Clemens represents banks, financial institutions, companies and investors on a broad range of transactional matters in the transport and energy & infrastructure sectors. His practice focuses in particular on banking & finance, including leasing transactions (JOLCOs, Chinese leasing), restructurings, insolvencies and work-outs, and loan portfolio transfers. He also advises on corporate and M&A matters in these sectors. Clemens further assists clients with the sale and purchase of assets, as well as employment and management agreements. In addition, he advises on regulatory matters in the banking and finance sector and on sustainable shipping, including the EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and ship recycling.

Clemens is recognised as one of the leading ship finance lawyers in Germany and has been ranked as a Band 1 Leading Individual for Shipping Finance in Chambers Germany for many years, most recently in 2026, with clients praising his “speed and ability to offer practical solutions, as well as efficient communication,” and describing him as an “expert in the financing of portfolio acquisitions and in refinancing loans.” Clemens is recommended as a leading finance lawyer by Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, JUVE Handbook and Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal). He has also been recognised for Asset Finance Law as well as Banking and Finance Law by Best Lawyers/Handelsblatt.

• Advising ABN AMRO and Credit Agricole on a USD 200m ECA-covered credit facility provided to SAL for the purpose of financing the fleet of new buildings "Orca" heavylifters.
• Advising a major German bank on a loan facility to a Cypriot owner for the purpose of financing a fleet of 12 vessels and providing a hunting line for the financing of up to six vessels.
• Advising Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG as lead counsel on a USD 135m Fund Level Facility for the purpose of re-financing sale-and-lease-back ship transactions concluded by a credit fund managed by Meerbaum Capital Solutions. This deal won "The Structured Finance Deal of the Year 2020", Marine Money.
• Advising Hoegh LNG Ltd on the ten-year USD 685m refinancing of the Hoegh Esperanza and Hoegh Gannet floating storage and regasification units that are servicing Germany's floating liquefied natural gas terminals in the North Sea ports of Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony and Brunsbuttel, Schleswig-Holstein. The FSRUs are two of five vessels contracted by the German government to help achieve its goal of energy independence from Russia. This deal won Marine Money's "Structured Finance Deal of the Year 2023".
• Advising HSH Nordbank on the development and implementation of a new loan restructuring structure in which loans are tranched into different tranches with a total volume of more than USD 1bn (Nautilus structure). One of HSH Nordbank's business partners that supported HSH Nordbank in the restructuring was the Navios Group. This deal won Marine Money's "Restructuring Deal of the Year".
• Advising Hamburg Commercial Bank on a USD 180m bank facility provided to an intermediate holding company of MPC Container Ships ASA.
• Advising HSH Portfoliomanagement AöR on the sale of a shipping loan portfolio of more than USD 1bn secured by 56 ship mortgages. This deal won "Restructuring Deal of the Year 2022", Marine Money.
• Advising various private equity funds (e.g. KKR) on the purchase of NPL portfolios.
• Advising Hanseatic Ship Asset Management, a subsidiary of Commerzbank, which was used to buy vessels from non-performing borrowers of Commerzbank. The vessels were later sold with a profit to KKR.

• Hafen-Klub Hamburg

• Gute Nachrichten für deutsche Reeder nach einem neuen Kabinettsbeschluss: Schiffe können wie bisher durch ausländische Leasingstrukturen finanziert werden
  (Good news for German shipowners following a new Cabinet decision: Ships can continue to be financed through foreign leasing structures),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 01/2026
• USTR-Gebühr und deutsche Flagge: Was kommt da auf Reeder zu?
  (USTR fee and the German flag: What can shipowners expect?),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 11/2025
• Exportkreditversicherung verbessert Finanzierungsbedingungen bei JOLCOs
  (Export credit insurance improves financing conditions for JOLCO structures),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 06/2025
• “Japanese Lease” für deutsche Reeder
  ("Japanese lease" structures for German shipowners),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 11/2024
• Bund legt Entwurf für EU-ETS-Gesetz vor
  (Federal Government presents draft legislation for implementing the EU ETS),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 10/2024
• Offene Fragen nach Vorstoß für EU-ETS
  (Open legal questions following the push to extend the EU ETS to shipping),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 11/2023
• Die Hongkong-Konvention, die EU-Regulierung und offene juristische Fragen in einigen Staaten
  (The Hong Kong Convention, EU regulation, and unresolved legal issues in certain states),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 08/2023
• Reeder vs. Charterer: Wer zahlt ETS-Kosten?
  (Shipowner vs. charterer: Who bears the ETS costs?),
  Clemens Hillmer, HANSA International Maritime Journal 06/2023

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