Maritime & Shipping

Recognised as a leading law firm by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for shipping in Singapore, maritime law is a core practice area of PDLegal. Noted by the publication as ‘a quality firm with a strong focus on shipping in Singapore’, our lawyers are experienced across the full spectrum of shipping and admiralty work, from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and insurance and advisory matters.

Operating from Singapore, one of the world’s busiest maritime hubs, we combine deep local knowledge with strong global networks to support our clients wherever their business takes them by providing precise, practical, and timely advice to shipowners, charterers, P&I Clubs, H&M underwriters, cargo insurers, brokers, ship agents, managers, and other maritime institutions.

We advise insurers, P&I clubs and insured parties on marine and casualty insurance matters, including claims handling, complex coverage issues, disputes and defence strategies.

Our team advises on all areas of marine insurance, including Hull & Machinery, P&I, Cargo, War Risks, Loss of Hire, Builders Risks, FD&D, Freight Forwarder’s Liability, and ports/terminals insurance. We also handle matters involving collisions, salvage and wreck removal.

PDLegal also advises on shipbuilding, conversion and repair, the sale and purchase of second-hand tonnage, reflagging, ship registration or deregistration and escrow arrangements. Our team acts for shipowners, builders, financial institutions, and other stakeholders in ship transactions. We operate under both Singapore and English law, with extensive experience across Singapore-flagged vessels and international registries.

Our team’s proven expertise in contentious and non-contentious shipping work, coupled with our understanding of commercial realities and operational risks in the maritime industry, ensures practical solutions tailored to your needs across the globe.

Recent representative experience includes:

• Advised the owners of the vessel Ever Blink in connection with Singapore’s 2024 oil spill incident, including limitation of liability proceedings under the Merchant Shipping Act and the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, and the establishment of Singapore’s first fund under the 1992 Civil Liability Convention.
• Advised the charterers of the vessel Nordboen Sun on the implications of vessel arrest proceedings in India pending the determination of an LMAA arbitration seated in London.
• Represented Rotating Offshore Solutions Pte Ltd in a High Court action concerning damage to sensitive offshore engineering and construction assets.
• Represented a Singapore-listed company in a SIAC arbitration involving a US$85 million claim for breach of a long-term charterparty relating to a floating warehouse chartered to PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned national oil company.
• Represented an Indonesian shipping company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in defending a US$11 million claim in an LMAA arbitration arising from an alleged breach of a bareboat charterparty.
• Acted as lead counsel for a leading Mexican offshore drilling contractor in a US$60 million Singapore-seated arbitration against an internationally renowned shipyard concerning warranty claims arising under a US$500 million semi-submersible construction contract.
• Acted for shipowners in a claim against a UAE-based builder for damages arising from delay and negligence in the construction of an offshore platform with a contract price of US$8 million.
• Acted as lead counsel for one of India’s leading cashew exporters, with an 80-year history, in an international commercial arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre concerning contracts for the sale of 4,800 metric tonnes of cashews and a settlement agreement entered into at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Acted successfully for a Singapore-incorporated base-metals trading company in a dispute concerning shipments delivered to Penang, Malaysia, where it was discovered that the mineral cargo had been removed and replaced with iron ore.
• Acted for a P&I club on behalf of the owners of a Spanish-flagged vessel in Singapore High Court proceedings arising from the vessel’s grounding on coral reefs off an island in the Federated States of Micronesia.
• Acted as Singapore counsel in connection with a three-vessel collision involving the Lord Vishnu, Hai Qing and Skua in Singapore territorial waters.
• Acted for a P&I club on behalf of shipowners in connection with a collision between the bulk carriers Best Unity and Southern Explorer in Singapore waters.
• Acted for the German owners of the bulk carrier Mare Traveller in connection with its collision with the Densa Jaguar off Chittagong, successfully obtaining a stay of the Singapore court proceedings.
• Acted as Singapore counsel in connection with an incident involving the tug ALM Eagle and the barge POE Giant 12, which ran aground off Pedra Branca during towage.
• Acted as Singapore counsel for a P&I club on behalf of shipowners in connection with a collision between the product tanker United Fortitude and the vehicle carrier Oceanus Leader near Singapore.
• Represented ship agents in an ad hoc arbitration seated in Singapore concerning a US$2 million claim against a Ukraine-based shipowner for outstanding agency and management fees.
• Represented a P&I club in defending claims brought by cargo interests and an Indonesia-based container terminal for approximately US$1.5 million in alleged damage to cargo and containers caused by an explosion and subsequent fire at the terminal. The explosion was alleged to have originated from misdeclared dangerous goods packed in a container carried aboard the member’s vessel.
• Acted for shipowners in a claim against bunker suppliers for substantial damage to a vessel’s main engines arising from the supply of off-specification fuel oil. The claim was pursued in a Singapore-seated arbitration under the Singapore International Arbitration Centre’s bunker claims procedure.
• Acted for a subcontractor in defending a High Court claim brought by vessel owners and engine manufacturers for damages exceeding US$1.5 million arising from an engine-room fire.
• Acted as lead counsel for an SGX Mainboard-listed company in defending a Singapore High Court claim of approximately S$1 million brought by Indonesia-based subcontractors for invoices allegedly due from the client’s shipyard subsidiary in Batam.
• Acted for shipowners in a claim against a manufacturer of controllable-pitch propellers for loss and damage arising from alleged design defects.
• Acted for the owners of the vessels MV Kirana Santya and MV Kirana Hasta in defending a claim brought by a bank for alleged breaches of contracts of carriage, conversion, unlawful detention and deprivation of cargo. The cargo had been released to an end-buyer believed to be its lawful owner, but it was subsequently discovered that the end-buyer had relied on forged bills of lading.
• Acted for the registered owners of the vessel Sevilla Knutsen following its grounding on Eauripik Atoll in the State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Proceedings were commenced by local residents seeking compensation arising from the grounding. Successfully secured the vessel’s release and resisted the claimants’ application to stay the Singapore proceedings in favour of proceedings in the courts of the Federated States of Micronesia.
• Acted as Singapore counsel for a Hong Kong cargo and freight-forwarding company in commencing admiralty proceedings seeking indemnities from master carriers for cargo lost following the sinking of a Bahamian-flagged container vessel.
• Acted for the plaintiff in Singapore High Court proceedings against a Timor-Leste insurer concerning a gasoil cargo valued at approximately US$1.5 million. The cargo was intended to be shipped from Singapore to Karabela Port, Timor-Leste, but the carrying vessel was hijacked by pirates off Tanjung Berakit, Indonesia. The insurer alleged, among other matters, that the piracy had been staged, that the plaintiff had participated in a conspiracy, that the requirements of the Marine Insurance Act had not been satisfied and that the plaintiff lacked an insurable interest. Successfully obtained judgment for the full amount claimed.