Hill Dickinson has reinforced its City of London marine and commodities practice by re-hiring Andrew Meads, a highly ranked expert with nearly 30 years’ experience, signalling the firm’s strategic growth amid evolving global trade challenges.
International law firm Hill Dickinson has reinforced its marine and commodities practice in the City of London with the return of Andrew Meads as a partner, underscoring the firm’s strategic focus on expanding its presence in this competitive sector. Meads brings nearly 30 years of seasoned expertise across a wide array of commodities such as agricultural products, edible oils, crude oil, petroleum derivatives, and metals. His client base includes a diverse range of major multinational producers, trading houses, financial institutions, mining companies, boutique traders, and oil majors.
Having rejoined Hill Dickinson from Reed Smith, where he notably chaired the Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group and earned consistent recognition in leading legal directories such as Chambers UK and The Legal 500, Meads is well regarded for both transactional work and international arbitration. He has represented clients before prominent arbitral institutions like the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). His credentials and sustained recognition, including a Band 2 ranking by Chambers UK for Commodities: Physicals for fourteen consecutive years, attest to his standing in the industry.
Meads was originally a partner at Hill Dickinson for over five years before moving to Reed Smith in 2014, where his expertise further solidified Reed Smith’s market-leading position in energy and commodities legal work. His focused knowledge encompasses commodity contracts, trade finance structures, shipping contracts, and dispute resolution through arbitration and the High Court.
This strategic hire follows Hill Dickinson’s recent addition of Veronika Koroleva, who joined as head of trade finance, bringing significant specialised knowledge in trade, commodity, and receivables finance along with broader cross-border debt finance transactions. These appointments are part of a broader expansion strategy: in 2024, Hill Dickinson welcomed 12 lateral partners, saw seven more join in early 2025, and promoted four legal directors to partner, emphasising the firm’s dual approach of external recruitment and internal talent development.
The firm’s head of Marine and Trade, Tony Goldsmith, highlighted the global stature of Hill Dickinson’s maritime practice, which boasts over 120 specialist lawyers worldwide. He emphasised that Meads’ appointment “reflects the quality and merit of the services the marine team provides to its clients and highlights the strides we continue to make in London’s competitive legal market.” Paul Taylor, commodities partner, echoed these sentiments, underscoring that Meads’ extensive knowledge in international trade, particularly in energy and natural resources, further strengthens the firm’s client offerings.
Reflecting on his return, Meads expressed excitement about working alongside both new and former colleagues who are leaders in their fields. He noted that Hill Dickinson’s international maritime presence offers “an exciting opportunity to work with the global commodities team in making the future more certain for clients at a time of heightened geopolitical turbulence,” signalling awareness of the complex and dynamic nature of today’s global trade environment.
Hill Dickinson’s recent hires and promotions extend beyond commodities and maritime law. For example, in early 2025, the firm also bolstered its Manchester office with Mark Gaffney, a seasoned real estate partner specialising in property development and regeneration, and added Mark Johnson as a corporate commercial partner in London, an expert in maritime commercial matters. These moves reflect the firm’s holistic growth strategy across key practice areas, aiming to deliver comprehensive legal services to a broad client base.
Overall, Andrew Meads’ return to Hill Dickinson marks a significant reinforcement of the firm’s marine and commodities practice, bolstering its capability to serve clients through a blend of deep sectoral expertise, international arbitration experience, and a growing, multidisciplinary team amid an evolving global trade landscape.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.lawnews.co.uk/business/hill-dickinson-expands-london-commodities-practice-with-return-of-partner-andrew-meads/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.reedsmith.com/en/professionals/m/meads-andrew – Andrew Meads is a partner at Reed Smith LLP, specialising in international trade and commodities. With nearly three decades of experience, he advises a diverse clientele, including multinational producers, traders, miners, and oil majors. His expertise encompasses commodity contracts, disputes, and letters of credit, with extensive experience in transactional matters and arbitration before major trade associations and international arbitral bodies, such as the LCIA and ICC. He is recognised in leading independent legal directories and receives accolades regularly from his clients and peers.
- https://www.reedsmith.com/en/news/2014/10/reed-smith-further-bolsters-its-market-leading-ene – In October 2014, Reed Smith announced the appointment of Andrew Meads to its Energy and Natural Resources Group. Meads joined from Hill Dickinson, bringing a strong reputation in the market and further strengthening Reed Smith’s position as a leader in energy and commodities work. His expertise includes advising on sale and purchase and shipping contracts, trade finance structures, and handling trading and shipping disputes in arbitration and the High Court.
- https://chambers.com/lawyer/andrew-meads-uk-1%3A18514 – Andrew Meads is ranked in Band 2 for Commodities: Physicals in the UK-wide category by Chambers UK 2024. He has been recognised for 14 consecutive years, reflecting his extensive experience and expertise in the field. Meads is chair of Reed Smith’s Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group and advises a broad range of clients, from multinational producers to smaller trading concerns, on commodity contracts, disputes, and letters of credit.
- https://www.lawnews.co.uk/partnerships/hill-dickinson-strengthens-manchester-office-with-top-real-estate-partner/ – In January 2025, Hill Dickinson strengthened its Manchester office with the appointment of Mark Gaffney as a real estate partner. Gaffney brings over 23 years of experience, specialising in property development, regeneration, public sector funding, joint ventures, leasing, and portfolio transactions. He has collaborated with Manchester City Council to deliver approximately £1 billion in residential-led regeneration, transforming areas like Ancoats and New Islington.
- https://www.lawnews.co.uk/employment-2/hill-dickinson-expands-london-team-with-addition-of-new-corporate-commercial-partner/ – In August 2024, Hill Dickinson announced the addition of Mark Johnson to its London office as a corporate commercial partner. Johnson, with over 30 years of experience in the maritime and legal fields, joins the firm’s commercial shipping team. His expertise includes advising on the construction, conversion, sale and purchase, recycling, financing, management, operation, and ownership of various vessels, including FSRUs, drilling rigs, wind turbine installation vessels, ferries, and superyachts.
- https://www.maritimelondon.com/news/hill-dickinson-strengthens-london-team-with-new-corporate-commercial-partner – Hill Dickinson’s appointment of Mark Johnson as a corporate commercial partner in August 2024 further consolidates the relationship between the firm’s Business Services and Marine groups. Johnson brings extensive experience advising on various aspects of vessel construction, conversion, sale and purchase, recycling, financing, management, operation, and ownership. He acts for a range of clients, including major banks, oil companies, ship owners, leasing companies, and shipyards.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative was published on 18 July 2025. A LinkedIn post by Hill Dickinson on 17 July 2025 announced Andrew Meads’ return, indicating the news is recent. ([uk.linkedin.com](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/hill-dickinson-llp?utm_source=openai)) The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is 18 July 2025. The narrative appears original, with no evidence of being republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. The content is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data and does not recycle older material.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from Tony Goldsmith and Paul Taylor. A LinkedIn post by Hill Dickinson on 17 July 2025 includes similar statements from these individuals, suggesting the quotes are original and not reused from earlier material. ([uk.linkedin.com](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/hill-dickinson-llp?utm_source=openai)) No identical quotes appear in earlier material, and no variations in quote wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from LawNews.co.uk, a legal news platform. While it provides timely updates, its reputation and editorial standards are not as well-established as those of major outlets like the Financial Times or BBC. Hill Dickinson’s official LinkedIn page also confirms the appointment of Andrew Meads, adding credibility to the report. ([uk.linkedin.com](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/hill-dickinson-llp?utm_source=openai))
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative reports on Andrew Meads’ return to Hill Dickinson, a move that aligns with the firm’s recent expansion efforts. Hill Dickinson has been actively expanding its London office, including the addition of Mark Johnson as a corporate commercial partner in August 2024. ([lawnews.co.uk](https://www.lawnews.co.uk/employment-2/hill-dickinson-expands-london-team-with-addition-of-new-corporate-commercial-partner/?utm_source=openai)) The language and tone are consistent with professional legal communications. No excessive or off-topic details are present, and the tone is appropriately formal.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and corroborated by Hill Dickinson’s official LinkedIn announcement. The quotes are consistent with the firm’s statements, and the source, while not as established as major outlets, is credible. The content is plausible and aligns with the firm’s recent expansion activities.
