Louis Shepherd has been appointed Managing Director of Gard (Japan) KK, effective May 1st 2023
Louis Shepherd replaces John Martin, who has acted as interim Managing Director of Gard (Japan) KK since Tadashi Sugimoto stepped down last October.
Shepherd was previously Senior Claims Adviser and Lawyer in Gard’s Defence team. He joined Gard in February 2013 and is an English qualified solicitor. Over the past decade he has worked extensively with Defence matters, large and complex claims, as well as other important industry issues such as the sulphur cap and decarbonization issues. Prior to joining Gard he worked in shipping litigation for law firms both in London and Hong Kong.
He has spent most is time with Gard in its Tokyo office.
Gard CEO Rolf Thore Roppestad said that “Japan is one of the world’s biggest shipping markets and continues to be an important growth area for Gard. We have had an office in Tokyo for more than 30 years and a presence in Imabari since 2013. Louis brings with him in-depth expertise and broad experience, having worked with the Japanese shipping community for a decade. Heading our operations in both Tokyo and Imabari, he will be leading a dedicated team with strong local and international competencies.”
Roppestad also thanked Sugimoto-san for his long service. He expressed gratitude to John Martin for having successfully headed the company’s operations in Japan in the interim period,