Marine and Transport

Ashfords' Marine and Transport Team specialises in all aspects of marine related legal advice to a national and international client base in both the commercial shipping and transport industry and the marine leisure sector. We strive to provide sensible, pragmatic and timely advice to clients in a cost effective manner. We are based in our Exeter and Plymouth offices but we also make use of the Firm's London office to meet with clients and representatives as required.

We specialise in both contentious and non-contentious marine and transport work, and are particularly involved in major project work such as negotiating ship and yacht construction contracts and acting primarily for banks in super yacht finance transactions. We also have considerable experience in the fishing industry and in advising harbour authorities, and are increasingly asked to act in relation to rail, road and aviation matters.

We commonly handle cases and transactions in other jurisdictions and have numerous international legal contacts to assist where necessary through the Firm's Advoc membership.

Our team is led by recognised experts in their field, Charles Hattersley and Jonathan Hadley-Piggin, who previously worked in large international shipping law Firms in the City of London, and who both interestingly served as Royal Naval submarine officers prior to entering the legal profession. They can therefore bring practical experience and a marine dimension when dealing with clients and third parties. We can, when required, also call upon the experience of other departments to assist marine clients in re-structuring, the sale/acquisition of businesses, property transactions, tax advice and so forth.

Lawyers in the team provide seminars worldwide for a wide variety of bodies, including the British Marine Federation (BMF), Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and have written and lecture candidates for the MCA Master Yacht courses for super yacht captains and for surveyors qualifying for membership of the International Institute of Marine Surveyors (IIMS).

For further information on the services we offer please click on links below