• "Clever and hard-working, she is wise beyond her years." (Legal 500, 2025)

As a core area of Celine’s practice, she handles the full range of dry shipping, commodities and international carriage of goods work. 

Recent and continuing cases include, by way of example: 

• Off-hire claims resulting from congestion, covid-19 delays, detainment and arrest.
• Unsafe port/ berth claims, including groundings.  
• General average claims. 
• Salvage indemnity disputes. 
• Laytime and demurrage claims. 
• Claims under the MYBA form. 
• Claims under the NYPE Interclub Agreement. 
• Acting for and advising owners and cargo interests in bills of lading disputes. Primarily concerning Hague/Visby Rules issues, contamination and short delivery of cargo. 
• Acting, for Owners and Charterers, in off-spec bunker claims. 

As junior counsel: 

• With John Russell KC, on behalf of respondent Owners, in arbitration proceedings concerning several main engine breakdowns and long periods of detention.  Issues concern the applicability of the off-hire and detention clauses, alleged unseaworthiness and failure to maintain. 
• With Henry Ellis, for claimant time charterers (a leading global produce company) in a multi-million-dollar claim arising from alleged unseaworthiness of a large containership. The case involves complex quantum analysis.
• With Nevil Phillips in an LMAA arbitration concerning questions of ‘damage’ and the correct apportionment under the NYPE Interclub Agreement for cargo claim losses arising out of the inherent vice of the cargo. 
• Acting on behalf of Carnival and P&O Princess cruises in in rem proceedings and obtaining judgment in default. Celine, led by John Kimbell KC, acted in a series of admiralty proceedings arising out of the insolvency of cruise ship operators as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic reported at [2020] EWHC 3443 (Admlty).  

Celine acts for many commercial parties to sales contracts, multi-party framework agreements and distribution agreements in both domestic and international contexts. 

Examples of recent and ongoing cases where Celine is acting as sole counsel include: 

• Cases concerning contractual termination, incorporation of terms, notice provisions, time-bars and jurisdictional issues.
• Force majeure provisions, pandemic and diseases clauses and frustration disputes- particularly arising in the context of Covid-19.  
• Contracts of sale of goods or services- disputes concerning the applicable terms (battle of the forms), misdelivery, defective products and the application of the Sale of Goods Act. 
• Freight forwarding and warehousing claims- Celine was instructed by freight forwarders, a major road haulage carrier, in High Court Proceedings brought by cargo interests. Issues concerned incorporation of terms, the contractual standard of care and causation. Celine assisted in securing an early settlement in her client’s favour. 
• Celine has also appeared in the Commercial Court and Circuit Commercial Court to obtain summary judgment, strike out or default judgment- often involving defendants in foreign jurisdictions and advising on potential issues concerning enforcement. 
• Practical or procedural matters in past or ongoing commercial cases include advising on: time bars, limitation, adding or removing a party or substituting a party to proceedings and advising on jurisdictional gateways.
• Celine has also assisted with various applications for alternative service and/or extensions of time for service (including cases where there are multiple foreign defendants).  

As junior counsel: 

• Assisting Caroline Pounds in two arbitrations concerning the variation of contractual terms, cancellation clauses and impossibility of performance due to export regime changes.
• Acting for Cargill, led by Yash Kulkarni KC, in a case concerning the alleged defective supply of goods. The case raised issues on the incorporation of terms, course of dealing and ss. 14(2) and (3) of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, reported at [2022] EWHC 218 (Comm). 

Celine is regularly instructed to plead, advise and appear in LMAA and LCIA arbitrations involving shipping and general commercial disputes. Celine has appeared in front of Tribunals for arbitral hearings both as sole counsel (often against more senior counsel) and as part of a counsel team.

Celine has also appeared in court proceedings and advised on the following arbitration matters: 

• Applications for anti-suit injunctions.
• Applications concerning the appointment of a sole arbitrator.
• Acting on behalf of defendants to secure a stay of proceedings under s.9 Arbitration Act. 
• Advising a respondent to an application under s.41(3) Arbitration Act.
• Advising in relation to a potential s.45 application. 
• Advising on the incorporation and/or applicability of arbitration agreements. Questions of construction, LOU’s and ad hoc arbitration agreements.  For example, Celine has previously advised, with Peter Stevenson, on the issue of apparent inconsistent arbitration and exclusive jurisdiction agreements.   

Celine is developing a busy commodities practice.  She advises in relation to GAFTA arbitrations and has assisted in various disputes concerning metals, petroleum products, fertilizer, sugar, fresh fruit produce, as well as acting in usual cargo claims concerning rice, grains and cereals. 

Celine is regularly instructed to advise in various freight-forwarding cases concerning BIFA and CMR terms.   

She has also been instructed in numerous force majeure claims arising out of strikes or natural disasters. 

Celine also advises in relation to warehousing/ storage issues (including frauds) and cases involving involuntary bailment. Celine assisted Ben Gardner in advising defendant insurers in respect of an alleged warehousing fraud concerning a large consignment of expensive wines.  The case concerned an analysis of the issues raised in Quadra Commodities v XL Insurance Company SE & Ors [2022] EWHC 431 (Comm); [2023] EWCA Civ 432
 

Prior to joining Quadrant Chambers, Celine spent time at Stephenson Harwood as a paralegal in their Marine and International Trade department in September 2019.

Celine has also previously undertaken legal work experience at Hiscox and Clyde & Co.