Graeme Baird
Partner, London
Recent experience
- Advised hull underwriters in relation to the 'Kariba'/'Tricolor' collision in the English Channel
- Advised liability underwriters of the Flag State in relation to the 'ERIKA' oil spill off the coast of Brittany
- Regularly monitors and supervises foreign litigation on behalf of London underwriters. Has been responsible for cases where notable successes have been achieved in the appellate courts in Greece, Belgium, Spain, France, India and Egypt
- Has advised in relation to major claims involving drilling rigs, jack up rigs, damage to pipelines, loss of well control and other issues arising in relation to offshore energy activities
- Experienced in all types of marine loss investigation, including those involving so called 'supergrass' witnesses, typically for hull, war risks, mortgagees interest (MII), or charterers' liability underwriters
- Has acted in leading (reported) cases on jurisdiction, civil procedure, evidence, sue & labour and carriage of goods by sea (see S & W Berisford Plc and NGI International Precious Metals Inc v New Hampshire Insurance Company (1990) 3 WLR 688; Golden Ocean v Martin (1990) 2 LR 215; Ventouris v Mountain (1992) 2 LR 216; Royal Boskalis Westminster & Royal Volker Stevin v Mountain (1998) 2 WLR 538; and 'Kapitan Petko Voivoda' (2003) 2 LR 1)
- Experienced in the legal issues, media issues and other practical considerations arising following major marine disasters, such as the 'Marchioness'/'Bowbelle' collision in the River Thames, the Swansea-Cork 'Celtic Pride' ferry tragedy and the Ramsgate Walkway collapse
- Investigated on behalf of underwriters and successfully defended a USD100m insurance claim arising from a complex gold fraud emanating in New York involving over 5 million documents
- Advised in relation to a USD200m war risks claim arising following the Iraq invasion of Kuwait in 1990