11 October, 2018
Global law firm Clyde & Co has hired Peter Coles as a Partner in its Hong Kong office. Peter is renowned as a leading lawyer in the aviation sector, and has been supporting multinational clients in Asia for more than 22 years.
Pre-eminent marine and dispute resolution Partner, Christopher Jobson, has also relocated to Clyde & Co's Hong Kong office bolstering its regional practice. Christopher first joined Clyde & Co in 1990 as a dispute resolution and marine lawyer in Hong Kong; he then transferred to the Dubai office in 1994. He was most recently Managing Partner of Clyde & Co's Abu Dhabi office. Although based in Hong Kong, Christopher will have a regional management role and will sit on the Asia Pacific Management Board.
The addition of Peter and Christopher to the Hong Kong office will further strengthen the firm's transport capabilities in the region, and is part of the firm's strategic objective to capitalise on the growth in the marine and aviation sectors in the Asia Pacific region.
Peter handles a broad range of legal advice to airlines, general aviation and business jet operators, airports, manufacturers, MRO's and ground handlers across the Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. This includes providing legal advice on investments, employment, acquisitions, procurement, marketing and sales in the aviation industry, carrier liability work, general commercial advice and associated aviation and health and safety regulations, competition law and other compliance requirements. He regularly advises on contingency planning; incident/accident response; government investigations, reports and public enquiries; coroner inquests and prosecutions; plaintiff and defence work in uninsured disputes including asset preservation and injunctions, debt recoveries and bankruptcy proceedings. He is ranked in Chambers Asia Pacific and is also recommended in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
Clyde & Co sees a significant opportunity to capitalise on the firm's global market-leading aviation practice with the addition of Peter, and will be investing significantly to add further capability to the aviation team in Asia in the near future.
Christopher, too, is recognised by both Legal 500 and Chambers Global legal directories. His 25 years' plus experience in the marine sector has led him to develop and maintain strong ties with a broad range of clients across China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Simon Konsta, Senior Partner at Clyde & Co says: "For a number of us who have worked with Peter previously this is a pleasant case of being able to welcome him back. The combination of Peter focusing on the aviation sector and Chris focusing on marine and arbitration is exciting both in terms of our offering to clients, and the capability it adds to our existing transport practices in the Asia Pacific. This growth comes at a time when those sectors are growing rapidly in the region.”
Rob Lawson QC, Global Aviation Chair and Partner at Clyde & Co, says: "Peter is one of the star aviation lawyers in the Asia Pacific region. We are delighted at the additional strength that he will bring to our aviation practice both in that region and globally. We very much look forward to welcoming him into our team."
Christopher says of his relocation: "It is an exciting time to return to Hong Kong and I am enthused by the addition of Peter to the office. Asia is widely recognised as the region where the most significant growth will occur in the next decade ̶ Clyde & Co is a recognised leader in the marine and aviation sectors globally so we are well placed to capitalise on those developments."
Clyde & Co has a pre-eminent and long-standing reputation in the aviation sector. The firm has extensive experience advising on a wide range of aviation, space, insurance and reinsurance issues, and has resolved aviation disputes worldwide. Its specialist aviation finance team acts for airlines, lessors, financial institutions, investors and other market participants on transactions involving both business and commercial aircraft. With industry know-how stretching across the entire sector, we are often at the forefront of developments in aviation law.
Established in 1981, Clyde & Co is one of the longest established international law firms in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong practice is sector focused, specialising in insurance and reinsurance, professional practices, aviation, marine, construction, transport and trade. The Hong Kong office is staffed by 13 partners and more than 50 other lawyers and legal staff members offering a full and integrated range of legal services. The office also boasts one of the largest dispute resolution teams among Hong Kong international law firms.
The Hong Kong office is a key part of the firm's Greater China office network, which also includes Beijing and Chongqing and Shanghai. Clyde & Co has 13 offices and associated offices across Asia Pacific region.
