LLM Shipping and Trade students recently enjoyed a trip to London. Students took part in the final of the internal HFW and Swansea University Shipping and Trade Moot Competition, and were also able to take part in the annual London Employability Trip.
Being one of the few LLM programmes in the UK to offer such an opportunity, students were first provided with a tour of the Royal Court of Justice before spending an afternoon at the HFW London offices, where they were able to watch the moot final and engage with members of the firm.
The finalists of the Shipping & Trade Moot were made up of the Claimant representatives; Ms Dominique Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Mr Fumihiko Yoshida and Researcher Mr Yuan Qiao, and the Defendant representatives; Ms Ece Birinci, Mr Edmundo Deville Del Aguila and Researcher Ms Nidhi Potla.
A tough competition was made more challenging by the excellent questions posed by our panel of judges:
- Mr Simon Rainey QC of Quadrant Chambers
- Mr Florian Schacker, and
- Ms Johanna Ohlman of HFW
The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law wishes to thank them sincerely for carving out time from their busy calendars to participate. The students found it to be an incredibly rewarding, unique and insightful experience.
The team representing the Defendants won, overall, with Mr Rainey QC praising their quality of arguments and ability to answer difficult questions.
Dr Tabetha Kurtz-Shefford, Deputy Director of the Shipping and Trade LLM programmes at Swansea, had the following to say:
“We were ecstatic to be able to offer our students something that few other LLM programmes have been able to provide, and we are immensely proud of all the students who took part. Particular congratulations are in order for Ece, Edmundo and Nidhi for their hard work (the winners of the moot), and also to their opponents for putting up such a valiant fight.
We hope to continue such events in the future as they give students inimitable practical insight into their potential futures. We are especially grateful for HFW for hosting such an amazing and valued event.”