The Firm has an in-depth understanding coupled with wide experience in almost all aspects of Admiralty and Maritime Law. We handle shipping disputes relating to both “Dry and Wet” claims and have extensive experience in both contentious and non-contentious matters. The Firm advises on a variety of shipping matters including ship purchases and sales, ownership disputes, disputes relating to charter parties, bills of lading, contracts of carriage, cargo-claims, casualties, collisions, marine insurance and finance, ship vessel arrests and releases, lay time and demurrage and is also involved in litigation concerning salvage, towage and collision.
The Firm has acted as correspondents and legal advisors to all leading P&I Clubs in Sri Lanka for the past seven decades. It has also represented UK P&I Clubs as well as Scandinavian, Chinese and American P&I Clubs. The Firm regularly receives instructions from several leading City of London Solicitors and international law firms in Hong Kong, Singapore and China specializing in shipping. We also represent several shipping agents in Sri Lanka. A majority of shipping related litigation in Sri Lanka has been undertaken by the Firm. It regularly appears on behalf of ship owners in the Admiralty Court and over the last decade the Firm has appeared in almost every important case relating to Shipping. In addition, the Firm also represents clients in alternate dispute resolution proceedings including arbitration in respect of shipping matters.
The Firm also deals with matters under the Customs Ordinance (No. 17 of 1869 and the amendments thereto) with regard to Management of the Department of Customs, Levying of Customs Duties, Port Dues, Regulations Inwards, Entry of Goods Re-imported, Removal of Goods by Sea or Inland Carriage, Regulations Outwards, Trade by Vessels, Regulation Coastwise, Regulation of Movements, Warehousing of Goods, General Regulations, Smuggling, Seizures and Prosecution and Terms and Conditions of License to Customs House Agents.
The Firm provides advice on all aspects with regard to import and export of goods and customs. These include, Import and export controls (including military and dual-sue goods); Tariff classification and quotas; Customs valuation; country of origin issues; applications for repayment or remission of duties; waiver and/or mitigation of penalties; duty suspension; innovative customs management and duty reduction initiatives.
Some members of the Admiralty & Maritime Law Group teach Shipping Law for post attorney diploma courses and LLM Courses and lecture students preparing for the Chartered Institute of Ship Brokers.