Ben Horn
Jim Allsworth
Sacha Christopher
Chris Charalambides
Elizaveta Simonian
Kenny Ng
Ben Horn – Solicitor
email Ben
Ben is a veteran disputes resolution lawyer with 35 years’ experience. Ben was formerly special counsel in the London office of a US law firm, specialising in international commercial arbitration and litigation, and partner in a leading London based disputes resolution firm, where he was head of commercial litigation. He has vast experience of handling arbitrations conducted under the LMAA, ICC and LCIA rules involving a wide range of matters, including disputes arising out of on and off shore energy, engineering, refining contracts, construction disputes, waterborne transport, aviation, and insurance.
Ben is a seasoned litigator having acted in the Commercial Court in relation to shareholders disputes, in complex fraud cases involving allegations of conspiracy, and has successfully defended statutory demands. He acted in one of the leading reported cases in relation to piercing of the corporate veil. He acted in one of the largest asset recovery matters on behalf of a Swiss bank successfully recovering very substantial sums, coordinating worldwide actions in multiple jurisdictions. He has extensive experience in obtaining and defending freezing injunctions. His experience in interlocutory matters extends to anti-suit injunctions restraining proceedings brought in breach of an agreed jurisdiction clause. Ben has been involved in numerous challenges to arbitration awards and handled commercial cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice, being one of the first English lawyers to have done so.
He is a Chartered arbitrator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the panel of Arbitrators maintained by the China Maritime Arbitration Commission, Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre and Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration. He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators; a Supporting Member of London Maritime Arbitrators Association and a Member of Indian Maritime Association.
Jim Allsworth – Consultant
email Jim
Jim was with Ince and Co for almost 20 years, being an integral part of their wet team. He has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of salvage, collision and wreck removal. He was managing director of C Solutions Limited and has been a consultant to HCO since 2009, providing expertise in all areas of wet shipping.
Sacha Christopher – Consultant
email Sacha
Sacha is a solicitor qualified in both South Africa and Australia. He was a senior solicitor at a leading law firm in London for a number of years, where he advised and litigated on a range of dry shipping issues for both owners and charterers. He has also worked as a senior claims executive at an International Group P&I Club and as in-house counsel at one of the world’s largest shipping lines, as well as Senior Legal Counsel at one of the world’s premier cruise lines.
Sacha advises in relation to dry shipping litigation, acting for owners, charterers, transport intermediaries, their insurers and P&I Clubs, with a particular emphasis on disputes relating to charter parties, the supply and carriage of goods, agency, contracts of affreightment and bills of lading. He also acts for cruise lines and other transport and tour operators in relation to the defence of personal injury claims, the drafting of terms and conditions as well as issues relating to general commercial and insurance law.
Chris Charalambides – Solicitor
email Chris
Chris was admitted as a solicitor in 1987. His recent work has involved him in a wide range of contentious and non contentious shipping and non shipping work. On the shipping side, he has been involved in handling major casualty investigations, the negotiations for the sale of a super yacht, cargo claims and defences, charter party and shipbuilding disputes as well as disputes arising under FFA contracts and in consequence of foreign bankruptcy procedures. He has broad experience in defending cargo claims on behalf of ship interests.
On the non contentious side his practice extends to advising clients of the firm in connection with commercial agreements, joint ventures and corporate structure including advising in connection with the complex issues arising out of the liquidation of a major UK based ship owner and charterer, including supervision of NY litigation that has ensued.
Elizaveta Simonian – Solicitor
email Elizaveta
Elizaveta joined HCO as a legal assistant in 2022. She has an LLM from QMUL in International Shipping Law and is studying for the Solicitors Qualification Exam. She is fluent in Russian and speaks Greek. She is involved in handling the full range of work undertaken by the firm including shipping and insurance, international arbitration and commercial court litigation.
Kenny Ng – Consultant
email Kenny
Kenny started working with HCO in September 2022, has significant experience in matters relating to shipping and energy and has been actively involved in two substantial arbitrations concerning disputes over the construction of two high value oil rigs.
Kenny is an Advocate and Solicitor of Singapore (non-practising). Having been a member of and led in-house legal teams in the shipbuilding and energy sectors, Kenny has more than a decade’s experience in drafting, negotiating, and supporting the execution of contracts for complex projects ranging from jack-up drilling rigs, floating power plants, to energy storage facilities. Kenny has supported business teams in their negotiations with shipyards, drilling contractors, equipment suppliers, utility companies, and EPC contractors, both at the inception of deals and on claims (e.g. delays; warranty). He has also sat on internal management committees reviewing contract risks, from which he has drawn a good understanding of business needs.