William Cecil

William specialises in maritime and construction litigation and arbitration matters for clients in the shipping, offshore oil and gas and energy industries. Since 2004, he has been involved in a series of heavyweight international arbitrations. He has most recently been the lead partner in an ICC arbitration based in Geneva relating to a power and desalination construction project in the Middle East, an SCMA arbitration based in Singapore relating to a dispute arising out of the upgrade of a semi-submersible drilling rig and two concurrent LMAA arbitrations based in London relating to delay and cost over-runs arising out of the construction of two semi-submersible rigs in Korea. The sums in dispute in each matter were in the region of US$100 million. In the two concurrent LMMA arbitrations William has recently obtained decisions awarding his clients a total of $33 million out of total claims of $34 million, and dismissing the other side’s counterclaims – totalling some $56 million – in full.

Alongside his litigation and arbitration practice, William also assists clients in the drafting and negotiation of various forms of offshore contracts.

William has written extensively on marine and offshore construction topics for publications such as Lloyds List, Harts E & P, World Pipelines, Petroleum Review and European Oil and Gas, and has lectured on managing litigation risk in high value marine construction projects. William is also currently writing a new chapter on offshore construction projects for the fourth edition of The Law of Shipbuilding Contracts, authored by fellow partner Simon Curtis, and due for publication by LLP in the second half of 2012.