Standard Bulletin: Defence Special Edition, October 2015

Defence cover is insurance for the legal and other costs of pursuing and defending claims relating to entered ships, where the sum in dispute is not otherwise insured. Although not all of our members buy defence cover, defence and legal matters are still of great importance to all our members.

This Special Edition follows on from our bulletin in January. The articles give a flavour of the types of issues and disputes that we have been dealing with over recent months.

In this bulletin, we focus on important legal developments in England and Wales, where many international owners and charterers still choose to litigate/arbitrate their matters, as well as Singapore and New York, which are increasingly significant jurisdictions for dispute resolution. As an international business, it is vital that we have inhouse knowledge and expertise in key jurisdictions so that we can assist with any dispute which arises. Indeed, the litigation following the collapse of the OW Bunker group (which we comprehensively cover within this bulletin, on pages 11 through to 16) is an excellent illustration of the international nature of our business.

We hope this Special Edition is of interest. For any further advice or clarification, members should feel free to contact the authors, or their usual club contact. The club also issues regular advices, web alerts and information sheets on important and/or reoccurring defence topics, all of which can be found here.

The Standard Club is always on hand to assist.