Natalie is recommended in Chambers & Partners UK Bar and Global, and Legal 500 UK and Asia-Pacific editions as a leading junior for shipping.
Dry Shipping
Natalie regularly advises and acts in shipping matters in arbitration and in the Commercial Court. She has experience of all types of bill of lading, COA and charterparty disputes.
Significant cases include:
- The London Steam-Ship Owners’ Mutual Insurance Association Ltd v Trico Maritime & Others [2024] EWHC 884 (Comm) Natalie (with Simon Rainey KC and Joseph Gourgey) acted for the Claimant indemnity insurers, obtaining and maintaining an anti-suit injunction restraining proceedings brought in Sri Lanka by parties seeking to sue the insurer direct in respect of the actions of its insured.
- Acting in a charterparty dispute involving allegations of sanctions busting.
- Acting for the sellers in a dispute under a MOA for the sale of a tanker.
- Acting for the buyers in a dispute arising out of the sale of an ethylene carrier.
- Represented the respondent charterers in a three day quantum arbitration arising out of the late redelivery of a tug. The hearing involved expert evidence on market rates and argument on disgorgement of profits and reasonable user damages.
- Ark Shipping Company LLC v Silverburn Shipping (IOM) Ltd (The “ARCTIC”) [2019] EWCA Civ 1161 - Natalie and Simon Rainey QC (neither of whom appeared below) acted for the successful appellant in the Court of Appeal in this important ruling on the classification of the charterers’ obligation to keep a vessel in class under a bareboat charter. Simon and Natalie successfully overturned the Judge’s decision that the term was a condition. The Court of Appeal held that the obligation was an innominate term and that the owners were not entitled to terminate for breach of this obligation in the absence of a repudiatory breach.
- Lukoil Asia Pacific PTE Ltd v Ocean Tankers (PTE) Ltd (THE “OCEAN NEPTUNE”) [2018] 1 Lloyd’s Rep Plus 31 - Natalie acted for the Claimant charterers on their s 69 appeal from an arbitration award on a demurrage time bar. The arbitrators decided that a claim brought by owners for time lost waiting for charterers’ orders was not time barred. Natalie overturned the decision, successfully arguing that the owners’ claim was a claim for demurrage and therefore time barred by reason of the owners’ failure to provide the required supporting documents within the time limit specified in the demurrage time bar clause in the charterparty.
- Spar Shipping AS v Grand China Logistics Holding (Group) Co Ltd [2015] 1 All ER (Comm) 879; [2016] EWCA Civ 982 - Natalie (with Nevil Phillips and Simon Rainey QC) acted for the successful Claimant shipowners in a claim for US$25 million under guarantees securing the charterers’ performance under three long term time charters. In this landmark case, the Court of Appeal held that payment of hire was not a condition of a time charter and that The Astra [2013] EWHC 865 (Comm) was wrongly decided. The Court of Appeal dismissed the guarantors’ appeal against the first instance decision of Popplewell J, holding that, even though the obligation to pay hire was not a condition, the charterers’ history of late payment was renunciatory and the guarantors were therefore liable under the guarantees in respect of the charterers’ liability for loss of bargain damages.
- Led by Nevil Phillips in a Commercial Court action arising out of a dispute under a time charter on the Shelltime 4 form. Natalie acted for the owners, defending a claim brought by the charterers for damages for repudiatory breach of charter by reason of the owners' alleged failure to take reasonable steps to obtain the release of the vessel from arrest by a third party in Estonia.
- Instructed as part of a team of counsel in a multi-million dollar charterparty dispute concerning the proper construction of the owners' obligations regarding the identity of the chartered vessel.
- Acted for the claimant owners against charterers in relation to damage to a vessel caused by the loss of a high value project cargo during carriage by sea.
Wet Shipping
Natalie is frequently instructed in wet shipping and admiralty matters:
- Acting for the Claimants (with a team of counsel) in the ongoing limitation action arising out of the sinking of the X-PRESS PEARL off Sri Lanka in 2021. In Sea Consortium PTE Ltd (t/a X-Press Feeders) v Bengal Tiger Line PTE Ltd [2024] EWHC 3174 (Admlty) Andrew Baker J clarified the scope of Article 1(2) of the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims 1976 (as amended) and the proper approach to determining whether a party is entitled to limit as a “charterer” within the definition in that provision.
- Natalie has acted on a number of general average cases arising out of pirate hijackings in the Indian Ocean
- Acted for the defendant shipowners in connection with a collision outside Lagos port
- Led by Simon Rainey QC in a limitation action in the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man arising out of the collision between the BALTIC ACE and the CORVUS J in December 2012. Simon and Natalie knocked out a forum non conveniens challenge to the admiralty jurisdiction of the Isle of Man. The case reaffirms the right of shipowners to commence a limitation claim in the courts of their domicile.
- Natalie regularly appears in the Admiralty Court on behalf of banks and other financial institutions in connection with yacht financing agreements and mortgages.