Charterparties:

• Assisting with the s.69 appeal in Bunge S.A. v Pan Ocean Co., Ltd (The “Sagar Ratan”) [2025] EWHC 193 (Admlty) concerning the interpretation of the BIMCO Infectious and Contagious Diseases Clause for Time Charter Parties 2015 and its application to COVID-19 port restrictions.
• Acting in a c.US$5 million arbitration concerning whether a condition precedent to a charterparty was satisfied (led by Nigel Cooper KC).
• Assisting with a London arbitration following a fire onboard a ro-ro ferry resulting in a constructive total loss with extensive firefighting and quantum expert evidence.
• Advising on the MARPOL sulphur content regulations for bunkers and their consequences under time charterparties
• Assisting with an advice on demurrage involving the application of a strike clause to the closure of roads leading to the port.
• Tom was working as a paralegal at an international law firm at the time of the outbreak of the Red Sea Crisis and has experience advising owners and charterers on standard and amended war risks clauses.

Bills of lading:

• London Arbitration: claims and counterclaims arising from the detention of a vessel due to sanctioned cargo and alleged unseaworthiness (led by Yash Kulkarni KC and Ben Gardner).
• Tom has experience (as a pupil) drafting submissions on the Hague/Hague-Visby Rules and advising on the identity of the carrier/shipper under bills of lading.

Collisions:

• Tom has experience (as a pupil) drafting collision statements of case and advising on apportionment of liability.

Shipbuilding:

• Assisting with an advice on the guarantee and indemnities in a shipbuilding contract for an offshore support vessel.

Ship sale and purchase:

• Tom has experience (as a pupil) advising on ship sale and purchase agreements, including disputes as to the time and place of delivery.

• Assisting in a London arbitration concerning the validity of a settlement agreement raising issues of waiver and estoppel.
• Assisting with an advice and written submissions on issue estoppel and Henderson v Henderson abuse of process.
• Assisting with an application for security for costs involving the Crabtree principle.
• Assisting with an advice on transferred loss and assignment.
• Tom has experience of contempt proceedings from his time working at an international law firm where he assisted with the successful contempt application in OCM Maritime Nile LLC v Courage Shipping Co [2024] EWHC 1226 (Comm).

• Assisting with a s.44 Arbitration Act 1996 application in O v C [2024] EWHC 2383 (Comm) for an order for the sale of a cargo of naphtha blocked under US Iranian sanctions.  The application raised the question of when the Court will make an order which may require a party to breach foreign sanctions.
• Advising on the construction and effect of Law and Arbitration clauses.
• Assisting with an advice as to whether an ad hoc arbitration agreement had been impliedly formed.

• Assisting with an advice raising issues of state immunity in a shipbuilding context.
• Assisting with an advice on tortious claims for the misdelivery of cargo raising issues as to jurisdiction and applicable law.
• Assisting with seeking disclosure in accordance with a letter of request in support of US proceedings.

• Assisting with an advice on the recoverability of carrying charges incurred under an FOB sale contract from shipowners.

• Assisting with written submissions on the nature and scope of P&I, war risks, and hull and machinery cover required under a bareboat charter.
• Co-editor of the Lexis PSL article “Marine Insurance – essentials” (assisting Nigel Cooper KC).

• Tom has successfully defended EC 261 claims for flight cancellations and delays, including on the grounds of weather conditions constituting extraordinary circumstances.