International law firm Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) has appointed three new partners in its Geneva base to boost its commodities trading offering.

Olivier Bazin, a finance lawyer with over 15 years of experience in trade, commodities and emerging markets, will join the firm in January next year.

Bazin specialises in cross-border finance, structuring and negotiating transactions in the soft and hard commodities sectors, and advises on debt restructuring and work-out situations. He has previously worked for law firm Norton Rose and Fulbright, and most recently in-house at BNP Paribas in Geneva.

“I’m excited to be joining a leading firm in the commodities sector and complement the offering,” Bazin tells GTR.

“There is a challenging environment right now in terms of geopolitics. Banking and finance is going through turbulent times and is a sector that is under huge scrutiny. I’m really looking forward to working out solutions with banks, traders and other clients, producers in particular.”

Bazin’s appointment follows partner Georges Racine who joined HFW in August and Sarah Hunt who was promoted to partnership in April. Racine has wide-ranging experience in corporate, commercial and international business law. Hunt acts for a range of trading companies, charterers and owners in disputes involving petroleum products, cement, coal, ethanol and soft commodities.

Michael Buisset, head of HFW’s Geneva office, says: “The appointment of these three partners significantly strengthens the offering of our Geneva office. The firm’s continued investment in this market means that we are able to offer clients the capability they require in the markets in which they operate”.