• "A great team player who works with solicitors and clients to draft and present the strongest case whilst always presenting a balanced view about the merits of the case." (Legal 500, 2024)
• "Hard working with good humour. Good sensible advice and will always try and make time no matter how busy he is." (Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2023)
• "He’s a good communicator and throughout the process gave clear direction to the case." (Chambers UK, 2023)
• "Nigel is a calm, unflappable KC." (Chambers UK, 2023)
• "His strength is his incredibly detailed and thorough forensic preparation of cases." (Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2022)
• "He is a calm and composed advocate who probes every fact and distils the issues methodically. He is very approachable and a pleasure to work with in a team.” (Chambers UK, 2022)

• "A pleasure to work with. Nigel is a good communicator and throughout the process gives clear direction to the case. Nigel’s advice has been pragmatic." (Legal 500, 2022)

• "His advocacy can be exceptional and he has a manner which goes down extremely well with judges and arbitrators alike." (Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2021)

• “He is very solid and pleasant, a very sound commercial lawyer.” (Chambers UK, 2021)

• "He has a manner which goes down extremely well with judges and arbitrators alike." (Legal 500, 2021)

• "Extremely competent and very experienced." (Who's Who Legal, 2020)

• "His style is painstaking and he can wear down opposing witnesses because he is so well-prepared." (Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2020)

• "He's very good on his feet and very thorough." (Chambers UK, 2020)

• "He is very precise and analytical." (Chambers UK, 2020)

• "He is very good on his feet and his forensic preparation of the case is incredible thorough and detailed." (Legal 500, 2020)

• "Very thorough, his knowledge of the law is superb and he is very easy to work with." (Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2019)

• ..."Very impressive. He has a really good grasp on technical details and he is very thorough."... "A real team player."... (Chambers UK 2019)

• "Very user-friendly and good on his feet." "He brings a strong intellect to the work. He’s very approachable and incredibly diligent." (Chambers UK, 2018)

• ..."He is very good on big-picture strategy, doesn’t micro-manage and is calm under pressure"... (Legal 500, 2017)

• ..."He did a fantastic job on his feet."... "He's very hard-working and good with juniors."... (Chambers UK, 2016)

• ..."He is very responsive and his advice is strategically very good." (Chambers UK, 2015)

• ..."First class advocate"... (The Legal 500, 2014)

•  ..."He is very responsive, not grand, and has a commercial attitude.”…"He is a guru in jurisdictional disputes."... (Chambers UK, 2014)

Dry Shipping

Nigel is regularly instructed in a whole range of dry shipping and commodity disputes including charterparty and bill of lading disputes (unsafe port, off-hire, unseaworthiness, identity of carrier claims and alternative liability in tort and bailment), and ship sale/MOA disputes in both Court and arbitration. In the past few months he has been instructed in arbitrations involving the carriage of cargoes of rail from Japan to the USA and the construction of a Pool Agreement.  He has also been instructed in GAFTA and RSA disputes (including appearance before the GAFTA Board of Appeal) and in disputes involving commodities, foodstuffs and oil trading.  In 2015 he appeared in a ‘rice’ dispute in the Kuala Lumpur Arbitration Centre.  Illustrative cases include:

• Recently led the cargo interests team in The "Atlantik Confidence" [2016] 2 Ll.R. 525 in which the right to limit under Article 4 of the 1976 Limitation Convention was successfully challenged by reference to the (alleged) scuttling of the vessel. This was the first time that a challenge to the right to limit had reached a trial in this jurisdiction since the enactment of the 1976 Limitation Convention (in 1990).  Several aspects of this case are still on-going.
• Recently appeared upon behalf of Owners of a chemical tanker in a case involving duties and obligations under a Pool Agreement. 
• Shagang South-Asia (Hong Kong) Trading Co Ltd v Daewoo Logistics [2015] EWHC 194 (Comm): an application under s.67 of the Arbitration Act 1996.  This was an important case in relation to the seat of an arbitration.
• Greatship (India) Ltd v Oceanografia SA de CV, The "Greatship Dhiriti" [2013] 2 Ll.R. 359 This was an appeal from an arbitration award in respect of an owners’ right to suspend the performance of services under the BIMCO Supplytime 1989 form without notice to charterers and the first case in which the Court gave detailed consideration to the right to suspend services in the context of Supplytime form.
• The "Western Moscow" [2012] 2 Ll.R. 163 involving the nature and scope of an owner's lien on sub-freight.
• The "Genius Star" [2012] 1 Ll.R. 222 involving an Inter Club Agreement.

Wet Shipping

Nigel is regularly instructed in marine casualties, including safe port disputes, collision, salvage, towage and pilotage disputes and limitation cases. Illustrative cases include:

• Led the team in the Court of Appeal in the “EVER SMART” [2019] 1 Ll.R. 130. This was the first collision appeal in Court of Appeal for about 15 years The Supreme Court has granted permission to appeal in the collision liability proceedings
• Led the “EVER SMART” team at the subsequent High Court trial on damages ([2019] EWHC 163 Admlty) reducing the claim of ALEXANDRA 1 from about US $38m to US S10m.   
• Instructed in the “SAGA SKY” collision and limitation litigation due for trial in early 2020.
• Led the First Appellant's team in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in the criminal appeal of Captain Yuriy Kulemesin in relation to the scope and application of the "narrow channel" rule:   [2013] 2 Ll.R. 367.  This case examined whether an undesignated stretch of waterway in Hong Kong waters constituted a "narrow channel" and the inter-relationship between Rule 9 of the Col Regs, general rules of good seamanship and Rules 17.
• Acted as counsel in The "Samco Europe" [2011] 2 Ll.R. 579 (an application of the crossing rules) and related costs issues (the effect of the withdrawal of a Part 61 offer).
• Acted as successful counsel in MIOM 1 v. Sea Echo [2012] 1 Ll. R. 140 involving counterclaims and costs in collision proceedings and the application of the single liability principle.
• Also represented one of the family action groups in the Marchioness Public Enquiry (2000).

Nigel is currently involved in a number of collision and unsafe port cases.

Nigel has been involved in cases involving the construction of the Pilotage Act 1987 and local harbour authority statutory powers, in the context of claims for breach of statutory duty, judicial review and public misfeasance. 

Nigel is instructed in a wide range of shipbuilding and related construction projects, including ship repair cases and pipeline construction and damage incidents.

Nigel is also regularly instructed in oil trading contracts: see, for example, The "Mercini Lady" [2011] 1 Ll.R. 442 (a leading case on FOB contracts and implied terms). He regularly acts in relation to other commodities: e.g. grain, sugar, and fertilisers.

Nigel has substantial experience in the field of energy and natural resources and off and on shore construction. Recent illustrative cases include Cho Offshore v. PDVS, which concerned the provision of offshore tugs to the Venezuelan oil industry and subsequent dispute as to commission and The Greatship Dhriti, involving tug supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.

Marine and Non-Marine Insurance and Reinsurance: including coverage disputes, non-disclosure and misrepresentation, fraudulent claims and scuttling. Nigel has also been involved in disputes involving P&I cover under Club Rules and liability between Clubs under the International Pooling Agreement.  Recent cases include:

• The "DC Merwestone" [2013] 2 Ll.R. 131 (the meaning and scope of "perils of the sea" cover, the effect of the Inchmaree provision and the effect of the fraudulent or reckless presentation of an otherwise valid claim upon recovery under the policy); 
• The "Buana Dua" [2011] 2 Ll.R. 655 (construction of "follow the leader" clause and its effect on a breach of warranty defence and fraudulent presentation of a claim);
• The "Dina" (2008: early neutral evaluation): coverage and non-disclosure/misrepresentation dispute);
• Eagle Star v. Games Video, The "Game Boy" [2004] 1 Ll.R. 238 (misrepresentation and fraudulent claim);
• Project Asia Line v. Shone [2002] 1 Ll.R. 659 (statutory seaworthiness warranty and coverage dispute);

Nigel has substantial experience in letters of credit, guarantees, loan agreements and ship mortgages and related financial instruments and insurance products. He regularly appears and/or advises in cases involving liens on hire and sub-freight. Illustrative cases include:

• Representing the Greek trustee in bankruptcy in personal cross-border insolvency proceedings in Alpha Bank SA v Vardinoyiannis [2013] EWHC 4220 (Comm) involving the discharge of a freezing injunction and the release of shares to the receiver.
• The "Western Moscow" [2012] 2 Ll.R. 163 involving the nature and scope of an owner's lien on sub-freight.

Nigel is regularly instructed in general contractual and related disputes. Illustrative cases include:

• Loss of goods from warehouses as a result of fire or theft ([2004] 2 Ll.R. 241).
• Theft of mobile telephones from bailee’s warehouse caused by wilful default of bailee’s employees, whether bailee vicariously liable for employee wilful default and whether bailee was entitled to limit liability under cl. 27(A) of BIFA (including the application of the Unfair Contract Terms Act, 1977).
• Also instructed in judicial review cases (arising from the exercise of harbour authority and pilotage powers) and public misfeasance.
• The “Julia” [2003] Ll.R.I.R (recovery of interest)
• The “Siben” (No.2.) [1996] 1 Ll.R. 35 (fraudulent misrepresentation and rescission).

Nigel is regularly instructed in general contractual and related disputes. Illustrative cases include:

• Loss of goods from warehouses as a result of fire or theft ( [2004] 2 Ll.R. 241).
• theft of mobile telephones from bailee’s warehouse caused by willful default of bailee’s employees, whether bailee vicariously liable for employee willful default and whether bailee was entitled to limit liability under cl. 27(A) of BIFA (including the application of the Unfair Contract Terms Act, 1977).
• Also instructed in judicial review cases (arising from the exercise of harbour authority and pilotage powers) and public misfeasance.
• The “Julia” [2003] Ll.R.I.R (recovery of interest)
• The “Siben” (No.2.) [1996] 1 Ll.R. 35 (fraudulent misrepresentation and rescission).

Nigel has acted as mediator and as counsel in mediations on several occasions (in shipping and insurance disputes) during the past few years.

Nigel has substantial experience in insurance fraud including claims in respect of the fraudulent presentation of claims and the use of fraudulent devices. Illustrative cases include:

• He led the cargo interests team in The "Atlantik Confidence" in which the right to limit under Article 4 of the 1976 Limitation Convention was successfully challenged by reference to the (alleged) scuttling of the vessel. The case was heard over the course of 29 days from April to July 2016. 
• The "DC Merwestone" [2013] 2 Ll.R. 131 (the effect of the fraudulent or reckless presentation of an otherwise valid claim upon recovery under the policy);
• The "Buana Dua" [2011] 2 Ll.R. 655 (construction of "follow the leader" clause and its effect on a breach of warranty defence and fraudulent presentation of a claim);
• Eagle Star  v. Games Video, The "Game Boy" [2004] 1 Ll.R. 238 (misrepresentation and fraudulent claim);
• Frans Maas v. Samsung UK [2004] 2 Ll.R. 241(wilful default and theft in a warehouse contract);