Hill Dickinson
(The following information was supplied by the firm)
Head of office: Damien Laracy (damien.laracy@hilldickinson.com)
Deputy: Bryan O’Hare (bryan.ohare@hilldickinson.com)
Lawyers: 20
Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, French, German
Hill Dickinson offices: London, Singapore, Piraeus, Monaco, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle
Firm Overview
Hill Dickinson Hong Kong is one of the fastest growing international practices in Hong Kong. Over the last five years the firm has doubled in size, increased its client base threefold and developed new practice areas. The firm provides the following services:
Commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution (Damien Laracy, Bryan O’Hare, Yvette Yu)
Commercial cases at all levels in the Hong Kong courts and before specialist tribunals and boards. Mediation. Clients include listed companies, MNCs, SOEs, startups, banks, financial institutions and high net worth individuals.
International arbitration (Damien Laracy, Jim James)
All aspects of arbitration from initial preparations to the enforcement of awards. The majority of lawyers in the firm are engaged on arbitration matters. The team works with third-party funders. Three team members receive arbitrator and mediator appointments.
Insolvency and restructuring (Bryan O’Hare)
Corporate recovery, restructuring, distressed advisory, insolvency and bankruptcy, frequently multi-jurisdictional involving Hong Kong and the Mainland, offshore (usually BVI and Cayman) and global assets. Clients include private and listed companies, shareholders and directors, financial advisors, insolvency appointment holders, licensed banks, financial institutions, asset managers and investment funds.
Shipping and international trade (Damien Laracy, Antony Cowie)
On the contentious side, Admiralty (collisions, salvage, groundings, pollution), carriage of goods (charterparties, contracts of affreightment, bills of lading, cargo loss and damage, dangerous goods), Covid-related delays, supply chain disruption and sanctions; also commodities, documentary credits, conference lines and competition; shipbuilding, conversion and repair.
On the non-contentious side, sale and purchase (particularly super yachts), corporate shipping, shipping finance, ship leasing, ESG and decarbonisation in shipping, escrow arrangements, pooling agreements and joint ventures. Clients include owners, managers, charterers, insurers and P&I clubs, shippers, traders, banks, leasing companies and other financial institutions, brokers and high net worth individuals.
Corporate and commercial (Antony Cowie, YK Chan)
IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity, capital markets, joint ventures, shareholder matters, sale & purchase, ESG, regulatory, virtual assets/crypto-currency, start-ups SMEs, commercial, manufacturing, franchising and licensing, trusts, offshore structures and company secretarial services.
Regulatory and compliance (Yvette Yu)
Corporate compliance advisory for businesses to manage and meet legal and industry-specific regulations and standards, including data security, and to develop and maintain internal policies and practices. The firm advises businesses on handling inquiries and investigations from local and overseas regulators.
Insurance (Jim James)
Non-marine and marine insurance claims and regulatory issues. Acting variously for insurers, insureds and export/import insurance agencies. The team includes a past chairman of The Hong Kong Insurance Law Association.
Employment (Damien Laracy)
Advising businesses, executives and employees across employment, renumeration, discrimination, redundancy, termination and health and safety.
Construction, engineering, property and real estate (Damien Laracy, KM Lam)
Construction and engineering contentious and non-contentious, planning, development, conveyancing and leasing-commercial (residential and leisure).
Korea group (Kelly Kim)
The team handles loan facilities, participation in syndicated lending, bond and share subscriptions, due diligence, joint ventures, distributorship, licensing and corporate compliance. Clients include Korean government authorities, banks, financial institutions, insurers and corporates across the following industry sectors: hotels and resorts, healthcare, fashion, cosmetics, education, the arts, food and beverage.
Notarial (Antony Jex)
The firm provides notarial services.
Directory Accolades
+852 2525 7019 I+852 6020 5096 I antony.cowie@hilldickinson.com
+852 2525 7655 I+852 9768 1531 I bryan.ohare@hilldickinson.com
+852 2525 7528 I +852 6899 6071 I damien.laracy@hilldickinson.com
+852 2525 7538 I +852 6020 6071 I jim.james@hilldickinson.com
+852 2525 7009 I +852 9333 1307 I kelly.kim@hilldickinson.com
+852 2525 7370 I +852 9457 5575 I yk.chan@hilldickinson.com
+852 2525 7238 I +852 9101 0579 I yvette.yu@hilldickinson.com
Individual Accolades
Antony Cowie
The Legal500 (Hong Kong):
Shipping:
Antony Cowie excels at advising clients on corporate and finance-related shipping work, including in the context of ship sale and purchase agreements
Corporate M&A:
Antony Cowie has advised on a number of corporate M&A transactions that I have led. I find him to be tremendously easy to work with. His straightforward, clear-thinking and pragmatic style of advisory means that I can be decisive and drive negotiations in a manner that best suit my principal’s objectives.
Bryan O’Hare
The Legal500 (Hong Kong)
Restructuring and Insolvency:
I worked with Bryan O’Hare and his team at Hill Dickinson Hong Kong on a very complicated and highly sensitive Hong Kong Listed company shareholder dispute and related regulatory and members’ voting issues relating to an AGM. They gave us excellent technical guidance and analysis but importantly critical support to the Board around the clock during a very difficult period and we are very grateful to Bryan and his team.
Bryan O’Hare and his busy team at Hill Dickinson Hong Kong are first class. Bryan is well-known in the Asia commercial disputes and insolvency market. He regularly project manages highly complex cross border commercial and insolvency related disputes usually with multiple stake holders. He is highly responsive, technically excellent and looks for practical solutions to problems faced by Liquidators and often under serious time pressure. My team has worked with Bryan’s team on various liquidation matters over the last few years and our teams have developed a close relationship. His team is fantastic to work with on both a professional and a personal level.
Dispute Resolution:
Bryan O’Hare is very client-focused, highly responsive and commercial. He has support from a team of very competent associates. The team are known experts for all forms of corporate, commercial, financial and insolvency-related disputes.
Top-notch disputes practice. Highly responsive and collaborative even under very tight deadlines. Bryan O’Hare’s project management skills are second-to-none and he is able to keep complicated projects with multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines on track. His affable personality is like the “glue” that keeps everybody onside and focused on their objectives and working towards the end game.
Bryan O’Hare and Damien Laracy are very proactive and ahead of the curve in litigation matters. Soony Tang is a rising star, providing prompt and efficient advice at all stages of the enforcement proceedings.
Chambers & Partner (Global / Great China Region):
Dispute Resolution Litigation:
He has extensive experience, and you get the sense he’s seen it all before when you discuss a new matter with him; he has a nice style and is very easy to work with, but he’s also comfortable taking an aggressive stance on behalf of the liquidators where required.”
“Bryan demonstrated real leadership skills during this highly pressured time, managing a large team and ensuring that strict deadlines were met whilst not losing sight of the overall strategy, nor quality or cost.
Damien Laracy
The Legal500 (Hong Kong)
Shipping:
The ‘incredibly well regarded‘ Damien Laracy is equally adept at handling wet and dry shipping cases, and is sought after for advice on ship mortgage enforcement and ship arrests.
Litigation:
Damien Laracy and his team at Hill Dickinson are working on four pieces of complicated litigation for my company involving parties in the US, Germany, Singapore, China and Hong Kong. In the main litigation in Hong Kong he successfully repelled an injunction application by the Defendant seeking to stay one set of proceedings we commenced there. We were then awarded indemnity costs. Damien is very responsive, no matter what time or day it is, and his commercial litigation experience and expertise have proved invaluable for us. I have no hesitation in recommending Damien for complex international commercial litigation work.
Damien Laracy is a reliable and responsive problem solver. I turn to him on occasions when I need the advice of a solid litigator with ample experience with commercial disputes when I believe this is in my client’s best interest. In recent years Damien has provided wise and swift counsel in a diverse range of matters. As examples, he has advised on and assisted with stock exchange regulatory issues, insolvency work, the delicate merger of two professional services firms, and a potential claim for defamation. As a fellow lawyer, it is that wide range of skills and experience that I appreciate. Damien is an expert in his field, and cross-over clients have complimented him on his timely and practical advice.
Damien Laracy and his team in Hong Kong assist us with our commercial litigation needs there. Their advice is always pragmatic and prompt and we will certainly return to Damien and his team as the need arises.
Bryan O’Hare and Damien Laracy are very proactive and ahead of the curve in litigation matters. Soony Tang is a rising star, providing prompt and efficient advice at all stages of the enforcement proceedings.’
Chambers & Partners (Greater China Region)
Band 2 – Shipping; Litigation – Global
Band 5 – Dispute Resolution – Global
Shipping:
Damien Laracy is well regarded for his broad shipping litigation practice, advising ship owners and insurers on matters regarding sanction implications, charter party claims and cargo disputes. He is noted for being “a very switched-on lawyer with an excellent perception of the matter.”
Dispute Resolution Litigation:
Damien Laracy of Hill Dickinson LLP remains active on a range of contentious matters, including the enforcement of interim measures, asset recovery and shareholder disputes. A client considers him a “great lawyer to work with,” singling him out as “very accurate and able to act extremely fast, while managing to add humour when needed or appropriate, which is very pleasant.”
Jim James
The Legal500 (Hong Kong)
2010-2014 – Leading Individual – Shipping – China: Foreign Firm
2016-2017 – Senior Statesperson – Shipping: Litigation
Prior to being named a Senior Statesperson, ranked in Band 1
Shipping:
I have known Jim James for more than ten years. We have worked together a number of high-profile casualties, and I have always been impressed by his profound professional knowledge, clear advice and prompt feedback. He really is a prominent lawyer in shipping, with a deep knowledge of the mainland China.
As a practising Hong Kong barrister, I have known and worked with Jim James over a period of many years. Jim James is a first-class dispute resolution lawyer. He has a wealth of experience in resolving disputes in Hong Kong by both arbitration and litigation. He has particular expertise in shipping and commercial disputes built up over a distinguished career.
His preparation of cases is extremely thorough, and he always pays great attention to detail. At the same time, he has an in-depth understanding of the commercial needs of his clients.
I have worked with Jim James on casualty work in the PRC. I found him to be a diligent and experienced colleague, whose collaborative approach enabled us both to produce first class results for our clients.
Mr Jim James and his team have been providing legal service to our company for many years. It’s a satisfying experience to have Mr James and his team involving in those transactions. They have shown very high professional standard and their swift, proactive and professional performance is very impressive. Both myself and my colleagues are very happy to have Mr James’ assistance in our business.
Chambers & Partner (Global / Great China Region):
2021-2017 – Band 5 – Dispute Resolution (Litigation) – China
2021-2017 – Senior Statesperson – Shipping Litigation
Prior to being named a Senior Statesperson, ranked in Band 1
Dispute Resolution (International Firms):
Jim James is known for his in-depth expertise in shipping disputes, with additional strengths in fraud and recovery actions. One market source affirms that “he has plenty of experience.”
Shipping Litigation:
Jim James is a well-regarded lawyer who has over 35 years’ experience in various jurisdictions in Asia. He is a litigator and arbitrator with significant expertise in the field of shipping.
Kelly Kim
The Legal500 (Hong Kong)
Banking / Korea:
This year, Wooribank’s corporate banking team successfully closed multiple deals with the help of Kelly Kim and her team at Hill Dickinson. Ever since working with Kelly, I’ve always felt that she is different. I can feel that she and her team care about every party’s position and are able to adopt a win-win strategy in order to provide the right solution and to address the issues in each transaction. Hill Dickinson has thorough knowledge and deep understanding in the Banking practice and provides well-tailored advice to us. We look forward to continuing to work with Kelly and Hill Dickinson as our legal partner.
Hill Dickinson and Kelly Kim’s team are excellent. They are calm and very responsive with extensive knowledge of the debt market. They are very helpful in processing the deal! Thank you so much.
Hill Dickinson (Kelly Kim and her team) has proven to be prepared to advise us in a multi-national deal by leading and managing counsels from different jurisdictions. The team Hill Dickinson offered fast and reasonable solutions that are satisfactory to both us and our client throughout the deal. We would be happy to work with them again in the future.
Kelly Kim exceed expectations in her performance as the Korean Consulate’s advisory lawyer over the past year. In particular, during Covid-19, Kelly responded very well as an expert to the issue of discrimination in the retirement process of Korean employees working at an airline in Hong Kong, and both the employees and our office are very impressed. Consulate’s advisory lawyer is virtually close to volunteering without high remuneration, but she is always active and positive, helping the consulate and resolving the difficulties faced by Korean residents in Hong Kong. Her dedication and expertise are essential for the Korean community in Hong Kong. Once again, I express my gratitude for her passion this year..
Yvette Yu
The Legal500 (Hong Kong)
Dispute Resolution Litigation:
Bird Marella has worked closely with our colleagues at Hill Dickinson’s Hong Kong offices for some time. We have found their attorneys to be experienced, knowledgeable and highly professional in all aspects of our collaborations. In each instance they have provided our clients with creative, insightful, and very effective advice. In particular I have worked most recently with Yvette Yu and Nicole Wong. Their work with us has impressed us with their diligence and thoroughness.
Firm Accolades
The Legal500 (Hong Kong)
Shipping:
‘Hill Dickinson Hong Kong has an outstanding shipping disputes team comprising of experienced lawyers advising on both wet and dry cases.’
‘They are, collectively, responsive, well-informed, astute tacticians, and very good value in comparison to some others against whom they might compete. They are an attractive offering for any client.’
‘The team is very responsive, user-friendly, and cost-effective. They are willing to respect the views from the clients, and discuss the issues.’
Dispute Resolution:
‘Solid local team with good quality local practice combined with good referrals from overseas.’
‘The HD team is highly regarded and now firmly established in the market for handling large, complicated and high-value disputes usually with cross-border aspects. It has particular experience handling large shareholder disputes including advising boards of listed companies in relation to corporate governance and regulatory matters.’
‘I find the Hill Dickinson Hong Kong disputes team has a very good understanding of the issues faced by clients. They are quick on the uptake and provide pragmatic solutions. Their advice is practical and achievable in the best interest of the client.’
‘Efficient, effective, and commercially minded, the HD HK team are a pleasure to work with.’
Chambers & Partners (Asia-Pacific Region)
Shipping:
One client notes that Hill Dickinson “possesses the ideal number of shipping law partners to cover the full gamut of shipping issues in depth.”
Key Contacts
Head of Hong Kong Office
Damien Laracy
damien.laracy@hilldickinson.com
Deputy head of Hong Kong Office
Bryan O'Hare
bryan.ohare@hilldickinson.com
Firm Rankings
Shipping
Band 2
8.0
Shipping: Litigation
Band 2
8.0
Lawyer Rankings
Articles
Bryan O’Hare, commercial and insolvency disputes partner in the Hong Kong Office, and his team, Pui Yip Leung (associate) and Wing Lui (trainee), are acting for the Debtor/Respondent in the highly anticipated upcoming appeal to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (CFA) which will be heard by a full Court comprising five Judges on […]
Hong Kong legislature has recently passed the Mainland Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance, hoped to come into force in 2023. The new Ordinance should greatly assist litigants in Hong Kong in enforcing civil and commercial judgments against assets in Mainland China, via a simple registration process. This development continues the welcome […]
The price cap policy for Russian crude oil became effective on 5 December 2022. This has major implications for service providers involved in the maritime transportation of that product. The price cap The price cap has been set at US$60 per barrel by an international coalition. It includes the G7 – USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan […]
Since 2019 there has been a ‘Mutual Arrangement’ in place between Hong Kong and Mainland China to facilitate the enforcement in Mainland China of Hong Kong judgments – and vice versa. However, that Arrangement has had only limited effect due to stringent applicability requirements. They include a requirement that the relevant underlying commercial contract needed […]
Much has been written recently about perceived changes in the application of criminal law and national security law in Hong Kong. Those issues are not addressed in this article. Rather, there is an impending development in Hong Kong commercial law that demonstrates that Hong Kong continues to adopt established global commercial law practices and conventions. That […]
We understand that there is substantial interest in the policy to cap Russian oil prices, as agreed by the G7 economies (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada), and are pleased to provide the following information on the subject: 1. G7 statement on the price cap & prohibition of services related to maritime transportation […]
Introduction A recent Civil Ruling by Mainland China’s Supreme People’s Court (in proceedings commenced in the Shanghai Maritime Court) confirms that judgments and orders of the English High Court can be recognised and enforced in Mainland China. In a nutshell, in this recent decision, the Shanghai Maritime Court had to decide: Whether there was reciprocity […]
Landmark judgment from Hong Kong Court of Appeal on the effect of exclusive jurisdiction clauses in insolvency proceedings The Hong Kong commercial and insolvency disputes team acted for the successful appellant in Guy Kwok-Hung Lam -v- Tor Asia Credit Master Fund LP CACV 393/2021 [2022] HKCA 1297. On 30 August 2022, the Court of Appeal delivered a […]
Introduction Why introduce ORFSA in Hong Kong? Until recently, Solicitors in Hong Kong were prohibited from charging outcome related fees in arbitration. On 17 December 2020, the Outcome Related Fee Structures for Arbitration Sub-committee of the Law Reform Commission (Sub-committee) published a consultation paper proposing changes to the law in Hong Kong to enable lawyers […]
The Hong Kong commercial and insolvency disputes team acted for the successful appellant in Guy Kwok-Hung Lam -v- Tor Asia Credit Master Fund LP CACV 393/2021 [2022] HKCA 1297. On 30 August 2022, the Court of Appeal delivered a judgment dismissing a bankruptcy petition against the bankrupt debtor (the appellant) on the basis there […]
The facts The claimant C was a company carrying on business as an owner and operator of satellites. The claimant D was a company carrying on business as a satellite operator in Asia Pacific. On 15 December 2011, C and D entered into a co-operation agreement for the development and building of satellite A, which […]
With more employees working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, the rise in email and cyber fraud scams has been appalling. Civil court proceedings can often assist victims in tracing and recovering their wrongfully stolen funds. However, these proceedings are highly time-sensitive, and email scam victims should pay close attention to the following legal issues […]
For an agent to receive a commission payment under an agency contract, the agent may need to demonstrate that they were the ‘effective cause’ of the completed transaction. Arguments about agents’ commission payments typically arise when a transaction is dealt with by several agents but only one of whom was the effective cause of the […]
Executive Summary In this article we provide an overview of the noteworthy developments in competition law in the years 2020 and 2021, including the Competition Commission’s issuance of (i) the first infringement notices; (ii) the first pecuniary penalty judgement; (iii) the first disqualification order; (iv) the first proceedings under the Second Conduct Rule; and (v) […]
Introduction In many developed common law legal systems (eg England and Wales, Canada, South Africa, Ireland), the local civil courts would not enforce, whether directly or indirectly, a foreign penal law, revenue/tax law and public law of another state, since to do so would amount to an assertion of sovereign authority by one state within […]
It is common practice to include liquidated damages clauses in a commercial contract, which acts as a pre-estimation of loss so as to provide in advance a fixed sum to be paid by way of compensation. Liquidated damages clauses may be triggered when a party to a contract is in breach of its contractual obligations. […]
The Hong Kong Personal Data Privacy Ordinance (PDPO) Amendment Bill was passed Wednesday 29 Sept 2021 (the Amendment(s)). Essentially, the Amendments cover doxxing and broader direct powers of the data privacy commissioner. Doxxing Doxxing in its broadest form relates to disclosing personal data without consent. The Amendment replaces the existing language of Art 62(2) of […]
Introduction This article examines the meaning of the phrase ‘obviously wrong’ in the context of obtaining leave to appeal an arbitral award under English and Hong Kong law. In Hong Kong, Schedule 2 of the Arbitration Ordinance Cap.609 enables those that have expressly opted in to include by reference provisions contained in Schedule 2 into […]
On 16 September 2021, the Hong Kong Court made an unprecedented ruling by recognising, for the first time, proceedings for the reorganisation of the HNA Group Co Limited (‘Company‘) commenced in Mainland China under the Mainland Enterprise Bankruptcy Law (‘Mainland Reorganisation Proceedings’) (Re HNA Group Co Limited [2021] HKCFI 2897). This will be a very welcome […]
Litigating to recover money is a long and burdensome process, and it gets worse if a win in court does not translate to getting your money back. A good litigation strategy plans backwards from an ideal end game. In this article, we explore how judgments, arbitral awards and liquidation processes can be recognised and enforced […]
China’s new personal information privacy law (PIPL) becomes effective on 1 November 2021. It significantly alters the regional and global privacy landscape, and its significance will likely be more apparent after having read this article. The readiness anxiety generated by the impending effectiveness of the GDPR in May 2018 seems fairly recent. The GDPR caused […]
Abstract If the principal office of the offshore company is situated in Mainland China, the Mainland courts may be empowered to recognise and enforce foreign arbitral awards in accordance with the New York Convention. The relevant test to determine the ‘principal office of the offshore company’ is whether there is evidence to prove that the […]
In a very recent and important decision in Tam Sze Leung and Others -v- Commissioner of Police (25/01/2022, HCAL191/2021) [2022] HKCFI 309, the Court of First Instance found that the longstanding practice of the Hong Kong Police Force (the HKPF) informally freezing suspected bank accounts by issuing no consent letters (LNCs) to banks and financial institutions in […]
In a recent decision in the case of Arjowiggins HKK2 LTD -v- X Co, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance set aside an award on the grounds that an order made by the tribunal in a final award was beyond the parties’ pleadings. This is very significant, not only because the pro-arbitration and pro-enforcement approach […]
Chinese investor succeeded in investment arbitration against Nigeria: Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd -v- Federal Republic of Nigeria, ad hoc Arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules in London, Final Award dated 26 March 2021 and published on 27 January 2022. In Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. -v- Federal Republic of Nigeria, the London-seated arbitral tribunal, presided by […]
Introduction A recent Civil Ruling by Mainland China’s Supreme People’s Court (in proceedings commenced in the Shanghai Maritime Court) confirms that judgments and orders of the English High Court can be recognised and enforced in Mainland China. In a nutshell, in this recent decision, the Shanghai Maritime Court had to decide: Whether there was reciprocity […]
Introduction As has been widely reported in the media, there has been a period of considerable stress in the real estate sector in Mainland China with a number of high-profile property developers having reportedly either already defaulted on onshore and offshore bond repayments or are on the verge of a payment default. The current credit […]
Re Hong Kong Fresh Water International Group Ltd [2022] HKCFI 924 We have previously reported on interesting and significant developments in cross-border insolvency mechanisms for mutual recognition and assistance between Hong Kong Courts and Mainland China Courts (‘Cooperation Mechanism’) (see our earlier article: First letter of request from Mainland China to Hong Kong for recognition and assistance […]
In May 2022, our Hong Kong commercial and insolvency disputes resolution team, led by Bryan O’Hare, authored the Hong Kong section of the 2022 edition of ‘Getting the Deal Through – Dispute Resolution’. This publication provides succinct international expert analysis in key areas of law, practice, and regulation for corporate counsel, cross-border legal practitioners and company […]
Hong Kong has moved closer towards implementing a statutory adjudication regime for the construction industry. Legislation exists for the construction industry in the United Kingdom and in six other jurisdictions to enable sub-contractors and other parties to obtain payment for their work and services. The legislation provides a procedure for resolving claims and for the […]
Introduction Hong Kong has moved yet another step closer towards implementing a statutory adjudication regime for security of payment in the construction industry. As readers will know, legislation already exists in the United Kingdom and in six other jurisdictions to enable sub-contractors and other parties in the construction industry to obtain payment for their work […]
Container freight rates and availability: with freight rates subject to volatile markets and ongoing disruption, is pricing uncertainty the new norm? Fewer industries by comparison have seen such fluctuations in demand for and supply of its services as container shipping since the implementation of COVID-19 lockdowns globally in the first quarter of 2020. The lockdowns […]
In the drive to decarbonise shipping much of the focus centres on reducing carbon emissions created on board vessels, reinforcing a perception that shipping only happens at sea and overlooking the critically important role of ports in supply chains and their associated responsibilities in relation to decarbonisation. Ports are vital in the shipping chain and, […]
Press Releases
Hill Dickinson Hong Kong wins recognition for Shipping and Dispute Resolution in first Chambers 2023 Greater China guide Law firm Hill Dickinson’s Hong Kong office has received recognition for both its Shipping and Disputes Resolution practices in Chambers and Partners’ Greater China Region Guide 2023. Published on 13 January 2023, the firm achieves Band 3 ranking for Shipping: […]