COMMODITIES
“Hands-on, quick and dedicated in their assistance.” – Legal 500
Our maritime practice is at the heart of what we do. We provide elite disputes and bespoke advisory services to clients across the maritime sector.
Our team is drawn from Tier 1 firms and the Bar. We have a wealth of experience in the most complex, fast-paced and high-value issues affecting maritime market participants. We continue to challenge the leading firms in the shipping legal market in New York, London and Australia.
We advise on all issues across the sector, from decarbonisation regulatory advice to contractual disputes to admiralty claims. Our team combines deep maritime sector knowledge with experience advising in high-value commercial litigation and arbitration, ensuring we are uniquely well placed to advise on the market’s biggest challenges.
We act for household name vessel owners, operators and trading companies, as well as charterers, cargo owners, terminal operators, logistics service providers, equipment owners and operators, P&I Clubs, and insurers (international and domestic). Our client list is overwhelmingly made up of repeat business, and our focus is on forming long-term partnerships, not one-off instructions.
MARITIME DISPUTES
Our firm’s experience in and knowledge of the maritime sector, combined with our team of committed lawyers with experience in market leading disputes work, means that we are positioned to advise on the most complex disputes in the sector. We understand the commercial background to these disputes, and have the intellectual flexibility to apply that market understanding to the industries biggest challenges.
We act for some of the best known companies in the market. Our approach is to develop strong long-term relationships with our clients. Our approach allows us to advise across the board, from day-to-day dry shipping disputes, to large scale international arbitration within the maritime context.
- Advising a major container line in its response to the attacks to commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea, and in the disputes which subsequently arose under long term rate agreements and bills of lading.
- Acting for an LNG shipowner in defending a EUR60m claim brought by charterers under a long-term time charterparty due to the failure of the cargo pumps on a newbuild LNG vessel. We have also assisted in bringing related claims against the shipyard and the pump manufacturer.
- Assisting a client in obtaining anti-suit relief in the English High Court preventing Dutch proceedings on liability which were commenced in relation to an alleged USD20m damages claim relating to increased container shipping rates.
- Advising and acting for a client in a USD40m LCIA arbitration relating to a dispute arising out of a joint venture shipping terminal project.
- Representing a sub-charterer client in respect of losses sustained due to hull damage sustained to a Vessel while steaming through ice, and defending the related claims brought by the Owners for the Vessel damage.
- Representing a charterer in a USD20m LMAA arbitration which proceeded under an expedited procedure, relating to the alleged withdrawal of a vessel before all subjects were lifted.
- Acting for a client in the defence of a sanctions-related injunction obtained ex parte from the English High Court, and in relation to the potential multi-million USD consequences of complying with the injunction.
- Assisting a group of companies emerging after a Chapter 11 reorganization with recovering a fleet of LPG and combined oil & chemical tankers worldwide.
- Acting for a charterer in the middle of the charterparty chain in relation to deficiencies in the Vessel’s deck cranes. This matter developed to a section 44 Application to compel testing of the cranes in order to break the deadlock at the load port.
MARITIME TRANSACTIONAL
Our transactional team advises across the board on shipping transactions and projects. From bespoke charterparty forms to clauses dealing with upcoming regulatory challenges, our team provides clear, concise and commercial drafting.
We have advised some of the industry’s largest entities on major contractual projects. In particular, our maritime transactional team has significant experience advising on and drafting LNG charterparties and other contractual documents relating to the carriage of energy products
- Representing a US engineering, transportation, and instrumentation company with the Acquisition Agreement, with its attachments was a standard agreement for the outright sale and purchase of a vessel, purchased from a US marine transportation company. Completed the vessels $12million sale.
- Serving as in-house counsel for a US Jones Act-compliant transport services provider, drafting and negotiating contracts with various vendors and customers. Those contracts include master transportation services agreements, master vessel repair agreements, purchase agreements, charterparties, consultancy agreement.
- Writing a bespoke suite of trading agreements for the world’s biggest chartering company and container capacity provider.
- Assisting various prominent market participants with bespoke master time charterparties and confirmation notice for spot and short-term trading of LNG vessels.
- Advising clients with the drafting and negotiating of a long-time charterparty for the charter of the Vessel as an FSU, as part of a new small-scale LNG operation
