Marine and shipping lawyers

Shipping — general

Our team of specialists advises ship operator and insurer clients (P&I, hull and machinery) on a range of liability and coverage issues in the areas of carriage of goods, time and voyage charterparties, cargo sale and supply contracts, and port and terminals liability, dealing in both defence and recovery matters.

Our involvement ranges from routine laytime and demurrage disputes to financial disputes under charterparties and more complex matters involving cargo condition and specification, and in emerging marine sub-sectors including renewables and energy.

Cargo and vessel operations

We have a wealth of experience in disputes involving loading/discharging operations, cargo shortage, contamination and loss, collisions, groundings. We act in all relevant forums including LMAA, LCIA, ICC, in the English courts and in mediation.

Marine contracts: commercial/transactional

Our team works at the forefront of marine deal- doing with the support of our other transactional teams.

We also advise on commercial shipping contracts and projects, including the drafting and negotiation of vessel sale agreements, charterparties, port terminal user contracts, supply agreements, logistics framework contracts, and routinely advise on BIMCO standard forms and wordings, including cyber, sanctions, emissions trading, and war/sanctions risks. 

Yachts and pleasure craft

Our team also has experience in the yacht and luxury asset market combining our marine law and contractual expertise with our private wealth capability, acting in relation to yacht management and ownership structures, sale and purchase (including co-ownership), commercial agreements and insurance and disputes work.

Personal injury

Our specialist marine personal injury team commonly deals with fatal accident, injury and related loss claims, including Coroner's Court inquests. Our team also handles complex crew and stevedore injury claims. As part of Weightmans' value-added services to clients, we also provide bespoke on-site training on the latest Health & Safety legislation. Our market-leading dedicated disease unit focuses on all occupational conditions, including short and long tail liability claims in both an EL and PL context.

Ports & terminals

Our clients include some of the UK's largest port and terminal operators, port authorities and marinas. We provide advice on contentious and non-contentious issues. We have specialist knowledge in this sector and are key legal advisors for one of the UK's largest-ever port redevelopment programmes.

We deal with all issues arising out of the interaction between ship, port and cargo interests. From claims arising out of collisions, unsafe ports, pollution and environmental incidents, bailment and goods in transit to fatal accidents, HSE and MCA intervention, our detailed understanding of operational and legal issues affecting the marine industry as a whole enables us to give port clients genuinely commercial advice.

Scotland

Our Glasgow office specialises in personal injury and fatal accident claims, industrial disease work, as well as regulatory matters, acting for owners, shipyards, marine insurers and operators involved in Scotland's offshore sector. 

Experience and market knowledge

Our understanding of the marine industry goes beyond interpretation of legal conventions, rules and regulations and extends to practical and operational expertise emanating from years of working in partnership with marine industry leaders.

Risk management, risk avoidance and brand protection are at the heart of our offering. Our specialist team offers practical, commercial and strategic solutions to the issues which affect your marine business.

Emergency casualty incident and commercial response — core services

All members of the team are available on a 24/7 basis via our designated emergency response contact number +44 (0)345 070 1412.

Our team is on hand to protect your commercial position with advice on marine incidents and casualties where time is of the essence, and time-critical contract negotiations, document review, asset protection, injunctions and freezing orders and security.

Added value services

Guidance on strategic challenges and industry developments is a fundamental part of our role as legal advisers. Insight means knowing what's keeping you awake at night today, and what will be doing so in six months time. The test for us, and where you get real value, is our translating these into opportunities for future development.

Helping your people become more effective is the best way of giving you better value. It's a given most law firms will offer you a training package — in this respect, we are no different — but here the similarities end. It isn't about rolling out an off the shelf package; it's about harnessing our intelligence. Giving you access to our knowledge — increasing the capability of your teams, strengthening your business and minimising risk is our goal. Where we make a real difference is by spotting training opportunities through our ongoing relationship.

In challenging economic times, where budgets are under scrutiny and boards are under pressure to reduce legal spend, the biggest difference we can make to our clients is by saving them money by doing the best job possible and advising you of when and how our services are best applied.
By identifying avoidable litigation we can create a win-win situation for all parties. Our "costs clock" is not always running. Even a major potential dispute can be solved or at least progressed with a (free) 5 minute phone call.

Fees

We are able to offer our clients London marine expertise without London rates.
We recognise the importance and certainty of proportionality to the case and the amount at stake.

We can work to alternative fee structures including fixed, capped and contingency fees by way of sharing in the risk and reward of your venture. For example, fixed fee arrangements could be more amendable for casualty/accident investigation attendance.

For other types of work or more complex cases, we are happy to agree fixed fees either in agreed stages or for the entire case. We can also agree staged payments up to certain stages (for example, up to close of pleadings, disclosure, and witness evidence). For recovery claims, we are happy to work to damages based agreements.