Legalseas

Legal and market updates from our maritime lawyers around the world

Our shipping law insights provide legal and market commentary, addressing the key questions and topics of interest to our clients operating in the shipping industry, helping them to effectively manage risk.

The knowledge of our global shipping lawyers encompasses every aspect of shipping law, including admiralty and marine-related matters. We provide the information charterers, marine insurance providers, ship financiers and shipowners need in order to navigate the changes and challenges facing the industry, including new environmental regulations and ship safety standards, the latest developments in shipping finance, and the move towards digitalization.

Legalseas – latest publication

In our latest Legalseas publication we provide analysis and commentary on the EU ETS. In July 2021, the European Union (EU) released the ‘Fit for 55’ package, a set of proposals to update EU law in order to meet the EU’s aims of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. A number of the proposals are intended to impact the shipping industry, including the proposed expansion of the EU emissions trading scheme (the EU ETS) to include maritime transport. On 18 December 2022, after scrutiny from a number of EU legislative chambers, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the EU ETS proposals. A draft version of the directive was published on 8 February 2023 and this was approved by the EU Parliament on 18 April 2023. In this article we look at what the EU ETS is, the scope of the Directive and how this will impact the shipping market.

You can read this and all our articles in the ‘Recent insights’ section below.

Recent insights

Women at sea: What you don’t see

Nina Varumo is a freelance portrait and documentary photographer based in Stockholm. A recent project of hers Kvinnor till sjöss (‘Women at sea’) is on ongoing photo series highlighting the working life of female seafarers in order to change the stereotypical image of what and who is a seafarer.

Global | Publication | May 16, 2023

Sustainability-linked loans: Practical observations and thoughts

Sustainability linked loans (SLLs) have become increasingly popular in financings. This article looks at some practical observations and considerations for lenders in relation to the main characteristics, principles and elements to consider in relation to sustainability-linked loans.

Global | Publication | July 07, 2022

EU Green Deal and Maritime Fuel

As we reported here, in July 2021, the EU published its update to the ‘green deal’, known as “Fit for 55” in reference to the 55% reduction in carbon emissions targeted for 2030.

Global | Publication | October 26, 2021

Global: Conflicting views: Mortgagees v charterers

For the past 10 months, COVID-19 has exacerbated conditions for owners in worsening market conditions and heightened the risk of confrontation between their mortgagees and charterers, two groups who rarely meet unless trouble is brewing.

Global | Publication | November 20, 2020

Drafting notes from the <em>Miracle Hope</em>: the meaning of forthwith

Global: Drafting notes from the Miracle Hope: the meaning of forthwith

A judgment of the High Court in London earlier this year considered, amongst other things, the correct interpretation of the term “forthwith.”

Global | Publication | November 09, 2020

Global: COVID-19 and bill of lading fraud

Times of economic crisis have historically often flushed out frauds and other unscrupulous dealings which may not otherwise have been discovered in normal economic conditions. It appears that the COVID-19 pandemic, together with other economic factors such as depressed oil prices, are no exception.

Global | Publication | November 06, 2020

Preliminary trends in arbitration in the shipping sector in light of COVID-19

Global: Preliminary trends in arbitration in the shipping sector amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in court access in many jurisdictions being severely curtailed. Certain jurisdictions are permitting urgent matters to proceed, often by way of telephone or videoconference.

Global | Publication | July 20, 2020

The Collision Regulations and Autonomous Shipping

In the May 2019 edition of Legalseas, we reflected on the implication of the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Evergreen Marine v Nautical Challenge (Evergreen) when considering the interaction (and interpretation) of the Collision Regulations (COLREGs) (specifically the crossing rule (Rule 15) and narrow channel rule (Rule 9)) in circumstances when they appeared to conflict.

Global | Publication | July 13, 2020