|
|
|
| |
| Additional information |
| |
| Holman Fenwick & Willan (HFW) |
| |
| |
Overview:
With some 300 lawyers operating in eight countries, we provide a global and seamless service 24 hours a day. We are dynamic, entrepreneurial and leaders in our specialist areas. Many of our partners are recognised experts.
Our approach to client relationships is built on a wide-ranging and inclusive perspective of each business, its unique strategies and market risks.
On that foundation, we deliver fast, effective and creative solutions. With practicality as a guide, we rapidly provide clear and unequivocal advice, free of jargon-heavy language. Our commitment to our clients, total and determined, shines through.
Giving back to the whole society is a priority at Holman Fenwick Willan with partners and associates encouraged to spend time on our various worldwide pro bono initiatives.
|
|
 |
|
History:
At the start of the nineteenth century the Holman family were sailing-ship owners in Topsham, Devon, where, in 1832, they established the West of England Marine Insurance Association, a mutual hull insurance organisation. Six years later they formed The Exeter Shipping Insurance Association on a similar basis. This was followed in 1855 by The Shipowners' Protection Association – one of the first two shipping protection clubs in the world – and in 1870 by The West of England Steamship Owners' P&I Association Ltd, a club dedicated to steamships.
In 1873, in order to improve links and communication with the shipping and insurance markets, the managers, John Holman & Sons, moved their business to Lime Street, London. From there, they took a further step when, in 1883, Frank Holman, one of four brothers in the management company, set up in practice as a solicitor at 23 St. Mary Axe in the City of London. This was the origin of Holman Fenwick & Willan. Within two years Frank Holman had joined with G.C. Downing and J.J. Handcock to form Downing & Holman. There were several changes in the partnership over the next twelve years, during which period Downing and Handcock left and the firm moved three times, ending up at 50-51 Lime Street. The firm was then named Holman, Birdwood & Co., and had the telephone number Avenue 1920. In 1899 Cecil Holman and E.A. Fenwick joined, followed in 1905 by W.C. Willan – thus providing the ingredients for the firm's present name. While the firm's office was in Lime Street a junior member of the staff was William Ernest Lawrence, elder brother of the novelist D.H. Lawrence.
In 1908 the firm moved from Lime Street to No. 1 Lloyds Avenue and in 1916, when F.T. Birdwood left the partnership, the firm's name was changed to Holman Fenwick & Willan. Although Frank Holman was the senior partner he delegated much of his work to his brother Herbert, a barrister. A similar practice was followed by later generations. Frank's son, Max, and Max's son, John, also became solicitors and partners in the firm, but mainly concentrated on running the underwriting and Class 1 cover of the Clubs; whereas Herbert's sons, Wynn and Leigh Holman (the latter being the first husband of Vivien Leigh, the actress) and later Leigh's sons, Michael and Peter, although all qualified as barristers, had a much closer relationship with the firm and handled the defence work of the Clubs. Leigh Holman practised initially from chambers at 3 Temple Gardens, and was later at 3 Dr Johnson's Buildings and then 4 King's Bench Walk.
The First World War had a significant impact on the firm's business. During the War, Alec Troughton, who was to be with the firm for a total of 37 years including a brief period as Senior Partner, had naval command. After the War, in the early 1920s, there was an immense boom in the value of ships, which collapsed after a few years, leading to a large number of scuttling cases. This generated a great deal of work, with the firm acting sometimes for owners and sometimes for underwriters. Much later, Alec's son Robin also became Senior Partner, holding this position from 1962 until his retirement in 1985, marking 40 years with the firm. Contemporaries of his were other long servers, Leslie Barclay, who joined the firm before the Second World War, and who also retired in 1985; and Cyril Setter, who had been one of Lord Mountbatten's bodyguards, and who for 34 years handled Admiralty claims.
The Second World War brought a good deal of collision work to the firm, particularly arising out of convoy collisions, but although the evidence was soon taken by Alec Troughton most of the cases had to remain over until the end of the War. This resulted in a large backlog of work. This, coupled with Alec Troughton's sudden death in 1953, created a crisis in the collision department and led to David Williams, who had joined the firm in 1948, starting a policy of recruiting young seamen as assistants. This policy had the result that a number of our partners and staff dealing with Admiralty matters have Master's Certificates or other seagoing qualifications.
From about 1950 the firm started an expansion, which has continued ever since. Over the years the range of services provided by the firm has grown and in 2003 a new management structure was introduced, with the firm now operating in five main divisions: Shipping & Transport; Trade & Energy; Insurance & Reinsurance; Commercial, Insolvency & Fraud; and Corporate Projects & Finance. During the last three decades the volume of work called for the opening of offices in Paris (1977), Hong Kong (1978), Singapore (1991), Piraeus (1993), Rouen (1994), Shanghai (1999), Dubai and Melbourne (both 2006), and Brussels (2008). Meanwhile, Robin Troughton (the brother of Patrick Troughton, the actor) was succeeded as Senior Partner by Christopher Cohen and then by Archie Bishop, Robert Wilson, Roderic O'Sullivan and Richard Crump.
The firm's expansion over recent years placed a great strain on accommodation at Marlow House, despite extra space that we have gained in adjoining buildings. In September 2008, our London office moved the short distance to Friary Court. This ends our one-hundred-year association with Lloyds Avenue from when the firm moved into the upper floors of Dixon House. The Lloyd's Avenue site, (together with the sites now occupied by Dixon House and Lloyds Register of Shipping's offices), was until close to the end of the 19th century, the location of a massive bonded warehouse owned by the East and West India Dock Company. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
