Overview

Our Shipping, Marine Insurance and Transport Practice consists of some of the most experienced and widely respected maritime practitioners in South Africa, covering all areas of admiralty jurisdiction and practice.

The Webber Wentzel shipping team has been ranked in the top tier of Legal 500 for three consecutive years (2010 - 2012). According to Legal 500 2011 'Webber Wentzel is swiftly becoming a major force in South Africa’s maritime and shipping sector thanks to its ‘practical advice’ and for being ‘experienced and well connected’ and Legal 500 2012 notes the team's 'excellent level of service’ and is ‘a first-class maritime law firm in South Africa’. Legal 500 goes on to say: 'Already recognised as a leader in casualty work, the firm has also attracted a growing number of instructions from owners and P&I clubs in ship arrests.'

The Practice has a varied client base which ranges from ship owners, charterers and their P&I Clubs, cargo interests including commodity traders and cargo insurers, hull and liability insurers, shipping and clearing and forwarding agents, shipyards, necessaries men, port operators and foreign states.

With Cape Town, Saldanha Bay, Durban and Richards Bay located on busy shipping lanes, South Africa is geographically well placed to assist would-be maritime litigants.

South Africa boasts a modern and expansive admiralty jurisdiction and is a preferred jurisdiction for maritime litigation, not only for the enforcement of maritime claims in South Africa but also for obtaining security for foreign proceedings.

The Practice is able to offer legal advice and assistance anywhere within Southern Africa, and through ALN along the East Coast of Africa. We emphasise availability, speed of response and proactive measures. Where necessary we are able to draw on the support of other teams across the firm, which specialise in areas such as tax, banking and finance, environmental, corporate, commercial and labour law.

We advise and assist on all aspects of maritime, marine and transport law, including, inter alia:

• admiralty jurisdiction, including arrests in rem, attachments, security arrests and access orders;
• marine and non-marine insurance including cargo, hull and liability;
• assisting owners and P&I Clubs;
• marine legislation;
• cargo claims;
• marine living resources;
• carriage of goods by land and sea;
• marine mining;
• charter parties;
• marine pollution and prevention measures;
• coastal zones management and claims;
• maritime casualties and liabilities;
• crew claims;
• maritime industry related commercial work;
• enforcement of judgments and awards;
• enforcement of mortgages and other securities;
• off-shore structures and pipelines;
• fishing industry;
• personal injury;
• general average;
• purchase, sale and financing of ships and pleasure craft;
• general shipping litigation;
• registration of mortgage bonds;
• hull claims;
• safety at sea;
• international commodity transactions;
• salvage, towage and wreck removal;
• international law of the sea;
• ship and yacht building and repair contracts;
• international trade law;
• marine environmental law; and
• shipping/clearing/forwarding.