Full Profile
Paul has acted for vessel owners, operators, charterers, insurers, P&I clubs, stevedores and cargo interests in a wide range of marine and transport related matters.
Experienced in litigation and arbitration, Paul has acted as counsel and junior counsel on matters of admiralty and insurance law before the Federal Court of Australia. He has also represented clients in Coronial Inquests and in international arbitration.
Paul's non-litigious practice has included advising commercial clients in relation to vessel sale and purchase, shipbuilding agreements, international trade and charterparties. He has also represented large and small commercial fishing enterprises.
Paul advises in relation to commercial arrangements and regulatory compliance in relation to fisheries, coronial inquests and international arbitration.
Experience
- Shipping – acted for vessel owning interests, including as counsel at first instance in the Federal Court and junior counsel on appeal, on an application to set aside a vessel arrest, involving international conflict of law and recognition of foreign maritime liens.
- Shipping – counsel for multinational construction firm in an international arbitration conducted under the Swiss Chamber of Commerce Rules in relation to a dispute under a contract for the supply of electrical equipment by sea.
- Shipping – acted for vessel owning interests, including junior counsel at first instance in Federal Court proceedings arising from a collision concerning an application for stay of the Australian proceedings pending parallel proceedings in China.
- Marine insurance – junior counsel for vessel owner in proceedings in the Federal Court concerning interpretation of a policy of cargo insurance, and the applicability of certain exclusion clauses.
- Shipping – counsel for vessel owner in Federal Court proceedings concerning the owner’s right to arrest a vessel under bareboat charter.
- Marine – counsel for vessel owner and interests in coronial inquest into the deaths of skipper and crew following capsizing of a prawn trawling vessel.
- Marine – counsel for fishing industry association in coronial inquest into the drowning death of a professional pearl diver.
- Insurance – counsel for pleasure vessel owner in Federal Court proceedings concerning interpretation of exclusions under a contract of insurance.
- Shipping – acted for vessel operating interests concerning claims relating to the supply of manning and other services to a fleet of offshore supply vessels.
- Shipping – acted for interests of offshore pipe-laying vessels in proceedings concerning damage to port infrastructure.
- Shipping – acted for operators of a jack-up barge in proceedings concerning unlawful detention of cargo.
