Susannah Graham
Solicitor
Experience
Susannah Graham has practiced law for over 13 years, specialising in general commercial law.
After graduating with an MA from Cambridge, she qualified as a solicitor at top-ten commercial city law firm, Lawrence Graham in 1999, before moving to Winckworth Sherwood in 2002. At five years qualified, she took the chance to study for an LLM in Public and International Law from the University of Geneva and then worked around the world in human rights law, before becoming a legal officer for the United Nations. Wanting to then return to her roots in commercial law, she joined the HQ of a global superyacht maritime service agency as its in-house lawyer and company Secretary in 2017, where she has worked ever since. As the sole in-house legal advisor for the UK holding company and its numerous smaller international agencies, she is at ease and enjoys being approachable in an international setting, where she is called upon to provide accessible advice on any legal issue that may arise.
From her years with city law firms and then in-house, she has gathered extensive experience of general commercial law, including:
- The drafting or reviewing and negotiation of general commercial contracts, including:
- The drafting or reviewing and negotiation of general commercial contracts, including:
- Franchise Agreements
- Manufacturer and Supply Agreements
- Commission Agreements
- Sub-Agency Agreements
- Shipyard Agreements
- Sponsorship Agreements
- Debt Assignments
- Shareholder Agreements
- NDAs
- Drafting of Billing Forms and Company Terms and Conditions
- Extensive experience of satisfying Due Diligence and Compliance formalities
- GDPR and Data Protection matters including the drafting of Joint Controller Agreements and Privacy Policies
- As Head of Debt Recovery, well-versed in pre-litigation client correspondence and maritime arrest proceedings
- As registered company secretary, general company-secretarial experience.
In her own words:
“Building trust and relationships with clients and those I advise, has always been the most satisfying part of my job as a lawyer. Working in commercial law over the years has shown me that behind SMEs are often inspiring, personally-invested individuals, who have a great hands-on approach to the growth of their enterprise. Being able to satisfy their need for clear, sound and uncomplicated advice which understands their vision, gets to the heart of their issue and best protects their business, is hugely motivating for me.”
In her own words:
“Building trust and relationships with clients and those I advise, has always been the most satisfying part of my job as a lawyer. Working in commercial law over the years has shown me that behind SMEs are often inspiring, personally-invested individuals, who have a great hands-on approach to the growth of their enterprise. Being able to satisfy their need for clear, sound and uncomplicated advice which understands their vision, gets to the heart of their issue and best protects their business, is hugely motivating for me.”
Education
- MA (Cantab), Social & Political Science, Christs College, Cambridge University (1995)
- Common Professional Exam, Chester College of Law (1996)
- Legal Practice Course, Chester College of Law (1997)
- LLM International Public and Humanitarian Law, Academy of International Humanitarian Law (ADH), University of Geneva, Switzerland (2008)
Achievements
- Granted distinction, LLM.
- Contributor on International Humanitarian Law to ‘Palestine Refugees in International Law’ (Oxford University Press, Second Edition, 2020)
Other Interests
Susannah enjoys travelling, particularly exploring the Greek Islands and messing about with her family on their small boat. She enjoys reading and is an enthusiastic cook, loving Mediterranean food and exploring old bookshops whenever she can.
Languages
- Greek (married to one and Mum to two small ones)
- Some Italian