HBJ Gateley Wareing has today (6th May) announced a proposed merger with leading maritime and commercial law firm Holmes Hardingham, which will build upon its capital presence after the firm entered London in 2007 through its merger with niche shipping firm Shaw and Croft.

HBJ Gateley Wareing and Holmes Hardingham have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which is expected to lead to a merger of the shipping and transport teams of both firms early in June 2008.

The enlarged team will comprise 26 lawyers operating out of Edinburgh, London and Dubai, including 6 current Holmes Hardingham partners and 5 other fee earners who will continue to operate under the name Holmes Hardingham as a division of HBJ Gateley Wareing.

The firm’s London office has doubled in size in the last 12 months and will now comprise 28 fee earners. The growth in London is mirrored by the firm’s commitment to increasing their Glasgow presence, growing the Glasgow team from 1 partner and a total of 9 fee earners in July 2007 to 14 partners and 71 fee earners in May 2008.

Founded in 1989 Holmes Hardingham is a specialist maritime and commercial law firm in the City of London with a strong international reputation in maritime, transport insurance, trade and yacht law. Clients include ship and yacht owners, charterers, P&I Clubs, hull and cargo underwriters, general commercial insurers, goods in transit insurers, recovery agents, transport companies and intermediaries, commodity traders, brokers, dredging contractors, oil companies, trade associations and inspection organisations.

The firm is highly regarded in the shipping and road transport fields and many of its lawyers feature prominently in the key guides to the legal profession. The Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession ranks the firm as pre eminent in UK road transport and carriage sectors acting mainly for national and international underwriters and carriers. In addition, the firm has a leading reputation in yacht and pleasure craft insurance work and a “well established shipping and trading practice, focusing on resolving disputes under GAFTA and FOSFA terms, as well as oil trading contracts, cargo claims, charter parties and bills of lading disputes”.

The international shipping and transport team at HBJ Gateley Wareing provides legal services to the shipping, superyacht, commodity trading, banking, business and insurance communities throughout the world. Clients include shipowners, superyacht owners, salvors, charterers, insurers, traders and banks involved in domestic and international trade as well as in the shipping industry

HBJ Gateley Wareing Senior Partner, Malcolm McPherson, added: “We continue to play to our strengths investing in the best lawyers in the transport sector. Our shipping and transport capability will be enhanced in Edinburgh, London and internationally by the Holmes Hardingham team who have a first-class international reputation in the market. This provides a significant opportunity to offer an integrated, high quality legal service in shipping, aviation, road transport and logistics to meet the demands of our growing global client base.”

Commenting on the merger, Holmes Hardingham Chairman Adrian Hardingham, said: “We are delighted to join HBJ Gateley Wareing to create a top tier international shipping, maritime and multi-modal transport practice. The firm’s national and international capabilities will significantly increase our ability to service shipping, transport and finance clients anywhere in the world as well as allowing us to offer clients a full service advisory service.”