Shipping, Maritime & Admiralty Law

Secure Legal offers a comprehensive and sophisticated maritime and admiralty law practice, supporting shipowners, charterers, P&I Clubs, commodity traders, port operators, and financial institutions across the full spectrum of shipping operations. Our team blends deep technical maritime knowledge with strategic dispute-resolution experience, enabling us to respond decisively to vessel-related emergencies while guiding clients through complex commercial and cross-border challenges. Whether the matter involves urgent vessel arrest, a high-stakes LMAA arbitration, or a multi-jurisdictional cargo dispute, we approach every brief with precision, commercial clarity, and a commitment to swift, effective outcomes.

Our admiralty practice is recognised for its rapid action in vessel enforcement matters before all eight coastal High Courts under the Admiralty Act, 2017. We regularly handle arrests and releases of ships, recovery of maritime dues, enforcement of maritime liens, and disputes concerning ownership, possession, and shipbuilding. In casualty and operational matters, we advise on collisions, allision, hull damage, bunker contamination, off-spec fuel disputes, and claims involving masters and crew, including wage recovery, repatriation, personal injury, and loss of life. Our work in cargo and contractual disputes spans the entire chain of carriage, from short landing and misdelivery claims to complex issues arising under bills of lading, charterparties, and marine insurance policies, including Hull & Machinery, P&I, and War Risk coverage.

Secure Legal also maintains a strong dry-shipping practice, representing clients in contentious and non-contentious charterparty matters. We regularly advise on freight, hire, demurrage, laytime calculations, off-hire events, seaworthiness disputes, and the validity of Notices of Readiness. Our commercial shipping work extends to FOB and CIF contracts, letters of credit, and negotiations involving P&I Clubs and third-party liabilities. On the transactional side, we assist with shipbuilding and newbuilding contracts, major repair and conversion projects, sale and purchase of second-hand tonnage, ship finance and mortgage registration, and vessel flagging under Indian and international registries. We also support port and infrastructure development projects, including port governance, terminal operations, and agency arrangements.

In an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, our crisis-management practice provides clients with timely and commercially grounded advice on war-risk exposures and operational disruptions. We assist in navigating additional war-risk premiums, deviations through high-risk zones, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, and the use of sovereign guarantee schemes for insurance and operational costs. We also advise on force majeure, frustration, and contractual risk allocation arising from port closures, blockages, and geopolitical events.

As India undertakes major maritime reforms under the Government's Viksit Bharat initiative, Secure Legal is at the forefront of helping clients adapt to the new regulatory landscape. We advise on the transition to electronic Bills of Lading under the Bills of Lading Act, 2025, the modernised liability regime under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025, the evolving cabotage and registration norms under the Coastal Shipping Act and Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025, and the updated governance framework introduced by the Indian Ports Bill, 2025. Our role is to ensure that clients remain compliant, competitive, and strategically positioned as India modernises its maritime ecosystem.

Secure Legal's maritime practice is built on responsiveness, technical mastery, and a deep understanding of the commercial realities of global shipping. We aim not only to resolve disputes but to safeguard our clients' operations, assets, and long-term interests in one of the world's most dynamic and demanding industries.