Shipping & Transport

Shipping moves trade, connects markets and operates across borders by its very nature. It is also an industry in which commercial decisions often need to be made quickly, against a backdrop of complex contracts, international regulation and significant financial and operational risk.

Shipping is at the heart of our practice and one of the defining sectors of our firm. We advise shipowners, charterers, operators, managers and other maritime businesses throughout the lifecycle of their operations, from transactions and commercial arrangements to disputes. Our work is grounded in an understanding of how vessels are acquired, financed, owned, managed and employed and of the relationships between the many participants involved in international shipping.

Our experience extends to the wider transport industry, including yachts and leisure craft, aviation, rail, road transport and logistics. Across the sector, we combine industry knowledge with expertise drawn from across the firm to address matters that frequently cross legal disciplines and jurisdictions.

Our maritime work encompasses the acquisition and disposal of vessels, financing, ownership and corporate structures, registration and flagging, shipbuilding, repair and refit, and management and operational arrangements. We advise on charterparties, contracts of affreightment, bills of lading and other contracts governing the carriage of goods and commercial use of vessels.

Disputes are a significant part of our work. We advise on charterparty and cargo claims, demurrage and detention, off-hire and performance issues, casualties, marine insurance, vessel arrests and enforcement, representing clients in negotiations, court proceedings and international arbitration. Where matters span several jurisdictions, we coordinate with local counsel, technical experts and other advisers to provide clients with a coherent strategy.

The regulatory environment in which the industry operates continues to evolve. Sanctions and trade restrictions, environmental requirements and other regulatory developments can affect everything from the movement of cargo and contractual performance to financing and transactions. We assist clients in assessing these risks and their consequences for existing arrangements and future business.

Our work with yachts and leisure craft covers acquisitions and disposals, financing and ownership structures, registration and flagging, chartering, management, operation and refit. These matters often combine private ownership with sophisticated cross-border asset, financing and operational considerations.

In aviation, rail, road transport and logistics, we apply our experience of asset-based and cross-border businesses to commercial arrangements, transactions, financing, corporate and regulatory matters and disputes. We also advise where different modes of transport intersect, including logistics and multimodal operations and the contractual relationships through which goods move from origin to destination.

Whether a matter concerns a vessel at sea, a transport asset or the movement of goods across borders, our focus is on the commercial objective behind the legal question. We aim to provide advice that is clear, comprehensive and grounded in the realities of the industry.