Winter & Co Solicitors LLP is a boutique practice dedicated to maritime disputes, with particular strength in cases involving bills of lading, memoranda of agreement, and admiralty issues. The team operates on an international scale and also advises on compliance with FuelEU Maritime regulations. Founder Glenn Winter, an experienced arbitration specialist, leads the firm alongside co-founder Ken Scott, whose expertise in admiralty matters is widely recognised. Paul Griffiths is noted for his work across both ‘dry’ and ’damp’ shipping cases, frequently involving complex commodity-linked disputes, while Joanna Steele is a go-to contact for marine insurance coverage and policy matters.
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02038220367
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Profile

Profile

Work Department
Shipping
Position

Joanna advises shipowners, charterers, traders, managers, intermediaries, and their insurers on a wide range of charterparty & COA issues, complex P&I claims and other problems often involving dangerous cargoes, vessel breakdowns and general average. She regularly advises on marine insurance policies and coverage issues. Her expertise encompasses contracts of carriage, charterparties, ship sale and shipbuilding contracts, as well as international sale contracts and she has experience of negotiating and drafting contracts across a spectrum ranging from the cruise ship sector to LNG.

Career

Admitted as a Solicitor in 1992.

Joanna has spent her entire legal career specialising in shipping and marine insurance advice and dispute resolution involving arbitration, the High Court and mediation. She is highly regarded in her field and individually ranked in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, where she is considered a leading individual.

Career highlights include:

• Defence of claims arising from, for example, loss of deck cargo and other marine casualties, associated indemnity claims and general average issues
• Charterparty expertise, including hire, liens, bunker quality, unsafe ports and other disputes
• Marine insurance policy review and advice including Insurance Act issues
• Joanna established the modern law on the carriage of dangerous cargoes (the “GIANNIS NK”) [1998] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 337, with numerous subsequent cases involving dangerous cargoes.

Education

Oxford University BA(Hons) Jurisprudence

Content supplied by Winter & Co Solicitors LLP

Key clients

  • Assuranceforeningen Skuld
  • MS Amlin Marine N.V.

Work highlights

Representing Salvors in respect of the Salvage of the “Portland Bay” under a Lloyd’s OpenForm after the vessel experienced engine failure during fierce storm conditions.