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Shipping

Zhong Lun has superb legal capabilities in shipping practice

Our shipping team provides the full gamut of legal services in the shipping sector, including representing clients in shipping litigation before maritime courts, high courts, and the Supreme People's Court across China and in domestic and international maritime arbitration as well as advising on noncontentious matters such as financial leasing of ships, and restructuring and M&As of shipping companies.

Our lawyers hold degrees from well-known universities and law schools in China and abroad, with a particular focus on maritime law and shipping practice. Along with such strong foundation of knowledge and expertise, they possess considerable experience in handling maritime litigation and dealing with accident scenes. Leveraging considerable expertise, rich experience, and high proficiency in English, our lawyers demonstrate strong capabilities in tackling complex shipping disputes as well as cross-border logistics and supply chain matters for domestic and foreign clientele, establishing themselves among the practitioners of the highest caliber in China's shipping industry.

Our clients include, among others, large manufacturers, companies specializing in import and export trade, shipping, ship management, and logistics, as well as crewing companies, ports and docks, shipyards, financial leasing companies, insurance companies, and P&I clubs.

Scope of Services

Maritime Tortious Disputes

Collisions with ships or rocks, groundings, and strandings
Damage caused by vessels to fishing facilities, fish farming facilities, farmed seafood, and above-water or underwater facilities
Marine engineering and product quality liability
Wrongful liens on ships, cargo, and materials/fuels/spare parts of ships
Marine pollution and cleanup
Marine salvage, towage, and recovery of sunken ships
General average
Maritime personal injury
Shipping fraud
Other maritime torts

Maritime Commercial Disputes

Contracts for carriage of goods by sea, including damage to cargo, cargo shortages, release of cargo without original bills of lading, endorsement of bills of lading, and pledges
Disputes over charter parties, including time charters and bareboat charters
Sale and purchase, financial leasing, operation and management of ships
Building, repair, and engineering of ships
Ship ownership, priority, mortgage, and lien
Towage and pilotage contracts
Ship and freight agency, logistics, and warehousing
Contracts for supply of materials, fuels, and spare parts of ships
Maritime labor and employment disputes
Port operations, and leasing, operations, and management of ports and docks
Custody, mortgage, pledge (supervision), and financial leasing of port cargo, port equipment, and containers; maritime transport, sale and purchase of ships, ship engineering
Guarantees, independent guarantees, and letters of credit relating to building and operations of ships
Marine insurance and P&I insurance

Special Maritime Procedures

Security of maritime claims, maritime evidence preservation, and maritime injunctions
Recognition and enforcement of foreign-related arbitral awards
Liability limitation funds for maritime claims, including liability limitation funds for oil pollution claims
Public summons for, for instance, loss of a bill of lading

Non-contentious Matters

Drafting transaction documents and providing legal opinions related to ship financing and container financing
Providing retainer-based legal services to clients for various shipping and maritime business
Advising shipping companies, shipyards, logistics companies, port companies, etc. on restructuring, M&A, bankruptcy, and other matters
Contract design, negotiation, and other services for domestic companies regarding cross-border logistics and transportation business