Home · Practice areas · Maritime & Shipping Claims
Practice area
Maritime & shipping claims, handled by people who know shipping finance.
Our founding specialism. We prepare, value and negotiate commercial maritime claims for owners, charterers and operators, from the first notice to settlement.
Overview
Maritime & Shipping Claims
Shipping disputes are won or lost on detail: a statement of facts, a notice of readiness, a fuel sample, a time bar. Our leadership comes from the finance and management side of international shipping and insurance groups, so we read a claim the way the other side's operations, finance team and P&I club will.
We work alongside independent maritime solicitors, surveyors and P&I correspondents, bringing in each specialist when the matter genuinely needs them, and we track contractual time bars from day one.
Focus page: Demurrage claims, recovery and defence
What we handle
Matters we take on.
Business-to-business matters only, resolved by negotiation and settlement before court wherever possible.
Demurrage & laytime
Laytime calculations, statement of facts reviews, notice of readiness disputes and deductions.
Bunker quality & quantity
Off-spec fuel, short delivery and sampling disputes, including damage quantification.
Charter party disputes
Off-hire, speed and consumption, deductions from hire and performance claims.
Hire & freight
Recovery of unpaid hire, freight, dead freight and final balances.
Suppliers, agents & repairers
Disputes with agents, chandlers, repairers and service providers.
Legal notices & demands
Structured responses to formal demands, and negotiated outcomes.
Sale & purchase disputes
Deposit, condition and delivery disputes under vessel sale contracts.
Arbitration preparation
Claim submissions, quantum and document bundles for LMAA proceedings.
Time bar management
Diarising contractual deadlines and assembling complete claim packs.
Our approach
Prepared properly. Negotiated firmly.
- 01
Review
Free assessment of merits, quantum, time limits and recoverability.
- 02
Strategy
A written engagement letter with the plan and the fee.
- 03
Preparation
Evidence, calculations and a clear claim or response.
- 04
Negotiation
Direct talks aimed at a documented commercial settlement.
Typical clients: Shipowners and ship managers · Charterers and operators · Commodity traders with chartered tonnage · Bunker buyers · Ship agents and service providers
FAQ
Questions about this practice.
General information only; every matter turns on its own facts and documents.
Can you act if the charter party has a London arbitration clause?
Yes. Many maritime disputes are resolved under LMAA terms. Parties may generally choose who represents them in arbitration, and we prepare submissions and quantum, coordinating with maritime solicitors where the matter requires.
What do you need to review a demurrage claim?
The charter party (with any recap), the statement of facts, notices of readiness, pumping records where relevant, the laytime calculation and the correspondence so far.
Our time bar is close. What should we do?
Message us on WhatsApp immediately. The first priority is to present a complete claim within the deadline, or to agree a written extension, before working on the merits.
How long do we have to present a demurrage claim?
It depends on the charter party. Many tanker and some dry forms require the claim, with specified supporting documents, within a short period after discharge, often 60 or 90 days. Missing the deadline or a required document can bar the claim entirely.
Can you act for charterers as well as owners?
Yes. We act for owners, charterers, operators and traders, whether pursuing a claim or defending one, subject to a conflict check.
Do you handle small demurrage claims?
Yes. Smaller claims are often resolved by a well-documented submission and short negotiation, and a fixed fee can make them economical to pursue.
Related guides
Further reading.
Practical guides from our insights library. See also our glossary and FAQ.
- Notice of readiness: when is it valid, and what if it is not?8 min read
- Laytime terms explained: SHINC, SHEX, WWD and the rest9 min read
- Speed and consumption claims: how performance disputes are won and lost8 min read
- Bunker quantity disputes: how to check what was really delivered8 min read
- EU ETS and charter parties: who pays for emission allowances?8 min read
- Arresting a ship to secure a claim: what creditors need to know9 min read
- The demurrage claim checklist: what to assemble before you submit4 min read
- How to write a demurrage claim letter (with a model structure)4 min read
- Cargo shortage and damage claims: a practical guide6 min read
- Unpaid freight and hire: using liens on cargo and sub-freights5 min read
- Off-spec bunkers: how to build a bunker quality claim6 min read
- Off-hire under time charters: deductions and disputes5 min read
- Time bars in maritime claims: the deadlines that sink good claims4 min read
- FD&D cover explained: how P&I clubs support commercial disputes4 min read
Other practice areas
Also handled by Atlas Claims.
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