Australia's blue economy is vast and complex. From the Coral Sea to the Southern Ocean, from coastal trade to international bulk cargo, maritime operations involve layered risks, intricate contracts, and jurisdictional questions that demand genuine specialist expertise. We provide it.
Jurisdiction & expertise
We practise under Australian admiralty jurisdiction — including the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth), the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991 (Cth), and the Marine Insurance Act 1909 (Cth) — alongside the major international conventions: Hague-Visby Rules, the 1989 Salvage Convention, COLREGs, and MARPOL.
We act for shipowners, operators, charterers, cargo interests, P&I clubs, marine insurers, port operators, and seafarers. Our approach is commercial: we understand that the shipping industry moves on time and that protracted legal disputes have real operational costs. We work to resolve matters efficiently — and we litigate when it is necessary and advantageous to do so.
We handle vessel arrests in rem in the Federal Court of Australia — one of the most powerful remedies available to maritime creditors — and advise on the strategic timing and risk of such actions.
Areas of expertise
Services in detail
We handle recovery actions for cargo loss, damage, and delay — under the Hague-Visby Rules and the Australian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act. We advise shippers, receivers, freight forwarders, and insurers on liability exposure, bill of lading interpretation, time-bar risk, and claim strategy.
We draft, review, and negotiate time, voyage, and bareboat charters — drawing on standard forms (NYPE, Gencon, Barecon) adapted for Australian trade conditions. We advise on off-hire, demurrage calculation, laytime disputes, redelivery, and breach — and represent clients in charter arbitrations.
We advise on hull and machinery, cargo, P&I, and war risk policy structuring — and manage claims disputes where insurers deny or limit coverage. We act for both assured and insurer, giving us a practical understanding of how coverage disputes are assessed from both sides.
We advise on vessel financing arrangements, draft and register ship mortgages under the PPSA and Shipping Registration Act, and conduct due diligence for vessel purchases — including title searches, encumbrance reviews, and flag state compliance.
We advise on COLREGs liability following collisions, handle salvage award negotiations under the 1989 Salvage Convention, and advise on wreck removal obligations under the Nairobi Convention. We also manage general average adjustments and disputes.
We advise on MARPOL compliance, ballast water obligations under the Biosecurity Act, AMSA pollution prevention requirements, and the IMO 2030/2050 carbon intensity pathway. Operators facing regulatory investigation or enforcement action are represented before AMSA and in the Federal Court.
We represent seafarers in claims under the Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act — including injury, illness, repatriation, and unpaid wages. We also handle passenger claims arising from incidents on Australian domestic waterways and cruise operations.
We represent clients in LMAA and ACMA arbitrations and in Federal Court admiralty proceedings — including actions in rem (vessel arrest) and in personam. We advise on the strategic timing of arrest applications and the management of security and undertakings.
Maritime disputes move quickly. Time-bar deadlines under the Hague-Visby Rules and other conventions are unforgiving. Contact us early.
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