Shipping
What We Offer
Shipping is at the heart of what we do. Incisive Law has built its reputation on decades of experience advising shipowners, operators, charterers, P&I clubs, commodity traders, and cargo interests on contentious and non-contentious shipping matters. Recognised by the Straits Times and Statista as one of Singapore’s Best Law Firms for maritime law, we bring practical, commercially grounded advice to every matter we handle.
Singapore sits at the crossroads of global trade, and our team is deeply embedded in the shipping industry. We advise on Singapore law and English law, covering vessels of all types and flags. Whether a client is navigating a charter party dispute, responding to a cargo claim, or enforcing a judgment through arrest proceedings in Singapore, they can expect a team that understands the business, not just the law.
Our shipping practice covers three areas: Shipping Disputes, Admiralty, and Marine Casualties and Investigations.
Services
We act for shipowners, charterers, operators, and cargo interests in the full range of shipping disputes, including charter party claims, bills of lading disputes, cargo damage and loss, demurrage, freight, and off-hire. We represent clients before the Singapore Courts and in international arbitration, including proceedings under the LMAA, SIAC, and SCMA rules.
We advise on admiralty proceedings in Singapore, including the arrest of vessels and the provision and enforcement of security. Our team has handled admiralty actions across a broad range of vessel types and claim types, and is experienced in the procedural requirements of the Singapore High Court’s admiralty jurisdiction.
We advise shipowners, operators, and insurers in the aftermath of marine casualties, including collisions, groundings, and cargo losses. This includes advising on liability exposure, engaging with investigators and surveyors, corresponding with P&I clubs, and managing any resulting proceedings.
All of our training is practical, interactive, accessible and engaging, and can be tailored to your interests and the requirements of your business.
For more information, please contact Kim Seah.
- Acted for a group of five marine insurers, Incisive Law secured a full reversal of the High Court decision at the Court of Appeal, defeating a USD 56 million marine insurance claim after nearly eight years of litigation. The Court of Appeal delivered a landmark ruling clarifying the burden of proof for perils of the seas claims and the conditions for establishing constructive total loss, with significant implications for the marine insurance industry across the region.
- Acting for the Swedish Club and the owners of the Sea Justice, Incisive Law obtained a forum non conveniens stay of Singapore admiralty proceedings in favour of limitation proceedings already constituted in the People’s Republic of China. The Court of Appeal affirmed that a shipowner, not a claimant, has the right to choose the limitation forum, and that Singapore security cannot be retained where a stay has been granted in favour of foreign limitation proceedings.
- Acted for the owners of a vessel and their P&I club in Singapore admiralty proceedings arising from a collision with a sanctioned vessel in the Singapore Straits, Incisive Law successfully navigated complex questions of US, UK and EU sanctions law, resulting in the first reported Singapore judgment on the impact of US sanctions on maritime payments. The decision clarified whether payment into court for security and payment out pursuant to judgment would contravene the US sanctions regime.
- Acted for CU Lines Limited as charterers, Incisive Law successfully resisted a vessel arrest in Singapore and obtained a reported decision addressing the novel question of whether the court retains a residual discretion not to enforce a consent order concerning the forum for resolving disputes. The decision contributed to Singapore jurisprudence on the appropriate forum for wrongful arrest claims where the substantive dispute is stayed in favour of arbitration.
- Acted for the fourth defendant in an investment dispute arising from a USD 1 million placement in a fund connected to a solar technology company, Incisive Law successfully defeated all claims of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation after an eight-day trial in the General Division of the High Court of Singapore. The court dismissed every claim, finding that the representations relied upon were either not made, not false, or not relied upon by the claimants in making their investments.
- Advised a shipowner in successfully resisting a wrongful arrest, resulting in an award of damages against the arresting party.
- Advised owners and insurers following a collision, coordinating with surveyors, managing security, and advising on apportionment of liability.
- Represented shipowners in allegations of wrongful termination and unpaid hire, achieving a favourable outcome at arbitration.
- Acted for cargo interests in a contamination claim, advising on bill of lading liability and coordinating recovery against the carrier and P&I club.
- Acted for a creditor in the arrest of a vessel in Singapore, advising on the admiralty writ and negotiating alternative security.
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