Squire Patton Boggs is pleased to announce the appointment of Joel Cockerell as a partner in the firm’s Singapore office and Commodities and Shipping Industry Group. Mr. Cockerell joins from HFW’s Singapore office.

Mr. Cockerell’s arrival follows that of partner Marco Crusafio who joined the firm’s Milan office in June. He becomes the seventh new partner to join the firm’s expanding Commodities & Shipping Industry Group in the past year. They include Kate Sherrard (shipping/asset finance, Singapore), D. Michael Kaye (international trade, Washington DC), Robert Parson (trade finance, London), Ivan Chia (corporate and projects, Singapore), and Hazel Brewer (commodities and shipping disputes, Perth), taking the team to over 30 lawyers.

Mr. Cockerell is a qualified mariner and solicitor who specializes in admiralty work, including vessel casualties, collisions, groundings, salvage, pollution, wreck removal and hull and machinery insurance claims. He also handles charterparty and bill of lading disputes. Prior to qualifying as a solicitor, Mr. Cockerell served for 12 years as an officer with the Royal Australian Navy.

“Joel has an excellent reputation as a leading admiralty lawyer in Singapore and he will strengthen and expand our regional and global shipping capabilities,” commented Barry Stimpson, Singapore office managing partner and co-lead of the Commodities & Shipping Industry Group. “Joel has previously worked with a number of our lawyers and, with his strong track record, Joel will play an important role in the further growth of our Singapore office”.

Chris Swart, co-lead of the firm’s Commodities and Shipping Industry Group, added: “Our group continues to grow exponentially as we develop global ‘best-in-class’ practices to serve the increasing needs of clients. We are excited that Joel has chosen to join the firm, he will be a very welcome addition to our team.”

The firm’s Commodities and Shipping Industry Group provides a full range of legal services on all aspects of international trade and shipping and across all commodity sectors, including advice and assistance with transactions, corporate matters, trade and asset finance, litigation and arbitration, regulatory matters, environmental law, conventional and renewable energy, derivatives and projects.

The firm’s Singapore office opened in January 2012 and has grown to over 30 lawyers, with specialists in all aspects of Commodities & Shipping, International Arbitration, Corporate, Labor and Employment and Intellectual Property.