Beth Bradley

Practice Areas

My practice areas are dry shipping, shipbuilding, ship sale and purchase, maritime environmental regulation, decarbonisation in particular, and bunker disputes.

I am predominately a dispute lawyer, but I regularly advise on draft clauses and contracts from charterparties to joint venture agreements and projects with a shipping element.

Career

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert 2000 – 2002 (Trainee Solicitor)

Clyde & Co LLP 2002 – 2019 (Associate, Senior Associate and Legal Director)

Hill Dickinson LLP in 2019 to date (Partner)

Band 6 in Chambers & Partners for Shipping – UK Wide since 2024, described in Chambers & Partners as having a ‘notable despite resolution practice within the shipping sector, she often advises ship owners, shipbuilders and P&I Clubs’.

Testimonials in Chambers & Partners 2024 include: ‘She is really sensible, commercial and resolves disputes promptly’, ‘Beth is a bright lawyer, a good case handler and works hard’ and ‘Beth is savvy and understands the market’.

Legal 500 Next Generation Partner since 2020. Testimonials in Legal 500 include ‘Beth Bradley’s response is always timely, and the advice itself is also very responsive and supportive even in tricky cases’ and ‘Beth Bradley is noted as key partner in the shipping team’.

Clients

My clients include shipowners, shipbuilders, P&I clubs, commodities traders and marine insurers (non P&I). Although I represent clients from several jurisdictions, I have a strong client base in South Korea.

Work Highlights

I have acted in hundreds of disputes relating to charterparty delay claims (off-hire and laytime & demurrage claims particularly) and represented the successful defendant in AET Inc Ltd -v- Arcadia Petroleum (the Eagle Valencia) which is regularly cited as one of the leading decisions relating to the presentation of demurrage claims and demurrage time bar provisions.

The majority of the disputes in which I am involved are conducted in arbitration, LMAA and LCIA in particular. These disputes cover a range of dry shipping matters, from delay claims, loss of cargo, off-specification bunkers.

I am also regularly involved in drafting protective clauses particularly in relation to environmental issues including the IMO 2020 global cap on sulphur in bunker fuel, the IMO regulations relating to EEXI and CII and the EU regulations relating to the addition of shipping to the Emissions Trading Scheme and FuelEU Maritime. Clauses cover charterparties, Shipmanagement agreements, ship sale and purchase agreements and contracts of affreightment.

I have represented the London insurance market in relation to several high profile transformer disputes, one of which was reported Mayban General Insurance Bhd & ors –v- Alstom Power Plants Ltd (2004). More recently, I have assisted the London insurance market in relation to claims made in Singapore and London arising from the loss of cargoes from storage.

I have acted at every level of appeal, first to the House of Lords (as it then was) in Datec Electronic Holdings Ltd & anor –v- United Parcels Service Ltd (2007) and to the Supreme Court in Farstad Supply AS-v-Enviroco Ltd (“Far Service”) (2009).

Other reported decisions include:-

DS-Rendite Fonds Nr. 106 VLCC Titan Glory GmbH & CO Tankschiff KG & 7 Ors –v- Titan Maritime S.A,. Panama & 8 Ors (2015) and (2013)

Glencore Energy UK Ltd –v- Transworld Oil Ltd (“Narmada Spirit”) (2010)

Carisbrooke Shipping CV5 –v- Bird Port Ltd (2005)

Industry Sector Expertise

Dry shipping, maritime decarbonisation, cross border insolvency.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Many of my clients are based in South Korea and I have acted for the leading South Korean shipowners and shipbuilders, together with their insurers, for over 20 years.

Education