Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to announce that Singapore Dispute Resolution Partner Sumeet Malhotra has been newly named as Global Mining & Commodities Sector Co-Head alongside London Corporate, M&A and ECM Partner Jan Mellmann who has led the group for over 20 years.
Sumeet, who joined WFW as Partner in 2021, has over 20 years’ experience advising on complex, high-value international disputes, with particular expertise in international commodity trading, structured trade finance and shipping. His clients include the world’s leading agricultural commodity traders, mining majors, energy traders, trade finance lenders, trade credit insurers, brokers and shipowners/operators.
WFW’s Mining & Commodities practice has strong synergies with the firm’s core sectors of energy, infrastructure and transport and is active across the firm’s international network in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Under Jan’s leadership, the firm has built a strong and highly regarded full lifecycle offering across the whole sector, spanning corporate M&A and ECM transactions, projects and project finance, structured commodity finance and dispute resolution. Recent highlight transactions include advising the Republic of Guinea on the US$15bn Simandou project, the world’s largest mining and related infrastructure project, and advising San Cristobal Mining Inc. on the financing for the purchase of the San Cristobal Mine, the largest mining operation in Bolivia and one of the world’s largest deposits of zinc, lead and silver.
Appointing Sumeet Global Co-Head alongside Jan reflects WFW’s in-sector expertise in, and commitment to, dispute resolution, and brings Mining & Commodities in line with the firm’s other sectors of aviation, energy and maritime all of which have co-heads to promote global reach.
Jan commented: “I am delighted that Sumeet is joining me as Global Mining & Commodities Sector Co-Head. His passion for and understanding of the sector is unrivalled, and I look forward to working closely with him to further entrench WFW’s reputation as a leading legal adviser in the mining and commodities sector worldwide for both contentious and non-contentious matters”.
Sumeet added: “I am deeply honoured to have been named Global Mining & Commodities Sector Co-Head alongside Jan who built the firm’s practice from the ground up and whose industry reputation and commitment to the sector are without parallel. I am especially excited to work with Jan in enhancing our in-sector contentious expertise and expanding in Asia and beyond, in line with the firm’s strategy, as highlighted by our recent office openings in Seoul and Tokyo”.
