Looking for expert legal help on maritime and shipping dispute resolution?

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If you are involved in a dispute relating to maritime and shipping matters, you urgently need legal advice from lawyers with a serious and impressive record in maritime law. Any individual or corporation which has handled operations at sea will understand how swiftly situations can change out on the waters. Where shipping law is required, the water truly runs deep – and without the expert help of a top maritime law firm, you can find yourself floundering.

If you are involved in a dispute relating to maritime and shipping matters, you urgently need legal advice from lawyers with a serious and impressive record in maritime law. Any individual or corporation which has handled operations at sea will understand how swiftly situations can change out on the waters. Where shipping law is required, the water truly runs deep – and without the expert help of a top maritime law firm, you can find yourself floundering.

At ParrisWhittaker, our team of maritime lawyers has been recognised for its expertise, winning awards for the quality of our maritime legal advice.

The Bahamas – a world hub for resolving shipping disputes

The Bahamas has a growing reputation as an international centre of shipping, boasting one of the world’s largest container ports, and attracting investors from all over the world. As such, it is increasingly the centre of choice for the resolution of shipping disputes, as the Tribune recently reported.

Quoting an industry insider, the paper says “The Bahamas has a very good chance of being an arbitration centre of choice for thousands of employment-related claims generated annually by cruise ship crews.”

The Bahamas’ long-standing ties to the tourism and cruise industries renders it an ideal location for the resolution of shipping disputes, including by the increasingly popular means of arbitration and mediation.

Changes to the law

Key changes to US legislation are likely to further increase the Bahamas’ role in shipping dispute resolution. The Coast Guard Authorisation Bill 2014 may include provision that will restrict compensation for foreign sailors on passenger vessels should they suffer illness or injury – even fatalities. However, the crew members would have the right to seek compensation ‘under the laws of the nation where the ship is flagged’. Given that the Bahamas currently has the shipping registry with the largest number of cruise vessels in the world, the legislative changes will bring a significantly increased number of compensation claims within the jurisdiction of the Bahamas.

How can we help?

At ParrisWhittaker, our award-winning maritime lawyers have acted in all kinds of shipping disputes, from securing and resolving maritime lien disputes, to acting on behalf of crew members to secure the compensation they deserve.

Whether our clients are large-scale international shipping corporations such as cruise ship companies, or single crew members needing expert and intuitive legal advice to help seek redress for injuries sustained through no fault of their own, we provide a service combining in-depth knowledge of maritime law with an incisive and empathetic approach.