Gurbani & Co LLC > Singapore, Singapore > Firm Profile

Gurbani & Co LLC > Firm Profile

The firm: Gurbani & Co was founded in 1989 by Mr Prem Gurbani and Mr Richard Kuek. Joining them from the inception was Mr Govin who became a partner of the firm in 1992. With a firm commitment and dedication to client service, Gurbani & Co has grown in its niche practice to its current strength of 14 lawyers, backed by a long-standing team of 20 staff including senior experienced legal executives, and since 1994, an in-house mariner to complement its shipping practice. Its office is located in Singapore’s bustling central business district at Shenton Way.

In its 29 years of business, Gurbani & Co has established itself as one of the leading firms of excellence in Singapore in its main areas of practice, involving all aspects of shipping, all forms of marine and general insurance, reinsurance, international and domestic commercial arbitration, and litigation. The leading partners of this niche practice have won the support of a solid international and local commercial client base, constantly engaging it as the firm of ultimate choice.

Its partners have acted as arbitrators and counsel in large-scale domestic and international institutional arbitrations.

It has strong networks in the insurance, maritime and international trade sectors, as well as within the international arbitral community, which enables it to service the needs of its expanding client base in an increasingly global community.

Areas of practice: Gurbani & Co represents multinationals, listed and private companies, banks, finance houses, shipping companies, shipowners, operators, charterers, cargo owners, freight forwarders, international commodity traders, flagstates and government owned carriers, marine cargo, insurers, hull and machinery, and war risks insurers, reinsurers, P&I insurers, FD&D associations, shipping agencies, ship repairers, bunker suppliers and others from the whole spectrum of the maritime industry.

The firm’s main areas of practice encompass, but are not limited to, the following: shipping/air/land carriage and multimodal transport and freight forwarding – it advises and represents clients in disputes arising out of bills of lading, charterparties, airway bills, freight forwarding and logistics agreements including arbitration, mediation and litigation of disputes. International and domestic trade, and commercial arbitration, mediation and litigation – cross-border enforcement of foreign and domestic arbitration awards and judgments. The firm has acted in relation to ICC, FOSFA, GAFTA, PORAM, SIAC and SCMA arbitrations, amongst others. All forms of marine and general insurance – it advises on a wide range of insurance and reinsurance disputes. Key areas of insurance include hull and machinery, cargo, IOI, builder’s risk, charterer’s liability, on and offshore construction, loss of hire, mortgagees’ interest insurance and product liability. The firm has advised and represented clients on matters relating to the duty to follow a cedent’s settlement, aggregation of multiple losses, interpretation of insurance clauses such as aggregate extension clauses, expiration clauses, coverage of extra-contractual liabilities, reinstatement clauses, allocation of losses to multiple reinsurance contracts and potential direct liabilities of reinsurers to original policy holders, among others. It also acts for insurers in various types of subrogated recovery actions: shipping, casualty investigation, reporting, claims advice including hull/cargo, limitation of liabilities, salvage and general average, liabilities and recoveries; ship sale and purchase/financing and mortgage transactions. It also handles matters concerning negotiating/drafting/formation of commercial contracts for sale and purchase of goods, commodities, corporate joint ventures, business acquisitions and start-up of companies. The firm advises and represents clients in multi-jurisdictional joint ventures and acquisitions, including assisting foreign clients in the setting up of businesses in Singapore.