Marine, aviation, transport and logistics

Our team acts for a wide range of New Zealand and overseas based clients across various modes of transport, including ship owners, charterers, P&I Clubs and insurers, super yacht owners, aircraft owners, lessors and manufacturers, land transport operators, freight forwarders, stevedores and warehouse operators, exporters and importers and others engaged in the marine, aviation and logistics industries. We also work with one of New Zealand’s major ports and with a number of marina developers and operators.  

Our expertise and experience includes:

• Admiralty law. 
• Aircraft sale and purchase, leasing and financing. 
• Aviation and maritime claims and disputes. 
• Charter parties, hire agreements and carriage of goods and cargo damage claims. 
• Conflicts of laws. 
• Crew and employment. 
• Debtor enforcement and recoveries including vessel arrests and related cross border insolvency issues. 
• Fishing. 
• Insurance. 
• International trade law and disputes. 
• Marine pollution. 
• Marine casualties. 
• Port operations. 
• Regulatory compliance, investigations and prosecutions. 
• Salvage, towage, wreck removal. 
• Shipbuilding and refit contracts. 
• Ship sale and purchase, financing and registration. 
• Super yachts. 
• Transport, logistics and trade documentation.

Recent examples of our work include:

• Advising on some of New Zealand’s largest shipping casualties including the groundings of the "Jody F Millennium” and "Rena”, and the collapse of South Pacific Shipping. 
• Acting for a leading vessel charterer in dealing with the consequences of a cargo released subject to letters of indemnity, and subsequently stolen, and with a significant collision between vessels in the mid Pacific Ocean.  
• Documenting the contract for one of the world’s first full size electric harbour tugs, and on the construction and delivery of a passenger/vehicle ferry.

We also draw upon our strengths in litigation and alternative dispute resolution, and commercial and corporate law to provide comprehensive legal services to our shipping, aviation, transport and trade related clients.

For emergency assistance please contact Karl Stolberger on +64 21 515 313 or Barbara Versfelt on +64 21 783 788.