Penningtons Manches Cooper expands Singapore team with hire of master mariner
Penningtons Manches Cooper, a leading UK and international law firm, is pleased to announce the hire of Mark Myles, a Master Mariner and qualified lawyer, to its Singapore office.
Mark, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the global shipping industry as a mariner and lawyer, joins from HFW and will bring extensive hands‑on and technical expertise gained from his time at sea and ashore to the Singapore team. Mark is a seasoned investigator and has extensive experience handling complex marine casualties involving collisions, groundings, salvage operations and total loss cases.
Before entering legal practice, Mark spent over a decade at sea with Shell sailing on all types of tanker vessels up to the rank of Chief Officer before coming ashore to join the company’s ship quality assurance department. Later, he served as a vetting manager and marine safety and quality superintendent with V Ships before joining Norbulk Shipping as their ISM manager, where he oversaw the audits for a fleet of approximately 80 vessels. Mark is a Freeman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners and an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute.
Johan Wong, partner in the Singapore office, commented:
“We are delighted to welcome Mark to the firm. Mark’s dual qualification as a solicitor-mariner will greatly complement the team’s existing strengths and further enhance our ability and capacity to assist clients with complex claims and casualties. Mark is well regarded in the market and he is exactly the individual we hoped to find – in terms of his personality, technical ability and reputation – and we are thrilled to have him on board.”
Mark Myles said:
“I’m very excited to be joining Penningtons Manches Cooper. The firm has a longstanding reputation in shipping, and Johan, Max and the team have gained impressive momentum in Singapore and the wider region over the last few years. I believe the firm is the perfect platform for me to extend my services and showcase my expertise and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running!”
Mark’s hire follows a series of strategic appointments in the past 12 months that reflect Penningtons Manches Cooper’s continued investment in strengthening its capacity and capabilities in the Asia‑Pacific region. It also comes as the firm prepares to mark 30 years since establishing its Singapore office, a key hub in the firm’s international shipping and trade practice.