Admiralty Court News

A $75-million superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian steel billionaire was auctioned on Tuesday in Gibraltar, court sources said, in what is understood to be the first sale of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.The Axioma was granted entry into Gibraltarian waters and then impounded by the authorities in March after U.S. bank JP Morgan said its alleged owner Dmitry Pumpyansky had reneged on the terms of a $20 million loan.The 72.5-metre vessel is being auctioned by the Gibraltar Admiralty Court. It was listed for one day, with closed bids to be sent electronically by midday on Tuesday, a court spokesman said.Nigel Hollyer…

The Liberian Registry, in cooperation with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), has succeeded in helping the holder of a Liberian mortgage to overturn a decision of the Brazilian courts which, if left uncontested, could have had serious adverse legal and economic consequences for the international shipping industry. Pursuant to the acquisition of the FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading vessel) OSX-3 in March 2012 by a Dutch company and following re-registration under the Liberian flag…

Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA, sent a tanker in October to the Caribbean with the expectation that its cargo of crude would fetch about $20 million - money the crisis-stricken nation desperately needs. Instead, the owner of the tanker, the Russian state-owned shipping conglomerate Sovcomflot, held the oil in hopes of collecting partial payment on $30 million that it says PDVSA owes for unpaid shipping fees. Despite a longstanding alliance between Venezuela and Russia, Sovcomflot sued PDVSA in St. Maarten, a Dutch island on the northeast end of the Caribbean. "The ship owners ... imposed garnishment on the aforementioned oil cargo," reads a March decision by the St. Maarten court.

International shipping registries have continued to sharpen their aim taken at a longstanding maritime problem: What is the appropriate response to piracy? As attacks have shifted from Somalia to West Africa, the issue remains at top of mind. Armed guards have proven to be a successful deterrent against attacks. Ship finance and registry lawyer Brad Berman, a Partner at Holland & Knight (H&K), sums up a sea change in views over the past year in views about guns aboard ships, telling Maritime Reporter: “A few years ago most of the shipping industry was against having weapons aboard…

It will surprise very few mariners or maritime executives to learn that legal issues pertaining to the Deepwater Horizon spill are front and center with maritime lawyers these days. In the course of developing an agenda for the upcoming meeting in Houston of the Maritime Law Association, the issues surrounding liability and/or immunity of spill response contractors has emerged. One driver for the discussion is the fact that several such contractors have found themselves targets for claims brought by individuals, businesses and municipalities affected by this spill, despite the fact that such responders have a degree of immunity under the terms of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended by the Water Pollution Act of 1990.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that Congress changed the default wage statute when it codified portions of Title 46, U.S. Code in 1983, despite any indication in the legislative history that a change was intended. In the instant case, various fishermen sued the owner of the fishing vessel for failure to make a written fishing agreement with each fisherman employed prior to the voyage. The fishermen claimed damages under the default wage statute. Until the 1983 codification, this provision had various exemptions, including one for seamen entitled to earn lay shares. During the codification (which included repeal of the old statute), the other exemptions were relocated, but the exemption for seamen entitled to earn lay shares was not.

The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) has appointed Anthony Cooke and Richard Sayer as its new president and vice-president respectively. appointments will run for two years. "As the worldwide shipping industry becomes increasingly competitive, the need for all companies and individuals to give their customers the best possible service is more and more important," says Anthony. qualifications provide the visible means for both companies and individuals to demonstrate their commitment to the highest standards of competence and service. Cooke's shipping career began in 1978 when he was appointed managing director of Ellerman City Liners. management buyout in 1985 and subsequent sale to Trafalgar House in 1987.