Shipping and Maritime Law

Stone Chambers have a leading practice in shipping and maritime law. We are recommended as a leading shipping set by both The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. Chambers & Partners 2012 recognised that Stone Chambers is a "genuine specialist shipping set" that provides "excellent value to its clients."Shipping and maritime law is a central specialisation of Stone Chambers - our barristers have expertise and experience in all aspects of shipping law, both 'wet' and 'dry'.

Stone Chambers' barristers have extensive experience relating to shipping contractual documents including bills of lading, charterparties, contracts of affreightment, and shipbuilding and ship sale and purchase contracts. In addition we are also familiar with the issues which arise in practice relating to offshore and energy matters, regulatory matters such as marine environmental / pollution and port state control, collisions, salvage and wreck removal, and also competition, employment and commodities issues arising in shipping contexts.

Our barristers advise and represent parties in all types of cases relating to shipping and offshore activities in the civil and criminal courts, arbitrations, inquiries and other tribunals in the UK and other countries. Several barristers have been instructed by the Treasury Solicitor in Admiralty matters. Senior members sit as arbitrators in commercial maritime, collision and salvage disputes and have chaired public inquiries.

Elizabeth Blackburn QC is a first instance arbitrator on the Lloyd's Open Form arbitration panel.

A number of Stone Chambers' barristers are members of the British Maritime Law Association and supporting members of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association. We are often invited to speak at events organised by the London Shipping Law Centre.

Chambers and Partners and/or Legal 500 recommend Steven Gee QC, John Reeder QC, Elizabeth Blackburn QC, Vasanti Selvaratnam QC, Timothy Hill QC, Rachel Toney, Mark Jones, Ravi Aswani and Tom Whitehead as leading barristers for shipping law.

For further information please see our Testimonials page.