From left to right: Professor B. Soyer, Matt Hannaford, Alexandros Marinos, Ece Birinci and Vishesh Tyagi
Hannafor Turner LLP, a London-based law firm specialising in ship and aircraft finance, shipbuilding, and physical commodities, enjoys a longstanding relationship with the Institute of International Shipping & Trade Law (IISTL) at Swansea University.
In 2019, the firm established the Hannaford Turner Prize to recognise the best-performing student on Swansea University's LLM module in Transport Law: Aviation and Finance. The prize is highly sought after. In addition to a cash award, it includes an internship at Hannaford Turner LLP, offering the recipient invaluable practical experience. Several previous prize winners have gone on to secure permanent positions with the firm following successful internships.
This year's recipient is Alexandros Marionos. Originally from Greece, Alexandros holds a law degree from the Democritus University of Thrace and is currently completing an LLM in International Maritime Law at Swansea University. Before commencing postgraduate study, Alexandros worked as a trainee lawyer in Greece and also spent a year in Spain as an exchange student, broadening both academic and professional experience.
The prize was presented in London by Matt Hannaford, one of the founding partners of Hannaford Turner LLP. Also attending the presentation was Ece Birinci, an Associate Solicitor at the firm and a Swansea LLM graduate who achieved a distinction. Her career serves as an excellent example of the opportunities the programme can provide for aspiring international lawyers. The event also highlighted the success of another Swansea graduate, Vishesh Tyagi, now an Associate at Hannaford Turner LLP, who recently qualified as a solicitor after completing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Together, these achievements demonstrate the strong and enduring partnership between the IISTL and Hannaford Turner LLP, and the outstanding career opportunities available to graduates of the University's LLM programmes.