Masseys LLP's expertise includes international sales of goods, letters of credit and collections facilities, bills of exchange, bills of lading and commodities disputes as well as shipping disputes. Masseys has particular strengths in quality/contamination, charter-party and bill of lading disputes in both "dry" commodities such as grains, metals and bulk electronic components and "wet" commodities such as oil, chemicals and petroleum products.
Masseys also has substantial experience in relation to associated trade finance disputes including letters of credit, bills of exchange and documents against acceptance transactions. Trade and commodities disputes are particularly amenable to rapid, cost-effective resolution through carefully tailored solutions whether by early ADR/commercial settlement or by using the flexibility of the arbitral process.
Masseys has wide-ranging experience of trade and commodities disputes in High Court proceedings, GAFTA, LCIA, LMAA and other arbitrations and through ADR and informal dispute resolution.
Masseys' Partner, Gerald Cooke, practised trade and commodities disputes work for 8 years with Hill Dickinson and then for over 18 years at Baker & McKenzie where he was an international partner. Gerald Cooke has wide experience of commodities disputes both in relation to wet and dry cargoes. He has advised oil and gas producers and traders on both their international sales disputes and on disputes involving the carriage of crude end product. Gerald Cooke's dry cargo work has included metals, grains and edible oils disputes. He also has substantial experience advising banks and traders on the finance of trade and has also advised on disputes concerning freight futures and derivatives.
Masseys' Partner, Sean Upson, practised trade and commodities disputes work at Baker & McKenzie for 11 years in London and Sydney. Sean Upson's experience has included claims arising from the French rejection of Canadian grain containing GMO, force majeure claims arising from default under pitch contracts due to the 2001/2002 Californian energy crisis, and various claims arising from the import of bulk electronic parts into the UK, Dubai, India and Singapore. Sean Upson is a qualified Solicitor-Advocate, and a member of the LCIA.
Masseys’ Partner, Philip Young, practised trade and commodities disputes work for 8 years at Baker & McKenzie in London and Hong Kong, preceded by 2 years at Hill Taylor Dickinson. Philip has wide experience of trade finance and commodities disputes including disputes over the quality and quantity of goods, non-delivery and non-acceptance of goods, presentation of documents under letters of credit, L/C fraud, enforcing rights in bills of lading and carriage of goods by air. Philip has spoken at various of the International Institute of Banking Law and Practice (IIBLP)’s 2 day long trade finance banking seminars including: Hong Kong (in 2004); Brussels (in 2005); Prague (in 2006) and Vienna (in 2007). In May 2007 Philip spoke at the International Chamber of Commerce’s Second Global Conference on Bank Guarantees in Vienna and will be speaking at the same event in 2008. Philip is a qualified Solicitor-Advocate.
Gerald Cooke and Sean Upson were the prime movers behind Baker & McKenzie's trade and commodities practice which commended them and stated in the 2004 edition of The Legal 500 that:
"Gerald Cooke's three-partner practice at Baker & McKenzie covers trade finance, contaminated cargo claims and metal trading disputes...the group acted in a major arbitration for Samsung relating to the import of bulk component".
In the 2007 edition of The Legal 500 the following was stated:
"The highly experienced Gerald Cooke advises producers and traders of oil and gas, as well as handling dry cargo work in metals and softs. He and the ‘first-class’ Sean Upson represent major commodities houses and often appear in trade association and High Court proceedings."