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Portrait ofAndrew Horton

Andrew Horton

Partner

Lau, Horton & Wise LLP, in Association with CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong LLP
8th Floor, Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Road Central,
Hong Kong
Languages English

Andrew has over 25 years of experience in litigating and arbitrating all types of disputes, with particular expertise in shipping and international trade. Areas of expertise include bills of lading, charterparties, marine insurance policies, documentary credits, sales contracts, trade credit insurance disputes, joint ventures, distribution and logistics agreements, ship building disputes and ship management issues as well as air and road transportation and warehousing disputes. Andrew also deals with general commercial litigation including insolvency disputes. He has built up a great of experience in enforcement and security actions over the Asia region including ship arrests and injunctions .He is ranked Band 1 China: Shipping Litigation by Chambers and is a Leading Individual in Legal 500. His clients include insurance companies, banks, trading houses, P&I clubs, vessel owners and charterers and recovery agents.

In Hong Kong he deals with litigation in the local courts having conducted cases up to the Court of Final Appeal. Andrew’s team have historically issued/ been involved in over 50% of cases conducted in the specialist Admiralty List. As a lawyer qualified in England and Wales since 1993, Andrew regularly conducts arbitrations in London, Australia, Singapore, China, India, New York. He also has global litigation experience involving cases heard in US, Canada, Panama, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, as well as virtually every country across Asia Pacific as well as most European countries.

Andrew is an appointed arbitrator of SCIA and is on the HKIAC approved list for the Marine Arbitrators’ Group. He is an executive committee member of the admiralty court users committee and a former secretary of the Hong Kong Maritime Law Association.

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"Andrew is a "very commercial and innovative" practitioner, as noted by a client, and operates a market-leading shipping litigation practice. He is frequently mandated by insurers and singled out as a "supreme cargo lawyer in Hong Kong" by another source."

Chambers, 2021

"A 'Shipping Litigation Star' in Hong Kong."

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2021

"Ranked in Band 1 for China – Shipping Litigation (International Firms)"

Chambers, 2020

"Andrew Horton is the best for arrests in Hong Kong."

Legal 500, 2020

"Recognised as a leading individual for Hong Kong – Shipping."

Legal 500

"Andrew Horton is "an outstanding litigator" and "a serious player in the market."

Chambers, 2020

"He has a wealth of experience in representing clients in litigation and arbitration mandates, including enforcement actions and ship arrest actions and enforcement proceedings arising out of a range of claims."

Chambers, 2020

"He is a go-to person for shipping matters in Hong Kong. (With his) creative thinking combined with caution, the approach has been dynamic and outstanding."

Chambers, 2020

Relevant experience

  • Various cargo interests with claims totalling over USD 17.7m in a limitation fund in Hong Kong.
  • One of the charterers in negotiating on all claims arising out of the sinking with claims totalling USD 70m.
  • An international trading house against buyers in arbitrations spanning across Hong Kong, Australia and the UK in relation to issues arising out of letters of credit and sales of goods disputes involving supply of iron ore.
  • A liquidation of a trading company involving debts over USD 300m.
  • Numerous offshore disputes arising out of charterparties involving specialist offshore dive support vessels on major oil projects.
  • Allisions with terminal facilities representing both the terminal owners and their insurers in adjusting claims arising and prosecuting indemnity claims against the vessels involved in Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Africa, Bangladesh and India.
  • Insurers of a cargo placed on board a “phantom vessel” and successfully defending claims brought under the policy.
  • Credit insurers investigating a complex fraud involving a fictitious transaction with counterparties in Germany, Hong Kong and PRC leading to discovery of the mechanism by which the fraud was committed.
  • Owners in relation to a London arbitration in respect of the fixing of one of their vessels in a long term charter. Successfully obtaining an award in the arbitration and defeating a misrepresentation claim in Hong Kong by striking the claim out on the basis of collateral attack.
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Memberships & Roles

Former Secretary, Hong Kong Maritime law Association

Executive Member, The Admiralty Court Users’ Committee

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Education

1991 - Law Society Finals, Guildford Law School, Guildford

1990 - LLB (Hons), Cardiff 

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