Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) has partnered with The Baltic Exchange to provide a vessel sale & purchase (S&P) transaction closing service for the global shipping industry. The service will be led by SPB’s 30 strong Commodities & Shipping Group co-chaired by Chris Swart and Barry Stimpson, and will be underpinned by the Baltic Exchange’s independent Singapore based escrow operation.
The Baltic Exchange’s escrow service is already used for a wide range of transactional work, including the sale and purchase of vessels.
The vessel S&P transaction closing service will be driven by a team of SPB specialists with a track record in maritime finance and acquisition of maritime assets, including Singapore-based partners Kate Sherrard and Brian Gordon. They form part of the firm’s market-leading Commodities & Shipping Group that advises on all aspects of international trade and shipping across key markets, including Singapore, London, the Americas, Australia and the Middle East. The Baltic Exchange’s support in providing corresponding escrow services means that shipowners will have access to a trusted, independent and efficient means of holding and exchanging funds when purchasing and selling vessels. This will give all parties confidence that the necessary and compliant due diligence checks are performed, funds are held securely, and the exchange of funds is executed smoothly and professionally with close attention to detail.
SPB partner Brian Gordon said:
“We are launching this service to provide a one-stop service for shipowners and offer support for every aspect of a vessel sale or purchase. These include preliminary negotiations, inspection and the due diligence of the vessel, advising on and finalising a Memorandum of Agreement, preparation of documents and vessel for delivery as well as closing of the transaction. In partnering with the Baltic Exchange, an independent and renowned provider of trusted shipping benchmarks, we are able to offer a secure, best-in-class service where we can act in the best interests of shipping clients and provide the high standard of service they deserve.”
The Baltic Exchange Chief Executive Mark Jackson said:
“This partnership will deliver a vessel S&P transaction closing service which is second to none. As an organisation which is owned by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Group and compliant with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) anti-money laundering requirements, users of the service are assured of a high quality and independent escrow support from the Baltic Exchange for their transactions. Secure escrow accounts are maintained with two leading AA-rated banks in Singapore.”
For further details see the Baltic Exchange website.
About Squire Patton Boggs
Squire Patton Boggs is recognised as one of the world’s strongest integrated legal practices, providing insight at the point where law, business and government meet. With more than 1,500 lawyers across over 40 offices on four continents, the firm delivers commercially-focused legal services and invaluable connections on the ground to a diverse mix of clients across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Latin America.
The Commodities & Shipping Group comprises a multidisciplinary team of specialists who advise on all aspects of international trade and shipping, including litigation and advisory aspects of dry and wet shipping and day-to-day issues such as charterparties, bills of lading, marine insurance, sanctions, casualties and major incidents.
For more information, please visit the firm’s Commodities & Shipping page.
About The Baltic Exchange
The Baltic Exchange represents a global community of shipping interests. These include shipowners, charterers and shipbrokers who are collectively responsible for handling a large proportion of the world’s dry cargo and tanker fixtures, freight derivative trades as well as the sale and purchase of merchant vessels.
The Baltic Exchange is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) pursuant to the EU Benchmark Regulation. It is the trusted provider of data for the settlement of physical and derivative freight contracts, underpinning risk management tools for the shipping and transportation markets.
Founded in 1744, the Baltic Exchange is headquartered in London with regional offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Athens, Stamford and Houston.
Baltic Exchange services:
- Daily benchmarks for dry, wet, container and gas freight markets
- OPEX, S&P, ship recycling & forward assessments
- Air cargo assessments
- Escrow and dispute resolution support
- Executive training via the Baltic Academy
- Networking for shipping professionals