The Serious Fraud Office ("SFO") is the UK's main law enforcement agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases of domestic and overseas bribery and corruption.

The highest appellate court in New York has recently issued its judgment in USF&G v American Reinsurance Co.1. which confirms the high standard the reinsurer will need to satisfy to challenge its cedant's settlements.

The Federal Court of Australia recently considered whether, as a matter of English law, Head Owners could be liable to Disponent Owners for conversion or detinue as a result of retaining bunkers on board the vessel after lawful withdrawal from the head charter.

It is clear that owners will be taking considerable risks where new bills of lading are issued without surrender of the original set.

The English courts have previously grappled with the extent to which agreements to negotiate are unenforceable.

We have reported in the past on this long running litigation and the decisions in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal has now upheld the decision that a ship-owner is entitled to redirect the payment of freight due under bills of lading and separately rely on a charterparty lien on sub-freights.

This recent case has revisited the existing case law on assessment of damages following a collision.

In the January 2011 edition of our e-brief, we reported on the decision of the Commercial Court in The Abqaiq.

One stated aim of the Companies Act 2006 ("the Act") was to make it simpler for, in particular, small and medium sized companies to set up and operate. This note briefly considers how, by amending its Articles of Association, a company can benefit from some of the changes brought about by the Act.

The English Court has recently handed down a judgment considering whether parties are able to rely on contractual time bars, such as Article III Rule 6 of the Hague Rules, in circumstances where owners have ordered ...

A discussion which highlights recent suggestions of a possible review of the UK Bribery Act 2010, outline the way in which Deferred Prosecution Agreements are expected to work in the UK when they are implemented in February 2014 and summarise the proposed new sentencing guidelines for financial crimes published by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales in June 2013.

Starting an airline requires entrepreneurs with drive, motivation and vision to turn the idea into a viable reality.

A discussion on a recent decision, where the Commercial Court judge has decided that a failure to pay hire under an NYPE charterparty amounts to a breach of condition, entitling a ship-owner to terminate and seek damages.

2014 was a busy year for EU sanctions. In this update, we give an overview of the various sanctions that have been implemented by the EU authorities over the last 12 months.

The GAFTA Arbitration Rules provide for the lapse of claims in circumstances where the parties fail to submit any documentary evidence within one year of the notice claiming arbitration.

The original dispute underlying this decision of Mr Justice Hamblen is familiar. Sovarex sold sunflower seeds to Alvarez under a contract which provided for English governing law and FOSFA arbitration in London in the event of a dispute.

There have been frequent attacks by pirates during this past September and with the monsoons abating, it does not take a soothsayer to predict an increase in the intensity of those attacks over the next few weeks.

The recent decision of Mr Justice Popplewell in Versloot Dredging BV v. HDI Gerling and others [2013] EWHC 1666 in the Commercial Court is of considerable significance to marine insurers and non-marine insurers alike, since it involves a detailed examination and hostile critique of the development and application of the concept of "fraudulent devices" in the context of an insurance claim.

Traditionally, English law does not recognise a general duty of good faith applicable to contracts, and rather recognise the right and freedom of commercial contracting parties to enter into an agreement on whatever terms they see fit and to prioritise their own self-interest.