilities. Recognised as an expert in sustainable finance, Jason advises on green and sustainability-linked loans, social impact bonds, and sustainable bond issuances. Dual-qualified in New York and England, Jason was named a Rising Star by Legal 500 EMEA 2024 and has worked at leading global law firms across London, Milan, Munich, and Geneva.
Sammy Beedan (Aerospace, Hong Kong)
Sammy’s practice is focused on dispute resolution and crisis management in the aviation sector. Sammy has extensive experience advising airlines, airports, ground handlers, MROs and manufacturers on commercial and liability matters, as well as dispute resolution and crisis management. He has advised clients in multiple jurisdictions in Asia and Europe on the wording and negotiation of contracts, as well as on disputes arising from commercial contracts, across many service lines and products in the aviation sphere (including, but not limited to, airline T&Cs, and ground handling, fuel, catering, leasing and finance contracts). He is qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales and has previously worked in London, Piraeus, Beijing and Ulaanbaatar. In addition to English, he also speaks German, Mandarin and Mongolian.
Thilo Jahn (Shipping, Shanghai)
Thilo specialises in commercial shipping, shipbuilding, and commodity dispute resolution, particularly disputes arising under charterparties, bills of lading, as well as offshore and shipbuilding contracts. He moved to China in 2016 and has extensive experience advising international clients based in China and overseas, including shipbuilders, shipowners, and trading houses. Before moving to Asia, Thilo practiced as a solicitor in London, gaining substantial expertise in international arbitration, acting for shipping companies and trading houses. Thilo handles cases in all of his areas of expertise in the High Court, as well as major arbitration forums such as the LMAA, HKIAC, LCIA, and SIAC. He is a qualified lawyer in England and Wales and in the British Virgin Islands, and a native German speaker.
New Legal Directors
Jonathan Goulding (Shipping, London)
Jonathan is a solicitor and mariner in the Admiralty and Crisis Management team of the firm’s Shipping Group. He advises on high profile complex litigation arising from marine and offshore energy casualties, including collisions, groundings, salvage/wreck removal, fires, total loss, and limitation and jurisdiction issues. He also has significant marine and energy insurance experience. He has extensive arbitration, High Court and Court of Appeal experience. In addition to being a solicitor he is one of the Firm’s casualty investigators and has attended numerous casualties in the immediate aftermath of incidents to collect evidence and provide logistical support.
Joshua Coleman-Pecha (Construction, Riyadh)*
Joshua Coleman-Pecha is a senior international construction, infrastructure, and technology dispute specialist working in the MENA region. He advises on construction and technology projects from inception to completion. Joshua advises on all aspects of complex dispute avoidance and resolution. He has represented several clients in billion-dollar disputes before a variety of arbitral institutions including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, DIAC, and SCCA. He has experience handling disputes under the governing laws of England & Wales, the UAE, Saudi, and Qatar. Joshua has experience of projects across the region having handled disputes in, for example, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Turkey. His clients include international oil & gas companies, refining and petrochemical companies, EPC contractors, oil & gas service companies, EPC employers, and international technology providers.
Thomas Neighbour (Re/Insurance, Dubai)
Thomas acts for clients in claims and defence work before the DIFC and ADGM Courts, in international/local arbitration and before the English High Court, as well as managing local court litigation, in relation to a variety of construction, property, energy, marine and liability claims, along with reinsurance disputes. Thomas also advises on coverage issues. Thomas is a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.
Whitney Chan (Aerospace, Hong Kong)
Whitney is qualified in Hong Kong, England and Wales and the British Virgin Islands, and has experience in assisting aircraft leasing companies, airlines and financial institutions in a variety of commercial aviation matters. Her key specialties include financing, leasing and trading for commercial aircraft. She has worked on new or used aircraft acquisitions for airlines, aircraft sale and lease back transactions and portfolio asset sales and novation. On the financing side, she has advised clients on complex transactions including warehouse facilities, Japanese operating lease with call option (JOLCOs), and aircraft portfolio financing transactions. She has also worked on aircraft operating leases, lease restructurings and P2F cargo leases. In addition to her broad commercial aircraft experience, she also works on the sale and purchase and financing of corporate jets.
*promotion effective 1 September to coincide with relocation to Riyadh office
