Clyde & Co has ‘one of, if not the, most experienced and user-friendly teams‘ and clients describe it as legally thorough, tactically astute, with phenomenal client care‘. It is ‘one of the go-to firms for all the major companies in commodities disputes, and it has the size and experience capable of managing them in a first rate manner‘. Commodities specialist Marko Kraljevic leads a deep bench of talent, in which Hatty Sumption is ‘an extremely intelligent, diligent lawyer who always strives to understand the clients’ commercial needs‘. Among the other key partners are commodities arbitration specialist Michael Swangard; John Whittaker who handles trading disputes for for commodity and natural resources companies; commodities and dry shipping partner Eurof Lloyd-Lewis, who is ‘extremely diligent and detailed in his approach‘; international commercial disputes partner Eleanor Coates (who is ‘a great lawyer with great tactical judgment‘); ‘very diligent and efficient‘ energy, marine and natural resources partner Will Trustram; newly promoted partner Tara Smith; and consultant Clare Hatcher.

HFW is known for ‘excellence in delivering practical and actionable advice across the team, particularly in respect of physical seaborne commodities‘. The firm has a stellar roster of clients, among the  BP Oil, Louis Dreyfus, Goldman Sachs and Vitol. Alistair Feeney, who is ‘clever, calm, and presents his advice clearly and succinctly‘, leads the practice, which features a deep bench of talent. Damian Honey, whose broad portfolio of work for commodity traders, producers, financiers and insurers includes sales and disputes, ‘provides pragmatic, commercial advice‘. He represented Vitol as claimant in a case concerning the breach of an SPA for the sale and purchase of propane. Standout litigator Brian Perrott acted for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in a high-value matter arising from the the collapse of high-profile bunker trading house Hin Leong and associated companies. Judith Prior has ‘vast knowledge of commodities arbitration, particularly in the sugar business‘. International commodity trade and shipping specialist Sarah Taylor, up-and-coming partner Michael Buffham and ‘reliable, thorough and organised‘ senior associate Stephanie Morton also play pivotal roles in the practice.

Hill Dickinson LLP has 'superb knowledge of the commodity industry'. Its work spans all underlying markets, including grains, seeds, cocoa, sugar, a vast array of energy products, and both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. 'His commerciality are unrivalled in the market and he has led the growth and development of a young partnership and workforce with big ambitions and the skills to match', say clients of practice head Jeff Isaacs, who excels in sugar-related matters. Trading specialist Paul Taylor is 'a brilliant lawyer, with great eye for detail and a master tactician'. Highly recommended among the firm's large pool of talent deep bench also are Darren Wall, who frequently handles sugar matters; energy sector specialist Mark Aspinall; and senior associate Amy Walmsley, who is 'a rising star in the department who shows judgement beyond her years and is a force to be reckoned with'.

Reed Smith LLP is a go-to practice for some of the most sophisticated and substantial commodities disputes in the market, whether acting on behalf of major international banks, commodities trading houses, oil companies or a host of other market participants. Its work encompasses major international arbitrations before bodies such as the ICC and LCIA, as well as trade associations such as GAFTA, FOSFA, ICA, and RSA. The London energy and natural resources group, led by experienced litigator Andrew Meads, handles cases relating to a vast array of underlying commodities, including sugar and other softs, metals, oil and LNG. Richard Swinburn, Vassia Payiataki, Paul Skeet and up-and-coming partner Elizabeth Farrell are all highly respected litigators. Kyri Evagora, who recently returned to London from Singapore, is widely recognised as one of the leading lawyers in the market for international commodity disputes. Frances Furness left to join Saudi Aramco.

Stephenson Harwood has a major presence in the energy, metals and minerals sectors, in which it advises major trading houses, oil majors and refining companies, and mining groups. More recently, the firm has become more active in soft commodities, and it counts traders, food producers and other multi-national corporates among its clients. 'Service from the firm is really outstanding: quick response, deep knowledge of the market and great authority in the legal issues involved', remark clients. Haris Zografakis, who has vast experience in hard, soft and energy commodities, leads the practice. The 'very focused and efficient' Emma Skakle has a market-leading reputation in agricultural commodities. Peter Bennett is 'always available, reliable and effective, and conducts all the trial phases with precision and appropriateness'. Jonathan Spearing, who is highly regarded for commodity financing fraud cases, 'provides concise and pragmatic legal advice'.

Specialist commodities and international trade firm Mills & Co in Newcastle competes strongly with London firms for key roles in commodities disputes, and it frequently acts for major trading houses, among them Vitol. The firm focuses on both shipping and commodities law, so handles claims arising under both charterparties and sale contracts. Clients describe 'a very practical firm in terms of availability, delivery, advice and billing'. The key partners are Neville Hopper (who is 'very good in considering matters comprehensively and describing the risks involved') and Jonathan Green, who frequently handles LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA, Sugar, LCIA and ICC arbitrations, as well as High Court proceedings. Hopper recently acted for the chairman of an appeal board in an arbitration subject to the rules of the Federation of Cocoa Commerce, who was named as a defendant to High Court proceedings by a party challenging an FCC Appeal Award.

Norton Rose Fulbright has 'fantastic knowledge of the market, very hands-on, involved in many of the leading cases, well-resourced teams'. EMEA head of disputes Patrick Bourke oversees the world of commodities litigators. Among them are key partner Holly Stebbing who worked with senior associate India Furse to defend ExxonMobil, which was co-defendant with Shell U.K. Limited and BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, in a £440m Commercial Court proceedings brought by Apache North Sea Limited exceeding. Both are 'stars in the making'.  In oil and gas disputes, the firm advises some of the world's largest multi-nationals and the team is 'smart, clever, commercial and completely on top of their game'. Ruth Cowley, Antony Corsi, international arbitration specialist James Rogers and commercial litigator Harriet Jones-Fenleigh also play pivotal roles in commodities disputes. James Rogers moved to Jenner & Block LLP.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is known for ‘speed, availability, wide legal knowledge, and pragmatism‘. The firm’s international trade and commodities group is known for its presence in commodities, shipping and trade finance matters, with its work spanning soft commodities, metals, mining, and oil and gas. ‘Availability and approachability are key selling points of the firm and he is a standout example‘, say clients of George Mingay, who leads the practice with vastly experienced shipping and commodities partner Mark Sachs. The have recently acted for numerous of soft commodity clients on GAFTA and FOSFA arbitration proceedings in arbitration and in respect of related litigation and potential challenges under the Arbitration Act 1996.

Litigation boutique Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP is unlike other firms in the ranking in that is has no role on the transactional side of physical or financial commodities trades, but its energy and natural resources disputes group is frequently involved in high-value contentious matters. Its role in energy, mining and construction disputes, along with its work on competition law matters and corporate investigations for leading trading houses and companies in the extractive industries, gives the practice led by Ted Greeno an in-depth understanding of commodities markets, including onshore and offshore oil and gas, mining, power, renewables and alternative energy, as well as downstream oil and gas agreements, long-term gas and LNG supply agreements and the trading of metals and minerals.

Schjodt LLP, the London office of Scandinavia's largest Magic Circle law firm, climbs the ranking this year. It has an experienced commodities group that frequently handles large and complex disputes in the Commercial Court and in London arbitration. The team centres on Carl Walker, who is a key adviser to two of the world's largest commodities trading houses. Walker recently assisted Glencore International with pursuing a recovery of debts totalling over €14m owed by the Cameroon state-owned oil company Societe Nationale de Raffinage (Sonara). Practice head Jeremy Biggs, who handles both shipping and commodities matters, acted for commodities trading company Trafigura in a $76m letter of indemnity claim relating to the arrest of the vessel Miracle Hope, relating to a claim for the misdelivery of a high-value crude oil cargo. Former practice head Will Marshall left to join Angelicoussis Group.

Watson Farley & Williams LLP frequently handles cross-border disputes in the commodities sector. Rob Fidoe regularly handles arbitration on behalf of multinationals in the energy, infrastructure and international trade sectors. Clients describe Fidoe as ‘calm and collected, a good strategist who is able to guide clients through difficult disputes‘. He acted for trading company JE Energy in a multimillion-dollar oil trading dispute with Vitol SA in a matter that has since gone to the Court of Appeal.  Key partner Andrew Hutcheon, who handles contentious matters in the commodities, mining, oil & gas, shipping and aviation sectors, ‘goes the extra mile to understand new business concepts and to give wise counsel‘. He was part of a team that acted for Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Fund in matters arising from the administration of Bulb Energy.

The disputes practice at litigation boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP is 'a dynamic force able to deliver results for clients'. The firm is increasingly active in commodities disputes, among recent examples being two FOSFA arbitrations, and the defense of an award rendered in an International Cotton Association arbitration. Sinead O’Callaghan and Mikhail Vishnyakov are the key partners, In 2022, the firm hired Jon Felce and Natalie Todd from specialist fraud firm PCB Byrne LLP, who are both 'excellent litigators with a close eye to detail, a strong strategic sense and very strong analytical skills'.  Their expertise in civil fraud, enforcement, asset recovery and banking litigation is frequently called upon for commodities cases.

At DLA Piper, 'the legal team is very professional and addressed the technicality and legal aspects needed'. The firm joins the ranking due to the expertise of commodities litigation specialist Linos Choo, who acts for some of the largest energy and commodities houses in the world. He also represents most banks in international trade and shipping disputes and has specialist knowledge in the area international trade finance and letter of credit disputes. He 'understands the legal issues and helps to resolve differences with clients' counterparties'. He recently handled a high-profile alleged cargo smuggling dispute in the Commercial Court.

DWF is known for ‘industry knowledge and high levels of partner attention‘. The firm is best known for its successes in large international arbitrations and its expertise in cross-border disputes involving ports and terminals, cargo contamination, fires, explosions and casualties. London managing partner Jonathan Moss is head of marine and trade, which is part of David Abbott‘s global risks group, as well as leading the shipping and commodities practices. Moss is ‘a very experienced practitioner with top industry knowledge‘. He recently assisted Gulf Petroleum with the recovery of outstanding sums, $18m in one matter and €5.5m in another, arising from various contracts for international commodities trades. He frequently defends international commodities disputes arising out of collateral management agreements for major commodities trading companies. Antony Woodhouse focuses on Bermuda Form Arbitration.

Jackson Parton Solicitors is 'a small boutique firm with great dedication', focusing on all issues arising out of shipping industry, which includes high-value and complex disputes in arbitration under LMAA, LCIA, ICC rules, as well as High Court and Appellate Court proceedings involving commodities. Managing partner Andrew Patrinos, the 'very supportive' Nicholas Parton and the 'smart, clear and pleasant to deal with' Alexander Askew are the principal partners in the practice. 'They know international trade in agricultural products inside out', remarks one client. Jonathan Clyne is highly regarded for shipping matters and also plays a complementary role in commodities disputes.

Squire Patton Boggs is ‘excellent for international arbitration in shipping and commodity trading‘ and one clients notes that ‘the lawyers are very experienced and are able to connect the legal side of things with commercial considerations and practices‘. Chris Swart in London and Barry Stimpson in Singapore lead firm’s the commodities and shipping group, which was formed in 2019 and has since grown to 30 fee earners across its international network. They frequently act for the world’s largest commodity trading companies, as well as leading banks and alternative financiers, in matters concerning the international sale and transportation of commodities and related contracts; contracts for the storage and blending/processing of commodities; and arbitration proceedings including GAFTA, FOSFA, MAA, ICC, LCIA SIAC, HKIAC, RSA and related global enforcement actions. The team provides ‘professional, constructive and helpful advice‘.

Wikborg Rein‘s shipping and offshore sector group, in which the commodities team resides, is best known for its work in the LNG sector, though it also handles disputes concerning agricultural commodities and alternative fuels. Practice head Chris Grieveson (who is ‘cool under pressure and knows how to build an attractive and robust case‘) plays a key role in the firm’s commodities work but the standout practitioner is up-and-coming partner Eleanor Midwinter, who is ‘an absolute star, incredibly responsive and commercial‘. Midwinter, who has significantly grown the firm’s work in soft commodities, recently advised a sustainable building materials enterprise in connection with disputes under a trading contract for by-products from fossil fuelled power stations.