News brief
The London Shipping Law Centre (Maritime Business Forum) is marking its twentieth anniversary with a move to the capital’s judicial hub, boosting its plans for 2014. Since the start of the year, it has been provided with office premises by Quadrant Chambers (one of its corporate members) and is based at Quadrant House, 10 Fleet Street.
Having established its role in London since January 1994 with its pioneering programme to raise awareness in risk management across the board in shipping, LSLC has become internationally recognised for the value of its seminars, mock trials, courses, dissemination of information and cross-fertilisation of knowledge for continuing professional development.
Experts have presented on topical issues affecting commercial, regulatory, safety and security aspects concerning the business of shipping with particular reference to the legal issues arising.
We are proud to claim ownership of certain landmarks of the LSLC in risk management education. Some sessions have given rise to challenges to unworkable law and regulation via a dialogue between the industry and regulators to promote reform.
We mark the 20th anniversary with seminars involving a variety of contemporary issues. In the first half of 2014, eight events have been arranged to cover time charter indemnities; developments in Rule B, freezing injunctions and anti-suit relief; sanctions; piracy; recent developments in charterparties; stowage; bills of lading; insurance and P&I issues.
The opening seminar at Hill Dickinson on February 3rd focuses on time charters, posing the question “Is the Athanasia Comninos good law?”
The second one on “Recent developments in Rule B relief, freezing injunctions and anti-suit relief” will take place at Arundel House, Temple, on the 20th of February 2014.
The session will be followed by a reception for the launch of the third edition of Modern Maritime Law, authored by the Founder and Chairman of the LSLC, Dr Aleka Mandaraka-Sheppard, maritime arbitrator. The book includes in its first volume two chapters on the seminar subject; the Rule B attachment has been contributed by a New York attorney, Alan Van Praag, who also takes part in this event’s panel.
Further seminars are planned for the second half of the year, to be supplemented by special events on groundings, salvage and prevention of pollution, and on risk management issues. The Centre’s directors are also looking into restoring its special shipping and commercial mediation course, given the growing importance of this means of dispute resolution.
The 13th Cadwallader symposium and dinner is being planned for the Autumn. It will build on the event’s established reputation for considering the wider challenges facing the shipping industry.
This year will see an expansion of activity from the Young Maritime Professionals, which was founded in 2011 at the initiation of the LSLC’s Chairman and functions under the LSLC’s auspices. A flourishing committee is putting together a vigorous programme of professional and social events; educational visits; and presentations to and mentoring of students considering maritime careers.
Dr Aleka Mandaraka-Sheppard reflects on the two decades of the LSLC’s existence: “I am delighted that LSLC has been endorsed at home and abroad for the very high quality of its unique, non-profit making, educational service in maritime business and law. This brings together shipping practitioners, entrepreneurs, judges, and academics, to exchange the latest thinking, views and ideas within a multidisciplinary framework”.
“We started in the academic world, moved to the City and have now come to the heart of the country’s legal community.
We are very pleased indeed to be running our activities from Quadrant House. Like our other corporate members, Quadrant Chambers have always demonstrated strong affiliation with and support for what we have been doing.”
The LSLC Maritime Business Forum is now based at Quadrant House, 10 Fleet Street London EC4Y 1AU – Tel: +44 (0) 20 7936 3417;
Email: shipping@shippinglbc.co.uk; Website: www.shippinglbc.com; Chairman’s line: +44(0) 20 7936 3418; Email: asheppard@shippinglbc.co.uk
Modern Maritime Law
Third edition. Volumes 1 and 2
In examining jurisdiction, maritime law and practice, the author highlights the importance of risk management, which since the 1st and 2nd editions of this book (2001, 2007) has been taken on board by many practitioners and commercial people in the shipping business.
JURISDICTION AND RISKS (VOL. 1) covers the enforcement of maritime claims, providing detailed analysis of the conditions relating to ship arrest, wrongful arrest, beneficial ownership, piercing the corporate veil, forum non-convenience, jurisdiction and arbitration agreements and consequences of their breach, the EU jurisdiction regime (including the revised EU Regulation on jurisdiction), anti-suit injunctions and the jurisdictional limitations imposed upon English courts.
MANAGING RISKS AND LIABILITIES (VOL. 2) tackles substantive maritime law, particularly risks and liabilities—-and analyses issues of contract, tort and criminal law, causation and remoteness of damages.
Both volumes provide a valuable source of reference for lawyers, academics and shipping professionals worldwide. They are published by Informa Law from Routledge as part of their Maritime and Transport Law Library. For details, go to www.routledge.com/u/MML3.
