Ex-ship captain Mark Johnson has been appointed a partner at expanding marine law firm Haynes and Boone.
The transactional expert joins in London from Reed Smith.
The company said Johnson has extensive experience advising on the construction, sale and purchase, financing, management, operation and ownership of all types of vessels.
His clients range from major banks and oil companies to shipowners, leasing companies and shipyards.
Simon Curtis, senior partner at Haynes and Boone, said: “Mark’s considerable maritime and legal experience gained over 20 years will add significantly to the existing shipping practice of our London office."
Johnson said he was drawn to Haynes and Boone by the reputation of its shipping practice.
“In Simon Curtis, you have the person who literally wrote the book on shipbuilding contracts, and the firm has so many excellent complementary practices, including litigation, arbitration, and restructuring,” he added.
Johnson served 13 years in the UK navy, with a wide variety of posts including boarding office, navigating officer, and exchange officer to the Dutch navy.
He also served as a captain of a patrol boat through 2005 and 2006.
“The culture is similar to my previous employment in the Royal Navy, where one is a part of something bigger than oneself and success is achieved by working as a team for a common objective,” Mark said.
He added: “That ethos is important and in the legal sector can enable an external counsel to become a real member of the client’s team working to successfully achieve the client’s goals.”
Since Haynes and Boone entered the London market in 2016 by merging with Curtis Davis Garrard, it has hired lawyers from many established firms, more than doubling the London office’s partner headcount.
