Shipping

Our Partners have extensive experience in advising clients on a comprehensive range of shipping and international trade issues, both contentious and non-contentious, including issues arising under charterparties, bills of lading, COAs and following casualties at sea. Our Partners regularly lecture for BIMCO and others on these topics, including on specialist charter forms such as SUPPLYTIME and HEAVYCON.

Our contentious experience includes:

Representing owners following claims resulting from loss of oil major approvals relating to the SIRE system.
Advising disponent owners on major losses following rejection of ship in Australia, causing cargo damages claimed in the millions.
Representing owners following deviation to save life during height of the pandemic.
Advising insurers on multiple issues arising out of bills of exchange alleged to have been obtained by fraud.
Advising disponent owners in a chain of charterparty arbitrations under differing contractual arrangements.
Representing successful charterers in respect of complex speed & performance disputes incurred over a long term time charter.
Defending owners in respect of claims brought under bills of lading for cargo ultimately determined to have been damaged by inherent vice.
Representing owners in respect of off-spec (alternatively unsuitable) bunkers stemmed to their vessel.
Providing advice to Owners, Charterers and their Clubs in respect of orders to proceed to Israel and the Red Sea in the context of increased tensions and attacks on shipping.
Advising on numerous ship repair and conversion projects / contracts, including: projects to convert LNG vessels into FSRUs, tankers into FPSOs and contracts for life extension works.
Representing the owner of a survey vessel in a SUPPLYTIME 2005 charter dispute with a charterer following a project in Brazil.
Representing the successful claimant and owner of an offshore support vessel in arbitration against a defaulting charterer under SUPPLYTIME 2017. The dispute involved arguments as to hire, off hire, set-off and time bars.
Advising the owner of a super yacht that was badly damaged due to fire in a ship repair yard.
Advising on a dispute under TOWCON relating to the Costa Concordia salvage operation.

Our approach is to listen to the client and develop a strategy that is tailored to the client’s requirements.

Sometimes this entails assisting entirely in the background to help the client identify the best legal arguments to achieve a favourable commercial settlement. On other occasions this entails conducting heavy weight arbitration or litigation until its final conclusion.

Our non-contentious experience includes:

Advising on the terms for the construction of a jack-up wind installation vessel, and the provision of the main crane as buyer's supply.
Advising charterers of a heavy transport vessel in relation to the terms of a HEAVYLIFTVOY charter governing multiple laden shuttle runs for an offshore wind project.
Advising the FPSO Contractor in relation to the charter, operation and maintenance of a MOPU in Nigeria.

View detail of further experience

Thought Leaders

Our Partners are thought leaders who are committed to the shipping industry

Law Society Solicitor of the Year 2018
Highly Commended for Insurance in the Legal Business Awards 2019
Thompson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer for 2023
Recognised in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

"Tom Adams has worked hard to understand our business as well as the key stakeholders and decision-makers within the business."
"Alex has an exceptional ability to zone in on detail whilst also considering the wider strategy."
"Simon’s work has been described by industry professionals as “ground-breaking"
"Tony is very proactive, resourceful and powerful in arbitrations"
"The team is excellent, both in terms of the quality of the work performed and the deep understanding of the client’s business. They are focused on serving the client's holistic needs.”
"Alex is brilliant at running a large team consisting of solicitors, counsel, experts and witnesses to ensure the best outcomes for clients.”
"Tom provides clear, practical and relevant advice on a repeat basis. His candour and temperament instil confidence that what you are being told is the true picture and not just providing you with what you want to hear."
"Simon Moore has an innate sense of what the clients want"

Legal 500
"Tony is a true offshore specialist"
"Tom Adams is absolutely outstanding in his availability, responsiveness and brilliant combination of legal knowledge, practical contractual application, dispute resolution and ability to bring in other disciplines from the firm."
"We regularly engage Simon on insolvency and general commercial-related litigation matters as we very much value his strategic insights, his practical approach and his overall expert guidance”
Simon Moore, Thomson Reuters Stand-Out lawyer for 2023
“Simon gives market-leading advice and builds relationships for long-term success”
“Simon is rare: he understands risk is there to be managed, not eliminated.”

Offshore Contractor Client
" Tom provides clear, practical and relevant advice on a repeat basis. His candour and temperament instil confidence that what you are being told is the true picture and not just providing you with what you want to hear. "

Legal 500

The World’s leading legal directory