Thomas Miller Law, the specialist maritime and transport law firm, is expanding the geographical coverage of its maritime and logistics legal services, which will now be available to operators and insurers doing business in the Australasian region.

A new Thomas Miller Law team, based in Sydney, will be led by Alexis Cahalan and Danella Wilmshurst, with further key appointments to follow.

The Australasian offering will serve ship owners, charterers, ports, terminals, freight forwarders and other logistics operators across a full range of liability, property, transactional and advisory work, as well as the many underwriters vying for a share of an increasingly competitive market.

Alexis has been a shipping and transport lawyer since 1987, and is qualified in both Australia and England. She spent several years with Australia's two leading maritime and transport law firms, reaching partnership level, and worked as in-house counsel for international offshore resources and engineering companies.

She has handled litigation and claims for some of Thomas Miller's biggest insurance clients, as well as providing emergency advice and response for ship owners as a legal correspondent to the UK P&I Club. Her most recent role has been a legal and claims specialist for TT Club, another part of the Thomas Miller group of businesses.

Danella has been advising the shipping and insurance industry on maritime and transport law for more than 20 years, having been a partner at two of Australia's leading maritime and transport firms Holding Redlich and HWL Ebsworth. She is an expert on wet and dry shipping, freight forwarding and logistics, transport contracts and transactional work, is a Director of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, and a Member of the Australian Federation of International Forwarders.

Danella has taken several complex cases through litigation or arbitration, ranging from charter party disputes to oil pollution, and has an international reputation for her expertise and sound guidance to the industry.

Peter Jackson, CEO of Thomas Miller Law said: "Thomas Miller Law has grown quickly since it was set up in 2015 and strengthened following the acquisition of niche marine firm Davies Johnson. Our strategy now is to export our model to other marine and logistics markets around the world.

"This is a turning point for marine legal services in a region where the innovation and competitiveness of the operators has not really been matched by the legal market. Australia's marine and logistics sectors are still growing strongly despite the commodities dip, New Zealand's ports are performing well, and new infrastructure projects are in the pipeline all over the region.

"These sectors deserve the same commercial approach and cost-effective structure we have in place with Thomas Miller Law in the UK, and we are going to deliver that, with some of the best talent in the market."

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For further information, please contact:

Roland Cross / Gareth David / Carolyn Monchouguy - Four Broadgate

+44 (0) 20 3697 4200

ThomasMillerGroup@fourbroadgate.comNotes to editorsAbout Thomas Miller Law

Thomas Miller Law is a specialist maritime law firm, created to offer a fresh alternative to large, traditional firms in the marine legal sector.

www.tmlawltd.comAbout Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.

Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller's origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

• Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
• Investment management for institutions and private clients
• Professional services including legal services, claims and captive management
• Managing General Agency

www.thomasmiller.com