Andrew Lee

Practice Areas

I have a broad practice in maritime law.

Shipping disputes

My predominant practice is as a shipping disputes lawyer. In this regard I am moderately unusual in that I work on ‘wet shipping’ (casualties) and ‘dry shipping’ (contract disputes) in almost equal measure.

On the ‘wet’ side, I have considerable experience in relation to collisions, allisions, cable damage, groundings, fires, salvage (LOF, common law and commercial terms) and wreck removal. I have been involved in substantial related litigation including major disputes concerning jurisdiction and limitation of liability.

On the ‘dry’ side, I have a very substantial disputes-advisory and arbitration practice in respect of shipping contracts. The majority of disputes relate to charterparties (these being the most commonplace disputes). I am an expert on matters relating to seaworthiness and cargo-worthiness matters, off-hire disputes, termination, late redelivery. I am recognised by clients for my particular expertise in relation to unsafe port cases and bunker claims.

I am also instructed in relation to bill of lading, contract of affreightment, Shipmanagement, shipbuilding, bunker supply and joint venture disputes.

Offshore disputes

I have gained particular knowledge of offshore matters and contracts and I am instructed on substantial, often very technical contractual disputes, usually subject to arbitration, on these contracts.

My practice includes matters involving towage, offshore construction, air and saturation diving, dynamic positioning, cable laying, wind farms, oil production and storage.

I have particular expertise in relation to disputes involving knock-for-knock.

Commodities disputes

I assist clients with disputes, again usually subject to arbitration, in relation to a wide range of commodities including quality disputes, non-purchase under long-term supply agreements and alleged force majeure matters.

Shipping and Commodities transactional matters

I regularly advise clients on their transactions and advise on and assist in the drafting of their contracts. In particular I regularly advise and assist on:

• Shipbuilding contracts and related agreements such as design agreements, supervision agreement and refund guarantees.

• Long-term commodity supply agreements (including in respect of LNG and coal).

Career

I have been with Hill Dickinson LLP since starting as a trainee in 2001, initially under the guise of the de-merged Hill Taylor Dickinson which re-merged with Hill Dickinson in 2006.

I spent my third seat as a trainee in Dubai, UAE and was invited to join the Dubai office on qualification (August 2003) where I stayed until the last quarter of 2004. It was in the UAE where I started developing the broad practice I have now – at that time, there were only 4 or 5 English law firms in the jurisdiction. Accordingly, we were instructed on a very wide range of work which enabled me to gain broad experience and to become adaptable.

When I returned to London as an associate I joined a group of lawyers including two master mariners with a heavily ‘wet’ case load. This is where I gained my salvage and wreck removal experience. I was also used as the internal shipping contract law advisor, which gave me confidence in dealing with charterparty matters. I was promoted to senior associate in 2007.

The financial crisis took place in 2008 and there was a lot of work for ‘dry’ shipping lawyers and, although I had already been receiving instructions from P&I Club, I very quickly developed a substantial ‘dry’ practice dealing predominantly with non-payment and early termination cases.

At around this time, the firm was discussing opening an office in Singapore. The office was to be headed by Tony Goldsmith, who was one of the two master mariners in the team I was working with. I was asked to open the office with him, both as a second casualty lawyer, but also to try to build a dry shipping practice in Asia – Singapore then to be our only office in Asia. The timing was good and we were commercial, hard-working and competitive and we quickly developed the Singapore practice.

I was promoted to partner in 2010 and became a full equity partner in 2013. In 2020, Tony relocated back to London as head of the firm’s marine team and I took over as managing partner of the Singapore office.

Professional Memberships

Law Society of England & Wales

I am a fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

Publications

I regularly publish articles on develpments in my areas of practice such as new cases or matters relevant to the industry.

For example, I recently published an article with Iain Kennedy on the United States’ anticipated taxes on Chinese vessels: Proposed US tariffs: ”service fees” on vessels calling at US ports | Hill Dickinson

Personal

I have two daughters (18 and 13) and a son (2).

In my spare time I enjoy sailing (yachts and dinghies, racing and cruising) and playing club polo.

Clients

My clients include P&I and hull insurers, shipowners, charterers (including traders), ship managers and salvors. I act for most of the International Group P&I Clubs.

The majority of my clients are based in Singapore, the UK, Japan, Korea, Norway and Greece.

Work Highlights

My most notable cases have been (non-publishable):

SOUTHERN STAR – I acted for the owners of a highly technical saturation diving vessel after the bareboat charterers terminated the charterparty two years into a six year contract based on a 15 second loss of signal to the dynamic positioning system. The matter went to an expedited arbitration in Singapore with a 3-week hearing. The legal, which I led included 4 barristers, 6 lawyers from Hill Dickinson and 2 lawyers from PDLegal. The case was existential for the owners and we prevailed.

STAR CENTURION – We acted for the hull insurers of a pipelay vessel anchored in Indonesian waters when she was hit by another vessel causing her to sink. She was insured for c. US$200 million. We assisted our clients with the wreck removal contract. We then acted for Owners in respect of the recovery claim in Hong Kong, which resulted in the leading case authority on limitation of liability in respect of indemnity claims for wreck removal: Raising wreck recoveries – an end to limitation for wreck removal indemnity claims? | Hill Dickinson

GULF OF MEXICO collision – I acted for shipmanagers managing a tanker whose engine broke down and she drifted into an oil-rig which was under tow off Corpus Christi, Texas. The owners had gone bust and their insurers were refusing to indemnify them/our clients. We engaged in arbitration with the US oil-rig owners, and proceedings with owners’ insurers (based in Denmark). Ultimately we were able to resolve all disputes with limited liability to our clients.

NOBLE HAWK – I acted for shipowners whose vessel grounded on an uncharted reef in Indonesia. We prevailed in a claim against her charterers after a very technical dispute in relation to charts that were based on data from the 1880’s.

PIPE LAY case – Gulf of Thailand – Our clients were owners of an anchor handling vessel, which dragged a pipelay barge’s anchor onto an existing gas pipeline, causing it to rupture, resulting in a loss of power generation in Thailand and a claim of USD200 million. I led a team fighting the case in Thailand and with a satellite arbitration in London. Through our efforts I clients were able to avoid any financial liability.

THORCO CLOUD – This was a collision matter in Singapore where our clients’ vessel sunk. We engaged in ‘forum shopping’ given the low limits of liability applicable in most jurisdictions compared to the quantum of our clients’ claim (c. US$100 million). We pursued proceedings in Norway against the other vessel’s P&I insurers, Gard, on the basis of our position that the Lugano Convention allowed us to pursue the assured’s insurer if the assets of the company would be insufficient to satisfy the claim themselves. The case went to the Supreme Court twice. However, our decision was ultimately vindicated.

LONG TERM COAL SUPPLY dispute – We acted for commodity traders with a long term supply agreement to supply coal in Thailand. The buyers stopped purchasing coal claiming the right not to do so if their buyers were not purchasing from them. Our client’s claim was for approximately US$300 million. We were ultimately able to settle the matter.

Industry Sector Expertise

I am a shipping, offshore and commodities sector expert as described above.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

I have worked extensively on shipping and commodities matters in South East Asia for over 16 years. I have particular experience of matters in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

As well as these jurisdictions, I gained a strong level of experience of the Middle East, having worked in the UAE for just under three years.

I spend at least 2 weeks in each of Korea and Japan each year and have strong experience of the markets there.

When it comes to arbitration, I have considerable experience in the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. I have also had arbitrations in Western Australia and Malaysia.

Languages Spoken

English - native

Norwegian (Basic)

Experience

I have been doing the maritime disputes and advisory work for 24 years, in Singapore for 16 years

Education