We have one of the leading ship arrest practices in the world. We act regularly for shipowners, charterers, oil companies, bunker suppliers, P&I clubs and so on to handle the arrest of ships throughout the world and its overseas departments and territories, particularly in Francophone jurisdictions such as Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal.
Amongst the most striking features of ship arrest is the so-called associated arrest, namely arresting a vessel which is strictly in different legal ownership from the defendant, which can be a powerful weapon for claimants and present potentially serious difficulties to shipowners. Reed Smith has some of the leading lawyers in this field. Recent examples of conservatory arrest cases, whether defending shipowners or acting for claimants, include:
- MOA disputes
- charterparty/bill of lading disputes
- unpaid bunkers
- P&I calls/insurance premiums
- personal injury
We are able upon request to monitor the movements of vessels and to provide regular updated reports by email.
Other assets, such as funds held by banks, and debts are also targets for conservatory measures and we act regularly in litigation involving such measures.