Frances’s practice focuses on advising upstream and midstream companies on all aspects of the sale, purchase, marketing, transportation, storage and insurance of commodities, including in particular crude oil, LNG, FLNG, metals, and sugar.

Uniquely, Frances’ practice is evenly split between non-contentious transactional work and dispute resolution, meaning she is able to advise and assist her clients at every stage of a transaction’s lifecycle. In particular, her day-to-day work includes drafting and negotiating commodity sale and purchase documentation (transportation, storage and lifting agreements, spot and term contracts, commodity trading GTCs, tolling and throughput agreements and offtake agreements) and acting in claims before the English High Court and under international arbitration rules (including UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC. CIETAC, RSA, GAFTA and FOSFA).

Frances has a unique insight into the operations of energy clients, having  been seconded to the Geneva office of a major commodities trading company during 2012, and having served as in-house counsel to at a privately owned oil and gas production company between 2014 and 2016.