Kaan Polat

Kaan is a commercial lawyer handling a wide range of shipping and commodities disputes in both London and International Arbitration (under LMAA, LCIA, GAFTA and ICC rules) and before the Courts of England & Wales. He is regularly instructed on behalf of P&I Clubs, shipowners, charterers and traders for his expertise in issues ranging from underperformance, unsafe port, demurrage, off-hire and cancellations to unseaworthiness claims in relation to various types of vessels including bulk carriers, tankers, gas and container carriers.

He has handled numerous cargo claims under both bills of lading and charterparties incorporating the Inter-Club Agreement and the Hague-Visby Rules. He has been involved in large shipbuilding disputes as well as high profile casualties (fire & explosions, groundings, allisions and storm damage) that were extensively reported on in the media.

He has given a number of seminars to clients (P&I Clubs, insurance brokers and ship managers), on regulations concerning carbon emissions (EEXI, CII and ETS), principles of English contract law and common issues arising in charterparty and bill of lading disputes (including seaworthiness, cargo claims, underperformance, safe ports, war risks and sanctions). He is also a guest lecturer at the law school of a university in Istanbul.

Kaan has spent eighteen months on secondments as a senior FD&D and P&I lawyer with a leading International Group P&I Club in London and the largest fixed premium P&I insurer in the Netherlands. He has extensive experience of the claims handling process and the commercial and legal needs of both insurers and their assureds.

He is a native Turkish and French speaker.