Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has promoted twelve lawyers to its partnership, effective from 1 May 2025.
“It’s fantastic to welcome these exceptionally talented, driven and accomplished lawyers to our partnership,” said Eifion Morris, Chief Executive Officer, Stephenson Harwood. “Each new partner has demonstrated the strengths that define our firm — bringing legal excellence, can-do personalities and a collective entrepreneurship, as well as a genuine commitment to building lasting relationships with clients. In a world of constant change, their leadership will be key to helping our clients navigate complexity and achieve lasting success.
“I’m also pleased that this is our second largest ever group of promotions to the partnership. This milestone reflects our commitment to growing the firm for the future: investing in outstanding talent, expanding our capabilities internationally, and strengthening the way we serve our clients, wherever they are.”
The firm’s new partners:
Kuljeet Bahia has been named a Partner in the Real Estate and Projects group. Based in London, she acts for developers, leading UK property companies, real estate investors and funds. She specialises in investment and development transactions across sectors including retail parks, industrial estates, logistics, offices and development sites. She advises on transactions ranging from investment sales and acquisitions, leasing, development, and forward funding to acting on major portfolio transactions.
Mateusz Bek has been named a Partner in the Commercial Litigation group. An insurance specialist, with a particular focus on complex disputes under marine policies, he is based in London. Clients include insurers and reinsurers, over a broad range of businesses, including hull and machinery, war risks, cargo, loss of hire, MII, P&I and other marine liabilities, trade credit and political risk and violence.
Ross Davidson has been named a Partner in the Private Wealth team. Based in Hong Kong, he advises clients across the Asia Pacific region on diverse wealth management issues. He specialises in international tax, trust law, and cross-border estate planning, assisting internationally mobile families, senior executives, and entrepreneurs to protect their personal and business wealth. Ross is qualified in England & Wales, and a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Hong Kong.
Jordan Ellis has been named a Partner in the Private Wealth team. Based in Dubai, Jordan assists high-net worth individuals and families, family offices and institutional clients with the structuring of their investments, international estate and tax planning, family governance and global mobility. Jordan has significant experience in advising on international succession and asset protection structures including trusts and foundations, UAE immigration, and UAE and UK real estate investment.
Peter Gillis has been named a Partner in the Private Wealth Disputes and Contentious Trusts team. Based in London, Peter specialises in international contentious trust, probate and succession disputes, advising on all matters affecting private clients and their structures. Peter has particular expertise resolving long-running disputes between beneficiaries of family trusts owning large multinational businesses. Peter also regularly acts for security trustees involved in finance transaction disputes and trustees of unit trusts, EOTs, EBTs.
Paul Katsouris has been named a Partner in the Maritime, Trade and Offshore group. He advises on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters for clients including ship owners, P&I Clubs, charterers, banks, traders, bunker suppliers, family offices, private investors and energy companies. Currently based in Dubai, he will be relocating to Athens this summer, bringing contentious expertise to the team’s offering, while maintaining strong links to the Middle East.
Shirley Li has been named a Partner in the Maritime, Trade and Offshore group. Based in Shanghai, she specialises in shipping, international trade, insurance and international commercial litigation. Her clients include many domestic and international shipowners, operators, charterers, traders, local shipyards, P&I clubs and insurers. Shirley advises on various aspects of shipping, including charterparties, carriage of goods by sea, collision, pollution, shipbuilding and ship sale and purchase.
Emma Nowell has been named a Partner in the Maritime, Trade and Offshore group, based in London. She specialises in maritime contracts for the charter, operation and construction of vessels across the commercial shipping, offshore oil and gas and superyacht sectors. She advises owners, charterers, shipyards, operators, P&I Clubs, insurers and banks in relation to non-contentious matters; she also manages disputes and the enforcement of claims arising from maritime contracts.
Adam Polonsky has been named a Partner in the Commercial Litigation group. Based in London, Adam acts on a wide range of complex commercial disputes, focusing particularly on contractual claims, shareholder disputes and competition damages claims in the Competition Appeal Tribunal. Adam has broad experience of claimant and defendant side work and regularly advises clients to protect their rights across a wide range of interlocutory applications.
Toufic Safie has been named a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial team in Dubai. He specialises in M&A, joint ventures and foreign direct investments, within the Middle East, Africa and Europe, advising across multiple industries, particularly those operating in transportation trade and commodities. He also has significant experience on commercial matters, including franchising. Toufic has worked in various jurisdictions, including Lebanon, Greece, France, the UK, Oman and the UAE.
Stewart Scott has been named a Partner in the Real Estate and Projects group. Based in London, Stewart has experience in all areas of commercial real estate advising clients on acquisitions, disposals and lettings. His experience extends to acting on numerous major portfolio transactions and all aspects of the letting, management and restructuring of portfolios. He has a particular focus on investment, development and corporate driven transactions.
Alexa Whitehead has been named a Partner in the Corporate group, based in London. Alexa is a corporate lawyer specialising in asset management with a particular focus on investment funds. She has acted on a wide range of corporate transactions, including advising funds, managers and investment banks on fund launches, IPOs, secondary issues, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reconstructions and other corporate actions, as well as providing ongoing regulatory advice.
