At Outer Temple Chambers, our maritime law barristers combine deep sector knowledge, legal expertise and a modern approach to advocacy to offer clients an unrivalled service.
We offer comprehensive coverage of maritime and shipping law, acting for shipowners, charterers, insurers, P&I clubs, cargo interests, brokers and offshore operators. Our work spans the full life cycle of maritime disputes and advisory matters, including charterparty and bill of lading disputes, cargo claims, collisions, groundings and salvage, shipbuilding and repair issues, offshore and energy-related matters, and marine insurance and reinsurance.
We advise and provide representation in matters conducted by the MCA, MMO, IFCAs, harbour authorities and governments. We are equally at home in urgent injunctions, high-value arbitration and technically complex High Court litigation. Members of chambers appear regularly in the Commercial Court, Admiralty Court and international arbitral forums, including LMAA, LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations. Alongside disputes, we provide strategic advice on risk allocation, contractual drafting and regulatory exposure, helping clients avoid problems before they reach the courtroom.
Shipping is inherently international, and so is our practice. Members of chambers regularly work with overseas law firms and appear in matters governed by foreign law or involving multiple jurisdictions. Our experience across arbitration and court forums allows us to tailor our approach to what will be most effective for the client and the dispute.
Choosing Outer Temple Chambers means choosing a team that is responsive, accessible and invested in the outcome. We pride ourselves on being easy to work with: clear on strategy, realistic on prospects and available when it matters most – especially in urgent maritime situations where time really is money.
We also offer genuine strength in depth. From senior silks leading complex, high-value disputes to junior barristers who are hands-on, commercially aware and cost-effective, we can build teams that fit the case and the client. That flexibility makes us a trusted long-term partner rather than a one-off instruction.
Just as importantly, we understand the pressures on modern lawyers. We support solicitors with clear written advice, practical input on evidence and procedure, and advocacy that enhances – not complicates – the overall litigation strategy. Many of our professional clients return to us repeatedly because they know we add value at every stage.
Members of chambers have acted in major charterparty disputes involving allegations of off-hire, unsafe ports and repudiatory breach, successfully navigating complex factual matrices and technical expert evidence. We have been instructed in some of the highest profile collisions grounding cases. We have substantial experience in cargo claims and bills of lading disputes, including multi-party actions involving carriers, sub-charterers and insurers, often with parallel proceedings in different jurisdictions. On the insurance side, our barristers regularly advise on coverage disputes, policy interpretation and reinsurance issues arising from marine casualties and offshore operations.
In arbitration, we are frequently appointed in LMAA proceedings, acting both as counsel and, where appropriate, as arbitrators. This dual perspective sharpens our advocacy and ensures our advice is informed by a deep understanding of how tribunals actually decide cases.
Outer Temple Chambers combines traditional maritime excellence with a forward-looking mindset. We invest in our people, embrace innovation and value diversity of thought and experience. The result is a maritime team that is technically formidable, commercially savvy and a pleasure to work with.
Members of the team provide advice and representation in respect of the following:
Call: 1985 Silk: 2003
Call: 1989 Silk: 2023
Call: 2006 (England & Wales); 2010 (Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (BVI)) Silk: 2025
Call: 2000
Call: 2003
Call: 2008
Call: 2023 (England & Wales), 2022 (Washington DC), 2010 (New York)
Call: 2012
Call: 2021 (English solicitor advocate since 2018);
2016 (Bucharest); 2013 (Paris)
Call: 2022
Please contact Andy Hunter on +44 (0)20 7427 4905 for more information. Our experienced practice management team will be pleased to provide you with more details of our expertise in this area.
