Caroline is an experienced and sought-after senior junior (popular with leaders, instructing solicitors and lay clients alike), particularly in the shipping and energy/offshore fields. She won Shipping Junior of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2023, an accolade which she has twice previously been awarded in 2020 and 2015. Caroline was also shortlisted for Shipping Junior of the Year for the Legal 500 UK Awards 2019. Caroline was named one of the top 10 maritime lawyers of 2020 by Lloyd's List. She was also recognised as one of Legal Week's 'Stars at the Bar', ("Her attention to detail and analysis are first class and advocacy skills are excellent") and is further praised by Chambers UK for being "hard-working, thorough and user-friendly"; "responsive, available and highly intelligent" and "tough as nails, very bright and very succinct". Most recently, Caroline was featured in Doyle's Guide for Maritime, Shipping & Transport Law.
Caroline’s practice encompasses the broad range of general commercial litigation and arbitration. Her particular areas of specialism include shipping, carriage of goods, energy/offshore, shipping and commodities. She undertakes drafting and advisory work in all areas of her practice and regularly appears both in Court (Commercial Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court) and in arbitration, both as sole counsel and as junior. Caroline has particular experience of ‘heavy’ cases (both in terms of documents and technical issues) and is known both for her skill in effectively managing, dissecting and presenting such cases and also her collaborative and user-friendly approach.
International Arbitration
A significant proportion of Caroline's practice comprises cases dealt with by way of arbitration, in particular on the LMAA and LCIA terms, of which Caroline has extensive experience. Caroline is a persuasive and effective oral advocate, with a wealth of experience both in terms of substantive hearings and interlocutory applications. A number of LMAA arbitrations proceed to an award on a documents-alone basis, where Caroline's skill lies in identifying the important issues and producing clear, focused and persuasive written submissions.
Caroline’s LMAA experience as Counsel covers the full spectrum of issues arising under charterparties, bills of lading and associated documents, including claims for damages to and / or misdelivery of cargo, unsafe port cases, claims for early / late redelivery, off-hire disputes, claims for demurrage / damages for detention, claims in respect of off-spec bunkers, claims under letters of indemnity, claims under the NYPE Inter-Club Agreement and cases concerning the application and effect of the Hague/Hague-Visby Rules and speed and consumption claims.
Caroline's LCIA experience as Counsel includes the following:
- Junior counsel in a dispute concerning claims and counterclaims arising under a charter of an FPSO and associated services agreement.
- Junior counsel in a dispute under a contract for the design and construction of a fixed production platform for processing gas.
- Junior counsel in a dispute under a Memorandum of Agreement relating to a project for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of First Commercial Production facilities for an oilfield development in Iraq.
- Dispute under a joint venture agreement in respect of a Panamanian investment vehicle for the operation of long term charters.
- Junior counsel representing a Russian investment vehicle as against a former CIS state for expropriation of aviation assets (US$20 million).
Caroline has also been instructed in a number of cases concerning applications to the Court under the 1996 Act, in particular applications under section 68 and 69. Her cases include W Ltd v M Sdn Bhd [2016] EWHC 422 (Comm), in which Caroline acted (with Luke Parsons Q.C.) and successfully resisted a s. 68 challenge to an arbitration award on the grounds of alleged apparent bias on the part of the arbitrator, notwithstanding that the conflict in question fell within the Non-Waivable Red List of the IBA Guidelines.
Caroline accepts appointment as arbitrator and has recently been appointed as sole, presiding and co-arbitrator in a number of SIAC and LCIA arbitrations, including:
- Presiding arbitrator in a dispute under a port agency agreement (SIAC)
- Sole arbitrator in a voyage charter dispute (SIAC)
- Co-arbitrator in a dispute under a contract for the sale and purchase of fuel oil (LCIA)
- Sole arbitrator in a dispute under a contract for the sale and purchase of clinker (LCIA)
- Sole arbitrator in a dispute under a contract for the supply and purchase of metal products (LCIA)