Hill Dickinson's head of global shipping Julian Clark has joined Ince in a major coup for the law firm.
Ince, which was bought by Gordon Dadds earlier this year, said Clark will be its new senior partner.
The experienced lawyer will focus on "further cementing Ince’s position as a global leader in shipping law", as well as working with the present team to develop Ince’s and the wider group’s legal services worldwide.
It described Clark as a well-known and highly respected figure in the shipping industry, with more than 30 years of experience in litigation, arbitration and mediation.
He specialises in marine, trade and energy dispute resolution, as well as piracy, e-commerce and cyber crime, security and terrorism issues in the shipping sector.
Adrian Biles, chief executive of the Ince Group, said: “At Ince we are determined to assemble the best global shipping team in the market, with Julian being a significant addition to what is already an industry leading team.
“Julian is a seasoned and respected lawyer, whose influence and standing in the shipping and legal industry is second to none. He brings with him a wealth of experience and deep industry knowledge that will be invaluable as we look to continue building on our enviable heritage and position in the shipping market."
Moderniser moves on
Clark is credited with revitalising Hill Dickinson over the last two years.
Like the former Ince & Co, it was viewed as old fashioned and not having acted quickly enough to modernise and adapt to a slump in traditional shipping instructions.
But Clark, a former founding partner of boutique outfit Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC), told Hill Dickinson directors that they needed to grow fast to survive and was backed by the board.
He has since hired more than 20 lawyers around the world and expanded the range of work and volume of instructions that Hill Dickinson handled.
Former HFW partner Clark, a keen amateur musician, said on Friday: “It was a great honour to lead the team at Hill Dickinson, and I am proud of what I achieved during my time with the firm.
"However, the offer not only to join but take up the role of senior partner with what has always been regarded as the global leader in shipping, international trade and commerce law; is an opportunity and challenge not to be missed."
He added: “The Ince name is an icon of the industry and I believe that the combination of my management experience, vision and recent leading activity in the e-commerce and cyber fields will be exactly what the firm needs to continue its growth trajectory long term.
“I look forward to working with the team and further strengthening Ince’s position in the market, positioning us as the trend setter for legal and business advice.”
TradeWinds reported in April that competitors had raised questions over his approach at Hill Dickinson, suggesting that expansion in a shrinking market was not the most sensible way forward.
Clark told TradeWinds at the time that his business plan was based on a longer-term view on how the law market is changing.
“I have a personal view that law is changing rapidly — not just shipping, but the whole practice," he said. "Certainly in the shipping markets in the future — and I’m thinking in 10 years' time — the only firms left in existence will be either small firms or big firms, and when I say big firms I mean bigger than us.”
