We provide comprehensive support in both contentious and non-contentious maritime matters under German and English law.
Advice in the maritime sector is one of our key practice areas. Unlike many other firms, we provide comprehensive support in both non-contentious and contentious matters. Our lawyers are recognised as market leaders in this field.
English law plays a vital role in the maritime industry. Our Hamburg office is unique in combining a team of German lawyers with a strong in-house team of English-qualified solicitors, enabling us to offer seamless, integrated advice.
In the maritime sector, we advise throughout the entire lifecycle of a ship. This includes advice on newbuilding contracts, sale and purchase transactions, charterparties, management agreements, and insurance. We also assist with national and cross-border ship financings, including ECA-covered facilities, leasing structures (in particular Chinese leasing, JOLCOs, and sale-and-leaseback structures), loan portfolio transfers, restructurings, insolvencies, ship arrests, and mortgage enforcements.
We have extensive experience when it comes to disputes, and our contentious services cover all aspects of dispute resolution. We represent our clients in mediation, litigation and arbitration proceedings. We do so in front of all German and English state courts as well as under German, English and international arbitration tribunals (ICC, GMAA, DIS, Tribunals of the Hamburg Chambers of Commerce, LMAA, LCIA, ClArb, as well as in ad hoc tribunals). We regularly represent clients in ship management, shipbuilding and sale and purchase disputes, and also with respect to charter party, bill of lading and cargo claims. We have a strong contentious insurance practice covering not only marine insurance matters (P&I and H&M), but also third-party liability, D&O, insurance and re-insurance matters. We also have extensive non-contentious expertise in corporate matters, including advice on company formations , M&A transactions, and joint ventures. We also provide ongoing corporate support.
Furthermore, we have particular expertise in regulatory issues such as sanctions, ship recycling, FuelEU Maritime, and the EU ETS.
Our team is also known for its outstanding expertise in large-scale admiralty cases, including collisions, allisions, salvage, general average, wreck removal, groundings, fires, crane collapses, canal blockages, cargo loss, and constructive or actual total losses. For such "wet shipping" matters, we have a team of legally qualified German and English casualty investigators available 24/7 to respond to urgent incidents in German waters and globally.
We are recognised specialists in the yachting sector, advising yacht and superyacht owners and their insurers on newbuildings and sale and purchase projects. We also act in disputes arising from yacht-building, refit/repair, charterparty, and insurance contracts.
