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William Melbourne

Consultant, London

Recent experience

  • Recent experience includes international arbitrations successfully defending political and credit risk insurers in relation to claims arising out of export finance transactions as well as other political risk insurance arbitrations resolved amicably.
  • William has advised extensively in relation to marine cargo insurance coverage issues, including sanctions, marine war risks, rejection risks/loss of EC subsidy, inherent vice, delay, insolvency and classification related issues in particular arising out of the London, Japanese and Belgian markets, in relation to policy interpretation as well as policy litigation.
  • William has advised marine liability insurers in relation to allisions and claims involving damage to submarine cables resulting in US litigation and the successful pursuit of double insurance recoveries. He has extensive experience of marine casualties, general average, and marine cargo claims especially involving refrigerated and bulk cargoes, as well as road carriage and goods-in-transit disputes including heavy haulage, warehousing and storage disputes and removers block policy advice, both defence work and policy advice.
  • William has advised K&R insurers in relation to coverage and wordings in respect of piracy risks and general average.
  • Reported insurance cases include The Frio Chile [1995] 1 Lloyd's Rep 183 and The Joint Frost [1998] 1 Lloyd's Rep 310, both Commercial Court (rejection risks); Jan De Nul (UK) Ltd v. AXA Royale Belge SA [2002] 1 Lloyd's Rep IR 589 (marine liability cover), The Prestrioka [2003] 2 Lloyd's Rep 327 (marine cargo/attachment of risk), Craft Enterprises v AXA Insurance Co [2005] 1 Lloyd's Rep IR 14 (marine cargo/jurisdiction, effect of certificates of insurance) all Court of Appeal.
  • William has extensive experience of multi-jurisdictional international disputes involving litigation and arbitration including ICC, LCIA, LMAA and ad hoc.
  • William was a member of the London Market Joint Cargo Committee's Cargo Clauses Working Party responsible for producing the Institute Cargo Clauses 2009.
  • William has co-authored a chapter on the 2009 Institute Cargo Clauses in The Modern Law of Marine Insurance (Volume 3), prepared articles, lectured and prepared study materials on marine insurance topics. William appears in the Transport Law section of Legal Experts 2011. He is currently a member of the BMLA Carriage of Goods Committee.