The Firm is ranked in band 1 of the Legal 500 tables for shipping and the shipping litigation team is headed up by two experienced Partners Yazan Saoudi and Omar Omar. Furthermore, the Legal 500 recognises Omar Omar as one of just four “leading individuals” in the shipping legal community in the UAE. The Partners are assisted by a team of expert Associates and Senior Associates with contentious-maritime backgrounds spanning the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Kingdom and South Africa, enabling the team to respond to differing client requirements and advise on both regional and English law in line with international shipping practice.

Part of the firm’s broader Transport department our shipping practice is well balanced between contentious and non-contentious work and we advise all types of shipping clients, including ports, ship builders and yards, governmental entities, ship owning and chartering companies, cargo interests, P&amp;I clubs, insurers, brokers, underwriters and banks.

Our activity covers the waterfront of maritime work including shipbuilding, finance and mortgage contracts, collisions and insurance litigation, asset leasing, purchase deals, cargo claims, charter party disputes and ship arrests and hull and cargo policies. The ability to handle both the advisory and dispute resolution work together has proved to be a real benefit to our clients in this sector.

The Firm’s shipping litigation expertise extends to all types of wet and dry maritime disputes, boasting specialists in charterparties, cargo, containers, marine agency, shortages, groundings, bunkers, collisions, salvage, seaworthiness, vessel arrests, logistics and marine insurance, all working closely together to prevent and resolve our clients’ problems. The team also regularly advise on shipping arbitrations with various international arbitration institutions such as ICC, LMAA, LCIA, DIAC and ad hoc tribunals. The shipping litigation team are well placed to advise in Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC) matters because the Firm exclusively drafted the EMAC rules and procedures. We also handle arbitrations conducted in Arabic.

<strong>Specialist Practice Areas</strong>

We are regularly required to support our clients in the areas of:
<ul>
 	<li><strong>Ship Finance. </strong>We support and advise many clients on a full range of ship finance including Islamic compliant finance and debt and mortgage financing.</li>
 	<li><strong>Dispute resolution. </strong>We have varied experience including acting for numerous shipping and aviation companies and underwriters in litigation and arbitration concerning cargo claims, personal injury claims and aircraft damage claims, support regarding seizure and arrest of regionally based assets and advising underwriters on a full range of claims. Our experience in dispute resolution throughout the region is undisputed.</li>
 	<li>We advise on all aspects of crew employment including contracts and proceedings.</li>
 	<li>We advise on all matters related to shipping and corporate insurance.</li>
 	<li><strong>Mergers and Acquisitions. </strong>We advising private and corporate clients on all aspects of M&amp;A.</li>
 	<li><strong>Ship Finance. </strong>We support and advise many clients on a full range of ship finance including Islamic compliant finance and debt and mortgage financing.</li>
 	<li><strong>Ship Building. </strong>We advise on ship building contracts whether for vessel owners or yards including drafting all necessary documents and performing necessary due diligence</li>
</ul>