Andrew Baird
Partner

Andrew Baird is a partner in the Asset Finance Group. Andrew has a wealth of experience in cross-border asset and project finance, with particular emphasis on the marine transportation and offshore sectors. He has acted on loan transactions, leasing transactions including UK tax-based leasing and structured and project finance-based transactions.

He has represented clients including lenders, agent banks, lessors, lessees and owners on the financing of ships, shipping related assets such as container boxes and offshore assets.

He also represents shipping companies in relation to non-contentious commercial shipping matters, including sale and purchase, newbuilding contracts and resales, transaction joint ventures and strategic alliances, charters and other contracts of employment for ships, shipping related assets and offshore assets.

He is co-author of the FFABA Forward Freight Agreement and Freight Option Agreement and has been involved in advising on a number of disputes relating to freight derivative transactions.

Another of Andrew’s key practice areas is Islamic finance. He has acted on a wide range of transactions for banks and owners of assets of all classes, from shipping and offshore assets through to real estate. His experience encompasses not only Islamic banking products (including derivatives) but also funds and capital markets products.

Andrew is recognised by Chambers UK as a Banking & Finance Foreign Expert based in the UAE.

Author

• ‘Watson Farley & Williams keen to see UAE maritime law and flag progress’ – Seatrade UAE Supplement, April 2016

Speaker

• ‘Restructuring: avoiding an uncontrolled collapse’, The Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade Conference, November 2016
• ‘Ship Finance: New opportunities in shipping’ panel discussion, Marine Money Dubai, 2016

• Law Society of England and Wales