William Cecil is head of the dispute resolution team in London. He has extensive experience in litigation and arbitration matters for clients in the shipping, offshore oil and gas and energy industries. He has been involved in a series of heavyweight international arbitrations. In particular, he has been the lead partner on the following matters: 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; two LMAA arbitrations based in London relating to delay and cost overruns arising out of the construction of two semi-submersible rigs in Korea; an LMAA arbitration based in London; and associated High Court proceedings relating to the construction of two semi-submersible drilling rigs; two LMAA arbitrations based in London relating to delay and cost overruns arising out of the construction of two semi-submersible rigs in South Korea; an LMAA arbitration based in London and associated High Court proceedings relating to the construction of two semi-submersible drilling rigs in China; an LMAA arbitration relating to the termination of a construction contract for a drilling rig in South Korea; two connected arbitrations relating to the construction and operation of a drillship.

Alongside his litigation and arbitration practice, William also assists clients in the drafting and negotiation of various forms of offshore contracts. He has written extensively on marine and offshore construction topics for publications such as Lloyds List, Harts E & P, Petroleum Review and European Oil and Gas, and has lectured on managing litigation risk in high-value marine construction projects. Will is a co-author of a chapter on Offshore Vessel Construction Disputes within Global Arbitration Review’s Guide to Energy Arbitrations (Third Edition). He is also a co-author of the chapter on shipbuilding contracts governed by the law of England and Wales in Getting The Deal Through- Shipbuilding 2018: England and Wales.

William is currently working as co-author on the fifth edition of the Law of Shipbuilding Contracts. The other co-authors of this edition are Simon Curtis and Ian Gaunt, the President of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association. The fifth edition will be published early in 2020.

William is a recommended lawyer in the international arbitration, oil and gas and shipping sections of the 2020 UK edition of The Legal 500, Legalease, the international directory of law firms. Legal 500 reports that “Will Cecil …is particularly notable."

Chambers UK, Chambers and Partners, 2020 ranks William in the Shipping section UK-Wide as a notable practitioner, who comment “the very knowledgeable" William Cecil assists clients with litigation and arbitration, including disputes related to shipbuilding contracts. He is experienced in oil and gas-related mandates.”

Previously Chambers UK, have noted that he is an “experienced shipping lawyer who routinely acts for clients in litigation and arbitration . . .[and] in the negotiation and drafting of offshore contracts.”

Bar Admissions
England and Wales, 1994

Education
B.S.C. (Hons), Psychology, Bristol University, 1990

• GAR’s “Guide to Energy Arbitrations”: Offshore Vessel Construction Disputes

  By William Cecil |January 2019

• Getting The Deal Through - Shipbuilding

  By William Cecil |May 2018

• Design Risk: What Have You Agreed?

  By William Cecil |October 2017