Rob Collins
Partner
With 5 of his 17 years in the marine industry at an International Group P&I Club, Rob brings a commercial, practical approach to shipping and trading disputes in both court and arbitration. He has acted for a range of shipowners, charterers and insurers in relation to a variety of wet and dry matters, often involving complex, multi-jurisdictional issues and direct action claims against insurers.
Rob has recently acted on a series of important cases involving casualties, and has particular expertise in vessel groundings, collisions, dock damage, vessel fires, general average, container stack collapse and cargo defence.
He is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Experience
Assisting Owners and their insurers with a vessel grounding in Oman. Dealing with all aspects of salvage, wreck removal and cargo issues, including meeting with Omani authorities to negotiate the release of the refloated vessel.
Acting for Owners and their insurers in investigating the sinking of a vessel in the North Sea, negotiating the wreck removal with salvors, liaising with authorities and defending the cargo claims.
"Yusuf Cepnioglu" – Advising Charterers in relation to a container vessel grounding, defending the cargo claims across multiple jurisdictions as carriers and dealing with the indemnity claim from Owners and their insurers.
Atlantik Confidence" – Advising on the total loss of a bulk carrier and its cargo following a fire in the engine room. We have been acting for the owner to establish a limitation fund in the English courts, using a P&I Club letter of undertaking.
Assisting a container line and their insurers in relation to numerous container loss/damage claims.
Both bringing and defending claims involving grounding/vessel damage in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
Advising clients in relation to sanctions related force majeure and defending against alleged contractual breaches.
Assisting South American clients with disputes under an oil supply agreement and contract of affreightment.
Advising in relation to a US$4m sale and purchase dispute for Turkish buyers for off-spec cargo rejected by authorities at the discharge port.