NSOCC | North Sea Operators Claims Conference

ALANDIA

Marine Insurance Entrepreneurs - by managing risk, protecting value and creating opportunity.

Alandia Insurance is an insurance group based in the Åland Islands with strong connections to the shipping industry. Businesses are led from the head office in Mariehamn with offices in Helsinki, Stockholm and Gothenburg and approximately 115 professionals composed of insurance specialists, former mariners and ship captains.

The parent company has been a leading insurance provider in the seafaring market since 1938 when it started to service the local ship owners. The first vessels to be insured by Alandia belonged to a small group of business partners and friends who were navigating the Nordic seas and has since then grown to become one of the leading marine insurers in the Nordic region.

Alandia's mission is to make a difference by managing risk, protecting value and creating opportunity. As an insurance company with focus on Marine, Cargo and Leisure boat insurance and with over 80 years of experience, Alandia provides superior marine insurance expertise and claims service to its customers by creating long-term relationships in a committed and accountable way.

https://www.alandia.com

Birketts

Birketts is a full service, top 100 UK law firm, operating in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, Norwich and the surrounding areas.

With a rich heritage spanning over 150 years we’ve built an enviable track record advising businesses, institutions and individuals in the UK and internationally.

Throughout our history our ethos has remained simple: we provide clear legal advice and value and insight to our clients.

We set out to truly understand our clients’ needs and help realise their ambitions.

We believe that through this approach and a combination of technical excellence and high quality service we can develop long-lasting partnerships and become our clients' solicitor of choice.

https://www.birketts.co.uk/sector/shipping-and-international/

Brookes Bell

Brookes Bell is a leading multi-disciplinary technical and scientific consultancy serving the marine and energy sectors.

Founded in Liverpool in 1903, Brookes Bell also operate in London, Glasgow, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore and enjoy a reputation for being the ‘go to’ firm for casualty investigation, forensic analysis, technical dispute resolution and expert witness work.

Technically innovative, Brookes Bell people have unrivalled expertise across a range of interrelated disciplines including Marine, Civil and Mechanical Engineers, Master Mariners, Naval Architects, Consulting Scientists, Fire Investigators and Metallurgists, enabling complex projects to be delivered through a single point of contact. This wealth of practical experience is combined with cutting-edge in-house technology.

Brookes Bell investigate, survey, troubleshoot and advise on a broad range of marine and energy matters including, amongst others, casualty investigation, litigation support, salvage and wreck removal, design support, scientific cargo expertise, superyacht services, bespoke software products and energy and marine loss adjusting.

Brookes Bell’s reputation for excellence is founded upon integrity and proficiency and we are proud to count the world’s most eminent P&I Clubs, Shipowners, Charterers, Underwriters, Cargo Owners, Lawyers, Salvors, Shipyards, Average Adjusters and Government Departments as our clients.

www.brookesbell.com

Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co is a dynamic, rapidly expanding global law firm focused on providing a complete legal service to its clients in the firms five core sectors: insurance, energy, trade & commodities, infrastructure and transport.

Clyde & Co was founded by Richard Arthur Clyde in 1933, when the London office opened. The second UK office was opened in Guildford in 1969 and in 1981, Clyde & Co's first overseas office was opened in Hong Kong. Many others followed in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.

In the past 36 months, Clyde & Co has continued to expand internationally with presences in Hamburg, Dublin and Bristol, Santiago in 2020 when entered into an association with Chilean firm Grasty Quintana Majlis giving it an on the ground presence in Chile for the first time. This is the latest growth in Latin America following the success of Clyde & Co's merger with law firm Garza Tello & Asociados in May 2017, through which it opened its first offices in Mexico.

Late march 2022 Clyde & Co and UK-headquartered law firm BLM have agreed to a merger following a vote in favour by partners at both firms. The newly-combined firm went live in July 2022 and has a global turnover of over £700 million and is now home to around 5,000 legal professionals, including partners. It has 60 offices across the globe, 14 of which are in the UK. BLM’s teams have become part of Clyde’s global insurance practice, with the majority joining its casualty insurance division. Other sizeable groups have joined the firm’s professional liability, healthcare and business advisory teams.

https://www.clydeco.com/en/expertise/sectors/marine

Cobelfret

In 1929 Dieschburg & Cigrang, later renamed as Cigrang Frères, established a commodity trading company in Antwerp. But it is 10 years later in 1939 that the shipping company Compagnie Belge d'Affrètements, with cable address COBELFRET, is founded.

In 1952 Cobelfret acquired the MS Clervaux, their first owned vessel.

In 1996 Cobelfret SA starts in Luxembourg and 2021 Cobelfret resumes its handysize operations in Antwerp.

Today the Cobelfret companies operate a modern, fuel-efficient fleet of owned, long term and short term chartered tonnage.

With a combined fleet of more than 100 vessels from handysize up to capesize bulk carriers, and with offices around the world, "we are well-positioned to serve customers globally, providing cost effective solutions with greater flexibility. Our proven track record and strong focus on risk management make us a safe choice for your transportation needs".

www.cobelfret.com

Color Line

Color Line is the only remaining shipping line in Norway with scheduled passenger traffic between Norway and abroad with a Norwegian head office, under Norwegian ownership and sailing under the Norwegian flag.

Color Line’s history can be traced right back to 1872 and a ferry connection between Kristiansand and Frederikshavn in Denmark, operated by the shipping line Kristiansands Dampskibsselskap. A different branch can be traced back to the England boat between Newcastle and Bergen from 1890. In 1961, Jahre Line started the first services from Oslo. These were between Oslo and Kiel.

Color Line was established in 1990, based on the two Kosmos companies Jahre Line and Norway Line. In the same year the company took over the ferry activities of Fred. Olsen Lines. The acquisition strengthened Color Line’s strategic position and considerably expanded its activities.

Later in the 1990s, the group contributed to the further consolidation of the Norwegian cruise ferry market when it took over the operations of Larvik Line and Scandi Line. As part of this development, Color Line took over Color Hotel Skagen in 1998.

Today Color Line is the biggest shipping company in Norway and one of the biggest in Europe who offer European short sea shipping, five ships on four international routes between Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, with cruising on the Oslo-Kiel route, transport on the routes from Larvik and Kristiansand to Hirtshals and transport and shopping on the Sandefjord-Strømstad route. In addition to passenger and goods transport, Color Line operates cruises with conferences and exhibitions, hotel operation, restaurants, shops, entertainment and tour production.

Color Line employs about 2,300 people (full-time equivalents) in four countries and transports almost four million passengers, about 900,000 cars and about 180,000 trailers (12 m) a year, which corresponds to more than 20 per cent of the annual goods traffic on the road route across Svinesund (2016).

https://www.colorline.com/about-us

DFDS

Carl Frederik Tietgen’s initiative to merge four Danish steamship companies to DFDS ”Det Forenede Dampskibs- Selskab” (The United Steamship Company) in 1866 had a strong purpose: Products and coal from the UK, the world’s industrial locomotive at that time, were transported to the textile and energy demanding markets in Scandinavia and other countries. And in these countries, the steam ships conversely gave farmers access to the UK’s rapidly growing market for food and raw materials.

Operations began on 1 January 1867 with route 19 ships, with Copenhagen as the main starting point and from 1875 DFDS began service from Esbjerg first to Thameshaven, near London, later to Parkeston Quay, Harwich with additional routes gradually added to Grimsby, Newcastle, and Hamburg.

DFDS developed quickly during the 1890s with the growth it helped create. Due to illness, C. F. Tietgen retired from the board of directors in 1896.

In 1898 the Company took over the steamship company Dampskibsselskabet Thingvalla and the Scandinavian-American Line was created. The Company operated passenger and freight service Stettin-Copenhagen-Christiania-Christiansand-New York, using four steamships.

Around 1900, DFDS steamships connected farmers around the Black Sea with the new Russian industrial area around St. Petersburg. DFDS started routes to USA bringing back soya cake as feed to European farmers thus supporting their transformation from exporters of livestock to producers and exporters of processed products like butter and bacon. DFDS also connected Danish and Scandinavian cities with each other and with the world. All this was based on a fleet of more than 120 ships, one of the world's ten largest ship owning companies. It was in fact the largest, by number of steamers.

World War I was a time of hardship for crews and equipment. All the ships that were in the U.S.A. were chartered by American shipping companies from 1917 until sometime after the end of the war, for service between the U.S.A. and the West Indies or South America.

The emigrant route Libau-Danzig-Copenhagen began as a "feeder route" for the Scandinavian-American Line. DFDS transported immigrants who sought a better future in the USA. From 1921 things went downhill, after the USA introduced immigration quotas. In 1924 the ships were rebuilt to obtain more cabin space, at the expense of the emigrant class. In the 1930s the U.S.A. cut back the immigration quotas drastically, and the number of passengers fell so dramatically that the ships were taken out of service one after the other. In 1935 the DFDS flagship S/S Frederik VIII sailed its final voyage from New York to Copenhagen for the Skandinavien-Amerika Linien. "Frederik VIII" had a gross tonnage of 11,850 and a length of 523.5 feet (159.6 m). It had 2 masts and 2 funnels and could sail 17 knots. The ship originally had room for 250 passengers in 1st class, 300 in 2nd class and 1,000 in 3rd class. It was the first ocean-going ship to have a gyrocompass and autopilot. The ship, built in 1913 by the German shipyard Vulcan Werke in Stettin (now in Poland) was scrapped at Blyth, Scotland in 1936.

Shortly after World War II broke out in 1939, the passenger routes Esbjerg-Harwich and Copenhagen-Oslo were discontinued and the ships laid up. The domestic routes were kept going to a limited extent, with the help of passenger steamers. DFDS kept up supplies of critical food and coal to people in Europe who otherwise would have been starving and unable to heat their homes. Jobs and industry were kept alive. DFDS lost a total of 31 ships in war actions in which more than 300 people lost their lives.

The most serious "war loss" took place long after the end of the war:

The 11^th of June 1948 at 0350 hours, 48 people drowned when DS Kjøbenhavn hit a naval mine near Hals Barre in the Kattegat and sank in 10 minutes.

The 24^th of October 1949 five people lost their lives in the mine explosion of SS Ivar when she hit a mine off Terschelling. She could be salvaged by Doeksen tugs and towed to Rotterdam by Holland, Oceaan and Texel for repairs.

On the 27^th of November 1950 in a headwind of gale and on its way from Odense to Hull with agricultural goods, in the Kattegat at approximately the same location where DS Kjøbenhavn had been mined 2 years earlier, at 0720 hours SS Frigga ran into a mine, sinking without any loss of life. Coincidentally, the accident of DS Kjøbenhavn in 1948 had been observed by the nearby same SS Frigga, which raised the alarm via its radio. Many of the survivors saved their lives by swimming the short distance to SS Frigga.

Nevertheless, DFDS’ ships, - the motor ship tonnage surpassed the steamship tonnage -, kept moving products from USA to Europe, people between countries, goods between UK and mainland Europe, between the Mediterranean and Scandinavia and to and from Iceland.

In 1957 Nordana Line began cargo service on the Gulf of Mexico-Mediterranean route. For the first time in DFDS' history the company played the role of cross trader. All former routes had either started from or made calls at Danish ports or "flag ports." At the end of the sixties, DFDS were the first to develop a ro-ro service, paving the way for more efficient shipping of trucks and trailers carrying industrial cargo.

In 1964 J. Lauritzen owned more than 50% of the share capital, but DFDS continued to be run as an independent company, and there soon was a "marriage of convenience" between the two companies. DFDS had interests too in Mols Line A/S.

The SS Botnia, build in 1912 by A/S Burmeister & Wain's Maskin- og Skibsbyggeri in Copenhagen and rebuilt at Nakskov Værft in 1937 with her superstructure painted white instead of brown, was the last steamship. She was sold the 2^nd of November 1966 to Husø Verft & Mekaniske Verksted (Tønsberg) after more than 50 years of service. Before that, the 9^th of February 1948 the board of DFDS had decided to sell her for scrap, since another rebuilding was considered too costly. But after the loss of DS Kjøbenhavn, she was saved from the breakers.

And with the final decommission of the SS Botnia in 1966, DFDS was no longer a steamship company. DFDS was ready for the company’s 100^th Anniversary.

Domestic passenger traffic was discontinued in 1970 and domestic freight service in 1971. A great chapter in the history of DFDS had come to an end, too. From operating sea transport exclusively, DFDS started its own land transport company with the takeover of the haulage companies E.O.Hooks Ltd. in 1975 and Th. Pedersen & Søn Aps. and Marsden Freight Services Ltd. in 1976. In 1978 the passenger ship Dana Anglia entered service on the North Sea together with the ro/ro ship Dana Maxima. The first collaboration with Tor Line AB began.

Upon acquisition of the German shipping company Prinzenlinien, in 1981 DFDS began service between Hamburg and Harwich. In 1982 DFDS acquired Tor Line AB´s freight activities. Scandinavian World Cruises also began operation but unfortunately there were large losses in the first year and in 1983 the company was reorganized: operation of Scandinavian World Cruises was discontinued, Nordana Line and Molslinjen were sold. DFDS was organized in four divisions: Passenger, Transport, Liner, and Tor Line. In 1987 the Transport Division and the Liner Division merged into DFDS Transport. In 1988 it was decided to introduce the marketing name Scandinavian Seaways for the DFDS passenger operations.

In 1992 DFDS took over Danish Food Transport, and the name was changed to DFDS Food Transport. After two years of preparation the new DFDS logo was introduced in 1993, streamlining the DFDS identity. In 1995 the DFDS Group's new joint port in Immingham, England - DFDS Nordic Terminal - began operations. Tor Line introduced the "Bridge concept": Anglo Bridge, EuroBridge, and ShortBridge, and four new transport systems: the Trailer System, the Car System, the Paper System, and the Steel System. In 1998 DFDS took over Volvo's and Stora-Enso's terminals in Immingham. New terminals in Venlo, Holland, Birmingham and Manchester, England, began operations. The DFDS Corporate Identity Program was updated. It was decided to include "DFDS" as part of all Group company names.

The acquisition of Dan Transport in 1999 was one of the largest in the history of DFDS. It concerned Dan Transport Holding A/S, including the Dan Transport Travel Bureau and Canal Tours Copenhagen. However, 17 months later the whole transport division, named DFDS Dan Transport Group A/S, was sold to transport group DSV to focus the company’s resources on the former core business activities as ro-ro liner traffic and passenger shipping on overnight routes.

In June 2001 the deal to acquire a 76.36% share in the Lithuanian shipping company LISCO was finalised. This formed the basis of DFDS’ current route network in the Baltic Sea. Lys-Line Rederi AS and Lys-Line AS were taken over in 2005. In 2006 DFDS acquired the container shipping company Norfolk Line Containers BV. In July 2006 DFDS Nordic Terminal in Immingham was opened. In September 2006 DFDS took over the route between Bergen/Haugesund/Stavanger-Newcastle from the Norwegian shipping company Fjord Line.

In 2010 DFDS made the largest and most important acquisition in its history, taking over Norfolkline from AP Moller-Maersk and introduced a new branding strategy with new colours for the ships and trailers, and the new brand names DFDS Seaways and DFDS Logistics replaced all former names. There was also a new visual identity for the company, still based on the Maltese cross, which has been a part of the company logo since 1866. During this period, acquisitions included Scandinavian Shipping Line. And in 2018 DFDS made its financially largest expansion ever with the acquisition of the Turkish freight ferry operator U.N. Ro-Ro. Other operations were a terminal and several ships added to the company, to help it offer rail transport to and from industrial regions in the EU.

But before the "Turkish takeover", on 21^st December 2017 DFDS closed its Esbjerg terminal after many decades of service to buy terminal services at Blue Water Shipping’s new terminal in Esbjerg.

In June 2025 DFDS marks the 150th anniversary of the iconic Esbjerg-UK route, a vital freight corridor that has connected Denmark and the United Kingdom since the inaugural voyage in 1875. While passenger services operated from 1925 to 2014, Sirena Seaways was the last passenger ship to sail on the route, freight has always been the backbone of the route and nowadays two vessels - the Ark Dania and Ark Germania - operate on the route between Esbjerg and Immingham, offering six weekly departures and a sailing time of approximately 18.5 hours.

Today, DFDS services 17 dedicated freight routes and 13 combined freight and passenger routes connecting continental Europe, the UK and Ireland, Türkiye and North Africa in DFDS’s ferry network. DFDS has set a firm course towards development of digital capabilities to continue fulfilling the purpose the company was born with: "We move for all to Grow".

https://www.dfds.com/en/about

DOCK Legal Experts

DOCK Legal Experts is the close cooperation of two law firms: Van Harmelen Beijneveld van Houten and Jumelet Verhagen. From 1 july 2016, these two Rotterdam law firms have joined forces and work together closely to offer the best client service at compatible rates.

Van Harmelen Beijneveld Van Houten Advocaten was founded in 1987 as a spin-off of the former law firm of Loeff Claeys Verbeke. Since then Van Harmelen Beijneveld Van Houten Advocaten have grown in size and is now a medium-sized Rotterdam law firm.

Jumelet Verhagen Advocaten is a comprehensive, specialized law firm active in shipping, insurance and trade. The firm was established in 2002. Both founding partners had more than 10 years experience as maritime lawyers at that time.

DOCK Legal Experts is a medium-sized law firm. Based in the heart of downtown Rotterdam, we provide a range of litigation, dispute resolution and business law services to clients throughout the Netherlands and abroad. Our lawyers practice in various specialized legal subject areas, including shipping and trade, as well as business, real estate, insurance and liability. Our international network ensures that our client's legal needs will be met with the highest level of quality and service.

https://www.docklaw.nl

DUTCH P&I

Since 1988, DUTCH P&I (Dutch P&I, Danish P&I, Belgian P&I) has been the knowledge center for P&I and maritime liabilities. Shipowners, port authorities, charterers, transport brokers and other stakeholders in the maritime sector can turn to our experts 24/7 for legal and nautical advice, loss prevention and risk management, guidance on condition surveys and contract management.

For advice on other matters related to activities within the maritime sector, our experienced claims and advice team is here to assist.

DUTCH P&I offers insurance solutions and advises clients in a complex working environment, in which increasing pressure from authorities and changing regulations are the order of the day. The DUTCH P&I specialists guide our customers quickly, efficiently and transparently through the risks in their business operations. In addition, they provide tailor-made advice to manage these risks. Customers are important players in their field, from offshore industry to inland shipping.

Our offices are located in Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Antwerp

https://dutchpandi.com/contact/meet-our-team/

Finnlines

On 18 April 1947 Merivienti Oy (Sea Export Ltd.) was founded by Enso-Gutzeit (Hans Gutzeit’s W. Gutzeit & Co sawmill firm) and Kansaneläkelaitos (The Social Insurance Institution) to ensure transportation of forest industry products from Finland to Western Bloc countries. According to the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, Finland had to pay US$300 million worth of war reparations to the Soviet Union, mostly in industrial goods. With only 30% of the Finnish merchant fleet having survived the war, and 2/3 of the surviving ships being used by the Allied forces or under forced charter to the Soviet Union, new tonnage was desperately needed.

During the same year, Merivienti decided to start liner traffic from Finland to the east coast of the United States and acquired three large second-hand steamships, named SS Hamina, SS Pankakoski and SS Tornator.

To operate these ships, a new company Oy Finnlines Ltd, was founded in November 1947. Finnlines was a 100% subsidiary of Merivienti and owned no ships of its own, instead the Merivienti ships were operated by and marketed as Finnlines. Finnlines' traffic into the United States begun in 1948. At this time the company started using names with the "Finn" prefix that has become characteristic of their fleet. A line to the United Kingdom was opened in 1955.

It is in 1962 when the company first begun carrying passengers, with the car ferry MS Hansa Express linking Hanko to Travemünde via Visby. However, she proved soon to be too small and was diverted to the Helsinki-Kalmar-Travemünde route in 1963. In November that year Finnlines ordered a pair of larger ferries to replace her. The first of these sisters, MS Finnhansa, was launched on December 1, 1964, by Sylvi Kekkonen, the wife of Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. At the time of her delivery, MS Finnhansa was the largest ferry in the Baltic Sea. In June 1966 her sister MS Finnpartner was delivered, but MS Finnhansa kept her title of "largest in the Baltic" as she was purposefully built 10 centimetres longer than her sister. In the late 60s Finnlines developed the “Finnflow cargo-handling system”, which resulted in the building of the company's first roll-on/roll-off freighters MS Finncarrier, MS Hans Gutzeit and MS Finnfellow.

In 1973, Finnlines purchased MS Stena Atlantica previously known as the MS Olau Finn, from Stena Line and renamed her MS Finnpartner, for service to Germany alongside MS Finnhansa.

In the same year Finnlines also placed an order at the Wärtsilä Helsinki shipyard for a new gas turbine-powered ferry for the Finland-Germany service that was to be the largest, longest, and fastest in the world. And in 1975 Finnlines and their rival Finland Steamship Company (FÅA, which later became Effoa) began collaborating in freight and passenger traffic. Finncarriers was formed as a joint freight operator, while the Finland Steamship Company's Finland-Germany passenger services were merged into Finnlines' services, bringing MS Finlandia to Finnlines' fleet. MS Finnpartner was chartered to Olau Line while MS Bore Star was chartered from Bore Line for cruising for the winter seasons of 1975–76 and 76–77 as MS Finnpartner).

The new, large, fast GTS Finnjet was delivered to Finnlines in May 1977, replacing both old ferries on the route. She was able to cross the Baltic in a mere 22 hours at a speed of 31-knot top speed, and her accommodations were superior to those of any ferry of the day. Unfortunately, she had also been designed before the oil crisis, meaning her operational costs were much higher than originally planned. The MS Finlandia was rebuilt into the cruise ship MS Finnstar, becoming Finnlines' first (and to date last) genuine cruise ship but her service was cut short by the Finnish maritime worker's strike of 1980, as result of which she ceased service and was laid up in Barcelona and sold to the Loke Shipping Co. in May 1981.

In 1982, the first of the new jumbo-roll-on/roll-off ships were built for the Finland-United Kingdom run. Also in 1982, Enso-Gutzeit decided to give up its shipping activities and as a result 75% of Finnlines was sold to other shipping companies. All Enso-Gutzeit ships sailing for Finncarriers were sold to Effoa or Neste Oy and all Enso-Gutzeit's shares of Finncarriers were sold to Effoa. Finncarriers thus became a subsidiary of Effoa. Several mergers followed during the 1980s when Effoa merged various other companies it completely or partially owned into Finncarriers.

In 1986 Enso-Gutzeit finally bowed out of shipping activities completely when they sold their remaining share of GTS Finnjet (25%) to Effoa, who transferred the ship into the fleet of their other subsidiary Silja Line. In the same year a new company, Finnlink, was founded to operate freight between Finland and Sweden.

A full turn-around in Effoa's operations took place in 1989 when the company decided to separate their freight-carrying operations from their passenger operations. In place of dividends, shares of Finncarriers were given to stock owners, and after several mergers, diffusions, and name-changes, a new Finnlines Group was born in 1990. In the following years Finnlines acquired Bore Line, the operations of which were incorporated into Finnlines in 1992. Around the same time Finnlines started collaboration with the German shipping company Poseidon Schiffahrt on Helsinki-Travemünde traffic, under the name Finncarriers-Poseidon. During 1994 and 1995 four new combi-roro ships (known as the Hansa class), capable of carrying 114 passengers alongside their freight capacity, were delivered for Finncarriers-Poseidon traffic.

In 1997, Finnlines made a deal with the German Stinnes AG, essentially swapping the shared Finnlines ownership of the German company BLT with the full ownership of Poseidon Schiffahrt. As a result, the company name "Poseidon" disappeared from the sides of Finland-Germany ships and Poseidon became Finnlines Deutschland. With Poseidon, the trainferry operator Railship and 40% of Team Lines also passed into Finnlines' ownership. In the same year Finnlines also became the sole owner of Finnlink. In 1999 Finnlines took delivery of two new ro-pax vessels, MS Finnclipper and MS Finneagle, both with a passenger capacity of over 400. In 2001 Finncarriers was merged into the parent company. In the same year Finnlines purchased the rest of Team Lines, and in 2002 the Swedish Nordö-Link (trafficking between Malmö and Travemünde) also became a Finnlines subsidiary.

In 2004, Finnlines decided to further simplify the myriads of names under which it operated ships, merging Finnlink and Nordö-Link into the parent company. Finnlines also ordered five new large ro-pax ferries from the Italian shipyard Fincantieri. After numerous delays, the first vessel, MS Finnstar was delivered in August 2006 for the Helsinki-Travemünde service, MS Finnmaid followed later in the same year, while MS Finnlady, MS Europalink and MS Nordlink were delivered in February, March and July 2007, respectively. Coinciding with the delivery of MS Nordlink the old MS Malmö Link was sold. In August 2007 it was reported that Finnlines has ordered six new ice classed ro-ro vessels from the Jinling Shipyard in China, with planned delivery dates in 2010 for the first two vessels and 2011 for the remaining four.

In January 2007, the Italian Grimaldi Group became the largest owner of Finnlines and expressed interest in purchasing the entire company. However, a public tender offer made to the other owners in November 2006 resulted in Grimaldi gaining only 85,029 stocks, or 0.18% of the total. In October 2015, Grimaldi completed its acquisition of the entirety of Finnlines.

In 2018, Finnlines ordered three new ro-ro ships from the Nanjing Jinling shipyard in China. Construction on the first ship in the class began in June 2020, with deliveries expected in 2021 and 2022. In January 2020, two new ro-pax vessels, named the Superstar class and to be Finnlines' largest ships upon their entry into service in 2023, were ordered from the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.

On 8 April 2025, Finnlines announced that they have ordered 3 new vessels for the Finland-Germany route. They will be based on the 'Superstar-class' ferries that operate between Finland and Sweden, however, adapted for the longer route for example by having additional cabins and restaurants suited to different passenger preferences. This order will be delivered between 2028 and 2030 by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), as part of bigger 9 vessel order for the Grimaldi fleet. The other 6 are all to operate in Mediterranean Sea, 4 are for Grimaldi Lines and 2 are for Minoan Lines. At 240m long, these vessels will be capable of running on Methanol and carry 5,100 lane metres of freight and 1,100 passengers in 320 cabins.

Finnlines’ sea transports are now concentrated in the Baltic and the North Sea.

Finnlines’ passenger-freight vessels offer services from Finland to Germany and via Åland to Sweden as well as from Sweden to Germany. The Company has subsidiaries in Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. In addition to sea transportation, the Company provides port services in Finland in Helsinki and Turku.

Finnlines’ roll-on/roll-off services cover the Finnish ports of Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Turku and Uusikaupunki, offering connections with Swedish, Polish, German, Danish, British, Dutch, Belgian, Irish, and Spanish ports.

Three Star-class ro-pax vessels operate between Helsinki and Travemünde. For passengers it is the only direct connection by sea between Finland and Continental Europe.

The other ro-pax services consist of the route between Malmö and Travemünde and between Naantali and the Åland Islands, and Kapellskär.

https://www.finnlines.com/company

Fjord Line

Fjord Line is a Norwegian ferry operator operating three routes between Norway and Denmark. In addition to passenger transport, Fjord Line also transports commercial vehicles and goods.

Fjord Line's history started in Bergen dating back to 1993. But the spirit of the company can be traced to a distant past in Western Norway when, in the old days it was quite common for farmers and people who lived in coastal villages to create local steamboat crews and traffic companies to transport goods such as milk, meat, fish and vegetables into the towns. On their return home, they brought back sought-after items like textiles and hardware. As time went on, many of these small companies were amalgamated. Fjord Line is a result of several such mergers.

When the bridge between Askøy and Bergen opened in 1992, the ferry and bus company Rutelaget Askøy-Bergen (founded in 1950) decided to close its ferry business. The company sold all its ferries and used the income generated to buy a large ship hull. The owners fitted new cabins, christened the ship as MS Bergen, which is today known as MS Oslofjord, and established a new route between Bergen-Egersund and Hanstholm the 21^st of June 1993. The company hoped to encourage people in Western Norway to venture out into the world and likewise that other European tourists would find their way up to the more western parts of Norway.

Bergen-Nordhordland Rutelag (BNR) controlled Rutelaget Askøy-Bergen in a 50% ownership. In this way, since Fjord Line was established as a 100% subsidiary of Rutelaget Askøy-Bergen AS to carry out marketing and operation of the new cruise ferry route to Denmark, Fjord Line was initially owned as well by BNR. Rutelaget Askøy-Bergen and Fjord Line were merged with effect from 1^st January 1995, and operations were continued under the name Fjord Line AS with a business office in Bergen.

In November 1995, BNR, in competition with Color Line AS, completed an acquisition of Fjord Line AS. BNR's offer was recommended by Fjord Line's board, and the employees also welcomed BNR as the new main shareholder in the company.

In the autumn of 1997, Fjord Line took over the ro-ro ship MS Lygra from Seatrans AS to use it as a supplementary ship for cargo. MS Lygra was launched on 3^rd October 1978 at Glommen Mekaniske Verksteder AS. She was broken up for scrap at Alang on 25^th February 2018.

In the autumn of 1998, negotiations were initiated with Color Line regarding the takeover of the venerable England Line between Bergen-Haugesund-Stavanger and Newcastle. The route had over 100 years of history and was the first overseas, year-round ferry route in Western Norway. Fjord Line took over the England Line on 1^st December 1998, including all employees, terminals, market agreements and the ship MS Jupiter.

In the autumn of 2001, a process was initiated to sell the bus, sea and transport operations of BNR to the Hardanger Sunnhordlandske Dampskipsselskap (HSD). On 1 January 2002, HSD took over this operation and Fjord Line was thus the only activity in BNR.

In November 2002, Color Group ASA bought approximately 59% of the shares in BNR. They wanted to close Fjord Line as their own independent company and take over the routes to Denmark and England. However, the acquisition was stopped by the Norwegian Competition Authority and the Ministry of Labour and Administrative Procedure. Color Group had to sell and the Hurtigrutenselskapet Troms Fylkes Dampskibselskap (TFDS) took over the shares. TFDS wanted Fjord Line to remain as an independent company, and they were positive about the purchase of a new ship in the Danmarkslinjen.

In December 2002, Fjord Line purchased MS Spirit of Tasmania from TT Line in Sydney. The ship sailed to Denmark in January 2003. At Ørskov Yards in Frederikshavn, an extensive renovation of the ship's common areas was carried out. After a popular naming competition, she was renamed MS Fjord Norway. 100 new employees were hired. In nine weeks, the ship was completely renovated. On April 3^rd the ship was able to sail into Bergen for the first time, and the christening was carried out when she docked. The first trip with guests was on April 8^th. Already at Easter, 14 days after the first trip, the ship had over 1,400 guests on a single day.

Following heavy competition on the Norway-Denmark route, in 2005 Fjord Line began streamlining operations. On return of the MS Bergen from charter, the MS Fjord Norway and the Norway-UK route were sold to DFDS Seaways in 2006. The MS Jupiter was laid up for sale. DFDS Seaways deployed the MS Fjord Norway on the Bergen-Stavanger-Newcastle route.

The former Danmarksbåde, MS Bergen, was leased to DFDS for 57 months. She was built by the Norwegian shipbuilding company Fosen Mekaniske Verksteder AS in 1993. DFDS called her, MS Duchess of Scandinavia and was deployed on the Harwich-Cuxhaven route. But she was promptly sold back to Fjord Lines and operated under three other names: MS Atlantic Traveller from 2005 until 2008, MS Bergensfjord from 2008 until 2014, and MS Oslofjord after a 2014 renovation by STX Finland. On 25 March 2021, MS Oslofjord was re-flagged, transferred from the Danish Ship Register (DIS) to the Norwegian Ship Register (NOR). The reason given by the Fjord Line was that about 90% of the guests on MS Oslofjord were Norwegians. The new home port for MS Oslofjord was Sandefjord. She was purchased by Jadrolinija in February 2024 for 18 million Euros and renamed to MS Dalmacija. She was taken to the Viktor Lenac shipyard in Rejika to "adopt the visual identity" of her new masters. Once beginning operations with the Croatian company, she became the largest vessel in Jadrolinija's fleet.

On 1^st January 2008, Fjord Line merged with Master Ferries. The high-speed catamaran, HSC Fjord Cat, was put into operation on the new express line Hirtshals-Kristiansand.

In 2014 the MS Stavangerfjord was awarded for Best Ship Design at the 2014 Shippax Awards. This same year, Fjord Line became the world's first ferry operator to use contactless radio frequency identification RFID smart cards for the cabin locks. This solution was provided by Carus Ferry Ltd Ab.

In 2018, Fjord Line decided to invest in a new ship to operate on the route between Kristiansand and Hirtshals. The result was the catamaran Fjord FSTR, a hyper-modern and high-tech vessel that covers the distance across the Skagerrak as quickly as its predecessor in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The ship was intended to be launched for the 2020 season, but delivery was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. After a long journey from the shipyard in the Philippines, Fjord FSTR was one of the ships affected by delays when the Panama-registered container ship MV Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking all traffic, the catamaran arrived at its home port of Hirtshals on Sunday 11 April.

In October 2020 the company announced a scale-back of operations whereby the ferry operations will only serve the ports of Kristiansand, Hirtshals, and Stavanger.

In January and February 2023, the sister ships MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord were taken out of service and docked to convert the engines from LNG to dual fuel engines that can switch between the use of LNG and MGO (marine gas oil). MS Stavangerfjord was back in operation with new engines on 26 May. MS Bergensfjord returned from dock on 17 June, and the service returned to full operation with daily departures between Western Norway and Denmark.

In the spring of 2023, Fjord Line stopped calling at Langesund. Once traffic with MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord resumed in May and June respectively, the ships also underwent a permanent route change. While the ships were in dock, Fjord Line changed port from Langesund to Kristiansand, and the ships now sail between Bergen, Stavanger, Hirtshals and Kristiansand.

On September 20^th, 2023, the shipping company decided to close MS Oslofjord and the Sandefjord-Strömstad route service ended on the 29^th of October 2023, after 9 years of operation on the route since spring 2014, and after 30 years of service for Fjord Line in Norway since its inception in 1993.

Today, Fjord Line is a modern shipping company and with a 21% market share is Norway's second largest shipping company in international passengers' traffic and freight transportation that offers safe and comfortable transport between Norway and Denmark: Bergen-Hirtshals (as of summer of 2025), Kristiansand-Hirtshals (summer only, concurrency with Color Line) and Stavanger-Bergen employing MS Stavangerfjord, MS Bergensfjord and HSC Fjord FSTR.

https://www.fjordline.com/en/p/about-fjord-line

Gard

Assuranceforeningen Gard is a Founding Member of the North Sea Operators' Claims Conference,

since the Second Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport', - the "0 NSOCC 1976 II" where “The participants agreed to draw up a uniform document for remarks against the condition of articles of transport. The document shall be named "Condition report"”. Held on October the 11^th and 12^th 1976 in Kungälv, Hotel Fars Hatt, Mr. Arnfinn Johnsen, Claims adjuster and Mr. Gunnar Topland, Claims adjuster -lawyer, attended as Assuranceforeningen Gard first Delegates.

At the Third Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport', Mr. Arnfinn Johnsen, Claims adjuster and Mr. Gunnar Topland, Claims adjuster -lawyer; in Ipswich on the 14^th of September 1977 at The Post House Hotel -London Road, for Assuranceforeningen Gard and together with the other Founding Members; were signatories of the minutes' § 27 of the "Claims procedures for articles of transport Assembly" where "the Members agreed that further cooperation should be performed under the name North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference (NSOCC)". The "1 NSOCC 1977"

Gard AS has participated at the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference at all Sessions then.

Gard's business started in 1907, although its marine insurance activities can be traced back to as far as February the 16^th, 1867, with the establishment in Bergen of the Søforsikringsselskabet Æolus, which later became part of the Storebrand group. The special name of the company is the Latin version of the original Greek name for the lord of the winds and thus clearly refers to seafaring. Æolus is also referred to in some contexts as the son of Poseidon.

In 1907, the managing director of Skibsassuranceforeningen i Arendal was asked by local shipowners in Southern Norway to establish a new P&I club to provide an alternative to Skuld. This became Assuranceforeningen Gard - Gjensidig.

Gard modelled its rules on those of the English clubs but adopted a different organizational structure without any third party manager. Among other peculiar features was that Gard only allowed entry of sailing ships domiciled in Scandinavia for the first eight year.

Historically, Arendal was an important shipping centre at that time, but the establishment of Gard was also driven by the reluctance of owners of sailing ships to subsidise the liabilities arising from owners operating steam ships.

Over time, the importance of Arendal as a major Norwegian shipping-hub waned. The Second World War also took a heavy toll on owners insured with Gard. As a result, by 1945, Gard's membership had shrunk considerably.

Two factors played an important part in Gard's development in the post-war period, the growth of the Norwegian national fleet between 1950 and 1970, and the increasingly international nature of Gard's P&I membership. Gard got its first non-Scandinavian member in 1957, and international membership outgrew Norwegian membership in the 1980s.

In 1954, Gard entered into a reinsurance agreement with the United Kingdom Protection and Indemnity Association Limited (UK P&I Club), which gave Gard indirect access to the London Group’s claims sharing and market reinsurance arrangements.

By 1970 Gard had grown from being a provincial underling to a national position that covered 40 per cent of the Norwegian market.

Gard established its committee of international members in 1978, at the same time crossing the cultural divide from being Norwegian in culture and outlook to becoming more international by using the English language. In time most of the insurers in the ocean hull, loss of hire and war risk markets would go through the same process.

In October 1991 Gard obtained a licence from the Japan Financial Services Agency and the Japan Branch of Assuranceforeningen Gard was formally established.

In February 1999 the Boards of Storebrand and Skandia decided to merge their non-life insurance into a large pan-Nordic group. As the Finnish Pohjola also joined in, Storebrand was left with a 33 per cent share in If Skadeförsäkring AB.

The marine and energy part – which comprised the former Storebrand and Vesta activities in Norway – was submitted to a joint management company with Gard P&I which was owned and underwritten by Gard. Under the name of Gard Services AS the operation began in June 2000, owned 60 per cent by Gard and 40 by If. Marine and Energy were owned and underwritten by If.

Gard purchased the If's marine and energy book in October 2003.

In 2025 Gard completed the purchase of Codan's marine and energy portfolio and established 2 offices in Denmark.

Today, Assuranceforeningen Gard is a mutual company owned by its customers (shipping companies), which takes over the shipowners' liability insurance (Protection & Indemnity insurance). While Gard today retains its Norwegian identity, it has become a global P&I club, where less than 14% of the current entered tonnage is domiciled in Norway.

www.gard.no

Gjeldsten Herlofsen Advokatfirma

Gjelsten Herlofsen Law is a niche shipping and offshore law practice. The team at GHlaw has extensive experience in maritime law, including several cases regarding salvage, LOF, SCOPIC, arrest, pollution incidents, wreck removals, collisions, groundings, capsizing, fires, decomposition and piracy claims, etc. The team has been involved in the majority of all major incidents concerning Norwegian interests in recent years.

We have represented Nordic as well as International clients in several charter party disputes, claims under Bills of Lading, cargo claims, disputes under shipbuilding- and repair contracts as well as disputes under supply agreements.

We are pragmatic and commercial and seek to deliver the efficient and effective service our client's demand.

https://www.ghlaw.no

Gorrissen Federspiel

Gorrissen Federspiel is among the leading Danish law firms with distinguished international relations. We have a total staff of 400 employees of whom 210 are lawyers. We are a full service law firm covering all relevant aspects of business law. Our maritime law practice dates back to the 1890’s.

The group offers specialist advice and assistance within traditional maritime law, collisions, groundings, salvage, charterparties, cargo claims, marine insurance and related areas of law relevant to the entire maritime, offshore and transportation industries: sale and purchase, ship and asset finance, international trade, corporate law, competition law and labour law.

https://gorrissenfederspiel.com/en/our-services/shipping-offshore-transportation/

Hafnia Law Firm

Hafnia Law Firm is the only boutique shipping law firm in Denmark. We are a team of both seasoned and young lawyers and we are based on many years of expertise.

We are always ready to assist with hands-on expertise designed for your needs. If you are looking for accessibility and clear answers you should call us. Your dispute is our concern.

https://www.hafnialaw.com/shipping-trading

Hansa Destinations AB

Hansa Destinations starts at the end of August 2021 and will transport both goods and passengers between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Rostock in Germany. Some departures will also call at Visby. The first departure is planned for 30 August from Nynäshamn to Rostock. Initially, a vessel, M/S Drotten, will operate the route. The plan is to then increase traffic to two vessels, which means daily departures in both directions.

Hansa Destinations is a subsidiary of Rederi AB Gotland and has a close collaboration with Destination Gotland. Rederi AB Gotland, a Gotland company employing almost 500 people full time was founded in 1865 under the name Ångfartygsbolaget Gotland and is Sweden’s oldest passenger shipping company. The head office is in Visby.

Today, the operation encompasses the ownership and operation of ferries, ro-ro, product tankers and hotel facilities: The ferries, which are in service between Gotland and mainland Sweden or between Stockholm region and northern Germany, are run operationally through the subsidiaries Destination Gotland AB and Hansa Destinations respectively. The tanker shipping operation is the responsibility of the subsidiary Gotland Tankers AB which handles administration and operation of the tankers. GotlandsResor AB is responsible for the management and operation of the Group’s hotel properties.

https://www.hansadestinations.com

HFW

With over 475 lawyers operating in 13 offices across 11 countries, we provide a global and seamless service 24 hours a day. We are dynamic, entrepreneurial and leaders in our specialist areas. Many of our partners are recognised experts.

Our approach to client relationships is built on a wide-ranging and inclusive perspective of each business, its unique strategies and market risks.

On that foundation, we deliver fast, effective and creative solutions. With practicality as a guide, we rapidly provide clear and unequivocal advice, free of jargon-heavy language. Our commitment to our clients, total and determined, shines through.

Giving back to the whole society is a priority at Holman Fenwick Willan with partners and associates encouraged to spend time on our various worldwide pro bono initiatives.

www.hfw.com

HILL DICKINSON

Hill Dickinson's origins can be traced back to 1810, with the establishment of a Liverpool legal practice by the firm's founder, Edward Morrall. John Edward Gray Hill joined the firm in 1865. John Dickinson (1847–1907) became a partner in 1872, and the firm traded as Duncan, Hill & Dickinson. It established itself as a leading maritime law office, and represented the White Star Line in connection with the sinking of the RMS Titanic and Cunard Line in respect of the sinking of RMS Lusitania which was torpedoed by a German U-boat on 7 May 1915.

In 1927 Edith Berthen joined the firm as one of the first women in England and Wales to qualify as a solicitor. In 1931 one of the firm's solicitors, Hector Munro, represented William Herbert Wallace in connection with his trial and subsequent appeal against his conviction for the murder of his wife Julia in their home in Wolverton Street in Liverpool's Anfield district. His conviction was later overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal, the first instance in British legal history where an appeal had been allowed after re-examination of evidence (see R v Wallace).

Partner William Goffey (known as WG) started his career in 1901 at Hill Dickinson's 10 Water Street office. He became senior partner in 1950 and continued to practice until shortly before his death in 1979 at the age of 94. As the son of a ship owning family who operated sailing barques from Liverpool under the name Goffey & Co, much of his practice was Admiralty and related work. Goffey acted for Cunard Steam Ship Co. Limited in relation to the 1942 collision between the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary and HMS Curacoa, which resulted in the sinking of the latter with great loss of life.

Hill Dickinson celebrated 200 years in business in 2010, expanding their international offices in Hong Kong. Iin 2013, it became the first law firm to be accredited under the prestigious 'Investors in Diversity' scheme for its commitment to supporting diversity in the workplace.

Today, Hill Dickinson is a leading and award-winning international commercial law firm with more than 850 people including 185 partners and legal directors, with offices in Liverpool, Manchester, London, Leeds, Newcastle, Piraeus, Singapore, Monaco and Hong Kong. Hill Dickinson delivers advice and strategic guidance spanning the full legal spectrum. The firm acts as a trusted adviser to businesses, organisations and individuals across the globe and from a wide range of market sectors, advising on non-contentious advisory and transactional work through to all forms of commercial litigation and arbitration.

https://www.hilldickinson.com/sectors/passenger-shipping

International Marine Survey Ltd

Operating from a UK hub, International Marine Survey Ltd has a 40 year heritage of providing precision cargo and ship inspection services to the marine sector.

With a strong reputation for excellent support and feedback, IMS Ltd continues to serve and satisfy the professional requirements of agents, ship owners, cargo receivers and cargo shippers throughout the UK and overseas. International Marine Survey Ltd offers expert marine consultancy services to companies and organisations, that are designed to be cost effective, surpass current regulations and improve efficiency.

Customers find that just one benefit of working with IMS is the 24 hour access to its mobile network of marine surveyors. For its customers, 'having both the support for long term projects and knowing who to call when the unexpected happens, is what makes a partnership with IMS such a valued and highly prized alliance'.

Services offered by International Marine Survey Ltd include: draft surveys, bunker surveys, on/off hire condition surveys, warranty surveys, supervision, tally and weight control, flammable vapour / gas analysis. With the option to receive reports in the clients preferred format and branding, processing time can be reduced for the customer, saving time and further boosting productivity.

Our local ports (East Coast): Port of Tyne, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Teesport, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Whitby, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Humber, Kingston-upon-Hull, Immingham Dock, Port of Immingham, Grimsby

https://www.internationalmarinesurvey.com/

Mann Lines

Mann Lines and its sister companies within the privately-owned Mann Group provide liner ro-ro and container vessel services, ships agency, stevedoring, chilled and ambient warehousing, forwarding, chilled and ambient distribution and European express freight.

www.mannlines.com

Marine Masters B.V.

Marine Masters was established in 2016 by five senior maritime professionals with extensive experience in salvage, offshore construction and decommissioning. The company was immediately hired to assist with the salvage of a grounded vessel.

Marine Masters’ core business is to assist companies with specialized knowledge and expertise, as Salvage Experts and Marine Consultants.

Besides the Rotterdam office there is also representation in Hong Kong, India and the Middle East.

Marine Masters’ expertise ranges from salvage and wreck removal to offshore decommissioning and transport & installation projects. With this versatile combination of skills, Marine Masters offer assistance to owners, salvage companies, operators and offshore contractors on any level and any scale.

In Salvage expertise, Marine Masters’ track record counts more than 250 salvages: wreck removals and platforms aground, on fire or sinking. The company have carried out operations involving container vessels, bulkers, general cargo vessels and tankers.

Marine Consultancy expertise includes:

Project Management for the transportation of heavy and overdimensioned modules;

Terminal Towage with design of the equipment required for fast and efficient terminal operations, such as tugs, dive support vessels, supply vessels, loading or unloading of cargo vessels; and

Offshore towage and logistics support: planning (voyage), engineering (Naval Architect, bollard pull, stability, strength, seafastening etc) and towage project management.

Marine Masters is member of the International Salvage Union (ISU)

https://www.marinemasters.nl

MFB Solicitors

MFB Solicitors, formerly known as More Fisher Brown, is a specialist shipping law firm, established in 1988, which offers a professional approach with a high level of partner involvement. Despite the firm’s expansion to close to 30 fee earners, of whom 17 are partners, MFB prides itself on remaining a compact and integrated team, with a wealth of legal knowledge and experience in shipping, insurance and international trade.

MFB is located in stunning offices on the lower 2 floors of the Fishmongers’ Hall, home to the Fishmongers’ Livery Company, one of the twelve great Livery Companies of the City of London, and the firm enjoys spectacular views over the river Thames, Southwark Cathedral and the Shard.

MFB is well known in the shipping community, advising clients on shipping related litigation, arbitration and ADR. Their international client base includes ship owners, charterers, cargo interests, P&I Clubs and other insurers. Recommended by Legal 500 and Chambers UK Directories as a leading shipping law firm.

The firm provides prompt high quality legal advice, placing great importance on working closely with clients and understanding their business requirements, with the aim of resolving disputes expeditiously without incurring undue costs and thus avoiding unnecessary litigation. MFB’s range of services includes advice on non-contentious issues such as ship sale and purchase, ship finance, including ship mortgages, and we also cover domestic and cross-border company and commercial transactions, including acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, project and asset finance, company start-ups and group reorganisations.

MFB benefits from the extensive knowledge of a number of legally qualified Master Mariners. Working with a global network of experts and legal correspondents throughout the world, we are always contactable on our 24 hour emergency telephone number in the event of a casualty or for urgent advice. The team acts for major salvors and shipowning interests in a number of casualties under Lloyd’s Open Form. MFB is a member of the Admiralty Solicitors Group.

Languages spoken include French, Turkish, Hindi, Italian, Spanish and Urdu.

www.m-f-b.co.uk

Mills & Co. Solicitors Limited

Mills & Co is based in Newcastle upon Tyne and was established in 1993, providing expert legal advice to clients engaged in shipping and international trade. We have many years of experience as shipping and trade lawyers, offering a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

We are able to offer the same specialist advice in the maritime and international trade sectors as lawyers in London but with the advantage of the lower rates found outside of it.

Our client base includes P&I clubs, H&M underwriters, ship owners, operators and managers, charterers, commodity traders, oil majors, freight forwarders and shipyards.

www.mills-co.com/people

Molslinjen

Molslinjen A/S (previously Mols-Linien) is Denmark's largest domestic ferry company with a fleet of 21 ships, operating a total of ten routes on the Alslinjen, Bornholmslinjen, Fanølinjen, Langelandslinjen, Molslinjen, Samsølinjen and Øresundslinjen.

Mols-Linien was founded in 1963 as a public limited company with the city council of Ebeltoft and the local municipalities on Sjælland Odde. In 1964, Mols-Linien became a subsidiary of DFDS, and sailings commenced on 18 May 1966 between Ebeltoft and Sjællands Odde.

DSB had established Hurtigruten in October 1960 between Aarhus and Kalundborg with the MS Prinsesse Anne-Marie. This ferry was given another sister ship, the MS Prinsesse Elisabeth, which was deployed on the route in 1964. Both DSB and Grenaa-Hundested Færgefart faced increased competition in May 1962 from the Juelsminde-Kalundborg Line-JKL, which introduced the newly built ferries MS Julle and MS Kalle. JKL was owned by Det Dansk-Franske Dampskibsselskab, (the Danish-French Steamship Company).

As a result, four years later in 1966 the newly formed company Mols-Linien began sailing between Ebeltoft and Sjællands Odde with the new-buildings MF Mette Mols and MF Maren Mols.

A downturn in traffic following the 1973 oil crisis led Mols-Linien into a pooling agreement with rival Grenaa-Hundested Linien in 1979. The Grenaa-Hundested Line and the Juelsminde-Kalundborg Line had merged in 1970 into the company Jydsk Færgefart. There was not enough traffic for all the ferry routes on the Kattegat. This meant that only one ship would sail between Grenaa and Hundested. From 1983 there was no longer access for passengers between Juelsminde and Kalundborg,

In 1984 DFDS sold Mols-Linien and Grenaa-Hundested Linien to J. Lauritzen A/S. The company was sold 4 years later to Dansk Investeringsfond - DIFKO. The offer was realised in shares, which were largely bought by the employees. After the establishment of the Great Belt connection and the need for consolidation, the company was converted into a limited liability company, listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and DIFKO sold in the spring of 1994 and in 1996 the route between Grenaa and Hundested stopped because of the bankruptcy of Driftselskabet Grenaa-Hundested, which was run by, among others, the municipalities of Grenaa and Hundested.

At the end of 1998, Mols-Linien merged with Scandlines subsidiary Cat-Link, which had previously sailed Kalundborg-Aarhus with catamaran ferries. The agreement meant that Mols-Linien took over Cat-Link's and Scandlines' activities on the Kattegat as of 1 January 1999. Until then, only the route Sjællands Odde-Ebeltoft had been sailed. Scandlines sold its holding to the Clipper Group in 2008.

In July 2011, Mols-Linien announced it was to terminate the Kalundborg-Aarhus route and sell the two vessels operating the route. The service ended on 15 September 2011. Thereafter the route was operated by Kattegatruten until October 2013 and then suspended.

In 2015, the private equity fund Polaris purchased almost 30% of the shares from the shipping company Clipper Group and received commitments to purchase a further 46% from Nykredit Bank (formerly Forstædernes Bank), Finansiel Stabilitet A/S and FS Finans III (formerly Amagerbanken). Polaris' goal was to become the sole owner of Mols-Linien by delisting the company and making it a stronger, more attractive alternative to the Great Belt Bridge. At the same time, a public tender offer from Lind Invest ApS was made to the minority shareholders. Subsequently, and agreement between Polaris and Lind Invest to create a Holding, redeemed the remaining shareholders. Mols-Linien subsequently changed its name to Molslinjen. Later, in December 2020, Polaris and Lind Invest divested their ownership of Molslinjen to EQT Infrastructure.

In 2016 Molslinjen won a 10-year public tender to operate ferry services between Køge and Rønne, and operations started in September 2018 under the name Bornholmslinjen.

In July 2017, the bus company Kombardo Expressen started as a collaboration between Molslinjen and Herning Turist, which is a bus route with more than 116 routes across Denmark. The Kattegat-crossing used the song "Kombardo" to announce departure and arrival for many years. In 2025, it was replaced by a new song.

In June 2018, Molslinjen A/S purchased both Clipper Group's and the state's share of the shipping company Danske Færger (Færgen) which had been first formed in April 2008 as Nordic Ferry Services. It was later created on 1 October 2011 through the merger of Bornholmstrafikken and Scandlines' internal Danish activities. The purchase brought the ferry routes of Alslinjen, Langelandslinjen, Samsølinjen and Fanølinjen. Danske Færger A/S, had been operating the ferry routes Fanø-Esbjerg, Ballen-Kalundborg, Spodsbjerg-Tårs, Bøjden-Fynshav.

Danske Færger A/S had been operating too, the services Rønne-Ystad and Rønne-Sassnitz, as well as Rønne-Køge and with the establishment of Bornholmslinjen’s services, this was the first time in 150 years that someone other than BornholmerFærgen (Danske Færger A/S) would be responsible for ferry services to Bornholm.

In December 2020, EQT Infrastructure acquired Molslinjen - and at the same time the Norwegian ferry company Torghatten.

In February 2022, Nordic Ferry Infrastructure, headquartered in Oslo, was formed through the combination of Molslinjen and Torghatten (founded in 1878 and operating over 70 car ferries and smaller passenger ferries on 40 different connections along the Norwegian coastline, typically under medium to long term contracts with public transportation authorities).

In January 2023, Molslinjen acquired ForSea Ferries, servicing the Helsingør-Helsingborg route with 2 electric ferries and 2 diesel ferries. Rebranded as Öresundslinjen, only their own tickets and cards would then be valid, and not DSB and Skånetrafiken's tickets, as before.

The routes Aarhus-Odden, Ebeltoft-Odden and Rønne-Ystad are served by some of the world's largest catamaran ferries, and this makes Molslinjen A/S one of the world's largest fast ferry companies.

The Express 2, built at the Incat shipyard in Tasmania, only made two stops on the 25,000-kilometre-long journey home to Denmark. The Express 3 is not only one of the world’s largest high-speed ferries, but also an evolution of the Express 2 superferry.

The Express 4, is Molslinjen’s newest high-speed ferry and one of the largest catamaran ferries in the world. It is designed to give passengers supreme comfort and the fastest possible crossing. This high-speed ferry can carry 1022 passengers and travels at a speed of 40 knots, equivalent to 75 km/h. Express 4 was built at the Austal shipyard in Perth.

In 2025, the electric ferry E/F Nerthus will sail on the Samsø-Sjælland route until its sister ship E/F Tyrfing can take over, after which E/F Nerthus will sail between Als and Funen, delivered from CEMRE shipyard in Yalova.

This year too, Molslinjen has ordered two electric catamaran ferries from Incat in Tasmania to operate the Sjællands Odde to Aarhus or Ebeltoft route. Capacity for 500 cars, 1,483 passengers, 45 MWh of battery, and an electricity consumption of 25 MWh per trip at up to 40 knots. In addition, 55 MW of infrastructure will be built in both ports. And there are plans to order a third one from another shipyard.

From 2027 and 2028 these orders will make Molslinjen’s catamaran ferries as world’s biggest, a title that today belongs to Bornholmslinjen’s Express 5 with place for 450 cars. Bornholmslinjen is too part of Molslinjen.

https://www.molslinjen.com/about-molslinjen

Morris Law

Just like most big ideas our idea is simple. Morris Law believes in changing the profession of business law. We believe in making business law comprehensible and useful. In everything we do, we believe in putting our clients’ needs in focus.

That’s why we bring transparency, efficiency, excellence and mindfulness to the playground. We are convinced that our simple idea will change the playground of business law.

www.morrislaw.se

Myton Law

Founded in 2010, Myton Law are a modern, niche firm specialising in all aspects of shipping law, transport law and insurance law. Being based in Hull and operating as a small, specialist team allows considerable competitive advantages compared with other law firms and yet there is absolutely no compromise on quality.

We employ specialists who have national reputations in their respective fields and we have access to an impressive network of foreign lawyers, consultants and experts who can be engaged when required.

Use of cutting edge I.T and software enables us to operate quickly, efficiently and effectively whether in the office or elsewhere. We operate a 24-hour, 365 day emergency response service so we are always available.

www.mytonlaw.co.uk

NJORD Law Firm

NJORD is a Law Firm with a Nordic profile and a global mindset. With 200 employees at five offices – in Aarhus, Copenhagen, Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, their primary market is the entire Nordic/Baltic region and Germany and function as well as a gateway for NJORD’s global clients on a continuous basis as a Nordic problem solver.

Direct, informal and flexible, the Nordic aspect is an integral part of their culture and mindset. NJORD is liberal-minded and characterised by low power distance and a versatile culture with more than 20 different nationalities represented among partners and other employees.

A number of NJORD lawyers have extensive experience from the business life where they have been sitting “at the other side of the table” – often in some of the biggest companies – and therefore have in-depth knowledge of the factors that characterise optimum client handling.

https://www.njordlaw.com

NorthStandard

NorthStandard is Member of the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference since the 7 Session NSOCC 1983 held in Crest Hotel, Antwerp (Holland), 20^th to 22^nd September when Mr. D C B Davies - North of England Protection and Indemnity Association Ltd., as the Club's first Delegate attended the Conference, where, ‘The Stevedore Liability Clause for Stevedore contracts and The Amendment of the Incorporation Clause of the NSOCC liner waybill’ (due to difficulties experienced in the Finnish trade in relation to ultimate receivers claiming indemnity directly from the sea-carrier for non-localized damage to parcels consolidated in articles of transport received from and delivered to forwarding agents by the sea-carrier), was adopted by the Conference.

Since 42 NSOCC 2018 Helsinki Mr. Rune Dybedal, The North of England P&I Association Limited, today NorthStandard Limited, has been the Chairman of The North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference - NSOCC (established in 1976), having represented the Club since 26 NSOCC 2002 Antwerp.

Mrs. Diana Shearer is a Delegate representing the Club at the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference, since 37 NSOCC 2013 Göteborg.

Mr. Marcus Winchester is a Delegate representing the Club at the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference, since 46 NSOCC 2024 Amsterdam.

NorthStandard was established on 20 February 2023 through the merger of the North P&I Club, founded in 1860 fully known as the North of England Iron Steam Ship Protecting Association and headquartered in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the Standard P&I Club, founded in 1884 and fully known as the Standard Steamship Owners Protection & Indemnity Association. NorthStandard brings together over 300 years of marine insurance heritage.

The North of England Iron Steam Ship Protecting Association had formed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne from a series of amalgamations in 1860. It was one of the world's first mutual associations providing personal injury and collision liability cover for steamships. In 1886 North P&I Club added cargo indemnity cover by merging with the local Steam Ship Owners’ Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association. North P&I Club lost business after World War II with the decline of the British merchant navy. A gradual revival began in the 1960s with the appointment of managers Alec Murray and Len Harrison. In 1967 North P&I Club absorbed the neighbouring Neptune P&I club, bringing several Irish and Yugoslav vessels. On 20 February 1998 it merged with the Newcastle club. Two years later absorbed the business of The Liverpool & London P&I Club. On 28 February 2014 North P&I Club acquired Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Company Limited, established in 1882 in Sunderland, and since the merger based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

North P&I Club became a member of the London Group of protecting and indemnity (P&I) clubs in 1969, which later became the International Group.

The tradition of two managing directors, which first started in 1885, continued with the appointment of the joint management team of Peter Crichton and Rodney Eccleston in 1988 and by their successors Alan Wilson and Paul Jennings in 2009.

On 20 February 2023 North P&I Club merged with Standard P&I Club to form NorthStandard.

The Standard Steamship Owners’ Protection and Indemnity Association Ltd. was established in 1884 when a group of shipowners from The Steamship Owners’ Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association founded in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1874, appointed Charles Taylor, a trusted coal merchant, to oversee the funds and manage their claims. “Managed by Charles Taylor” would last until August 2021.

In 1899 The club entered into a pooling agreement with five other clubs, the forerunner of today’s International Group of P&I Clubs Pooling Agreement.

In 2020, The Strike Club, founded in 1957 and the largest mutual provider of marine delay insurance, became part of Standard Club.

On 20 February 2023 Standard P&I Club merged with North P&I Club to form NorthStandard.

https://north-standard.com

Post & Co

Post & Co is the independent partner for Marine Liability and Logistics insurances for all players in the logistical chain, such as Ship Owners and Charterers, Terminal and Transport Operators, NVOCCs, Transport Intermediaries and Port Authorities.

As one of the few independent P&I specialists in the world, we make it our business to advise all of the above companies and their Insurance Brokers in negotiating the best insurance terms possible.

Our offices are located in Rotterdam, Seoul and Antwerp. We operate on a global scale within the international shipping world.

www.post-co.com

Scandlines

Scandlines was founded in 1998 based on a strong German Danish collaboration during more than a hundred years. From state-owned to a private company, from black towards green power.

In 1903, the first rail ferry crossed the Baltic Sea between Warnemünde in Germany and Gedser in Denmark. At the time, a steamboat. The route remained despite two world wars and a divided Germany, which for 40 years resulted in limited travel activity on the route.

In 1963, an additional ferry route between the two countries was established – the so-called “bird's flight line” - die Vogelfluglinie in German, between Rødby and Püttgarden, creating a direct route between Copenhagen and Hamburg.

Plans to have a ferry crossing there dated a hundred years back, but wars had prevented the plans from being realised. Once established, the Vogelfluglinie became very popular, and in 1988, 100 million passengers had used the crossing.

In 1989, the Wall between the two Germanys fell and with the opening came new possibilities to collaborate.

The name Scandlines was first used in 1991, when DSB (until 1948 the name was Danske Statsbaner) and the Swedish Sweferry used the name when they merged their routes on the route Helsingør−Helsingborg.

In 1993, the two ferry operators’ shipping companies which had operated in east and west Germany, merged into the state-owned shipping company Deutsche Fährgesellschaft Ostsee GmbH (DFO).

As the economy in the former Eastern Europe improved, the easterly route between Warnemünde and Gedser bloomed. In 1995, the route moved from the port in Warnemünde to the port in nearby Rostock.

In 1995, the Danish ferry operation was separated into DSB Rederi A/S and in 1997 the name of the shipping company was changed to Scandlines A/S.

In 1997, the strong collaboration led to a joint investment in four new ferries for the Vogelfluglinie. The “Germans” delivered two ferries and the “Danes” another two. All four, doubled-ended RoRo ferries, basically identical, but with differences in the design both outside and inside. You can also hear a difference: the two German ferries sail under German flag and have German crew. The two Danish ferries sail under Danish flag and have Danish crew.

On 21 August 1998, the two shipping partners The Danish Scandlines A/S and the German Deutsche Fährgesellschaft Ostsee GmbH (DFO) merged as Scandlines AG., owned by the Danish Transportministeriet and the German Deutsche Bahn AG, each with a 50% share. Scandlines AG created, as subsidiaries, Scandlines Danmark ApS and Scandlines Deutschland GmbH.

The Swedish Scandlines AB was originally owned by Statens Järnvägar and in 1999 the company was sold to Stena Line. However, Scandlines AG believed that they had a right of first refusal, which stopped the sale until an arbitration ruled that the company had to be sold to Stena Line.

In 1999 Molslinjen merged with Scandlines’ subsidiary Cat-Link. Scandlines sold its holding to the Clipper Group in 2008. In 1999 Scandlines sold the route Aarhus-Kalundborg to Molslinjen which in turn terminated the route on 15 September 2011.

On 19 June 2007, an agreement was reached to sell Scandlines AG to the British private equity fund 3i (40% share), the German investment company Allianz Capital (40% share) and the shipping company Deutsche Seereederei (20% share). Since then, Scandlines has been a privately owned company.

With effect from 1 January 2008, the Spodsbjerg−Tårs, Bøjden−Fynshav and Esbjerg−Fanø routes were sold to Clipper Group.

In May 2012, all freight routes in the Baltic Sea, Travemünde−Ventspils, Travemünde−Liepaja, Nynäshamn−Ventspils, Rostock−Trelleborg and Sassnitz−Trelleborg, as well as Scandlines' BorderShop in Sassnitz, were sold to Stena Line.

In 2010 Deutsche Seereederei sold its shareholding to 3i and Allianz. In 2013 Allianz sold its 49% to 3i and in 2018 First Sentier Investors and Hermes Investment Management acquired 50% and 15% of the shares, respectively.

In 2013, Scandlines took the first step towards “zero direct emissions free ferries”, when the Püttgarden-Rødby ferry M/V Prinsesse Benedikte was converted to hybrid propulsion to reduce CO2 emission. The hybrid system is like that of hybrid cars, where petrol or diesel is combined with electricity. The conversion was successful and in 2014 the three other passenger ferries on the route (these four ferries were built in 1997), were projected for conversion to hybrid propulsion, as well as the ferries on the Rostock-Gedser route, in 2016. In 2020 and 2022 respectively, these two hybrid ferries M/V Copenhagen and M/V Berlin got installed a rotor sail to further reduce emissions per trip.

In February 2015, Scandlines and Stena Line sold their shares in the Helsingør−Helsingborg crossing, including the five ferries, to the investment fund First State. Were operated until 2023 by the company HH Ferries, where they were again sold to Molslinjen, under the name Øresundslinjen.

In 2020, Scandlines took further steps towards their green agenda. Under water, where installed new thrusters (thrusters drive the ship forward) on two of the four passenger ferries on the Püttgarden-Rødby route. The new thrusters reduce both underwater noise and CO2 emissions. In 2021 and 2022, the two other passenger ferries on the route got new thrusters.

All vessels are tailor-made for the route to optimize for shallow waters. Thus, the shape of the ship hull contributes to lowering fuel consumption.

With the upcoming establishment of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, the company sees an exciting time ahead. The infrastructure project is a welcome supplement that will bring additional activity, especially on the Danish islands of Lolland-Falster, which will benefit greatly from it. In 2025, Rødby and Püttgarden will be expanded with 25 MW chargers for the upcoming battery ferry Futura.

Today, the infrastructure-fund owner behind Scandlines, is a consortium consisting of Igneo Infrastructure Partners, 3i Group plc and Federated Hermes.

Scandlines owns too, the harbour areas in Püttgarden, Rødby and Gedser. In Rostock, the company has a long-term lease agreement with Rostock Port in Rostock Überseehafen. Rostock also houses one BorderShop - the other one is in Püttgarden.

Scandlines ferries are:

M/V Deutschland, Puttgarden-Rødby

M/V Prinsesse Benedikte, Puttgarden-Rødby

M/V Prins Richard, Puttgarden-Rødby

M/V Schleswig-Holstein, Puttgarden-Rødby

M/V Berlin, Rostock-Gedser

M/V Copenhagen, Rostock-Gedser

M/V Kronprins Frederik, freight ferry on Puttgarden-Rødby and replacement ferry on Rostock-Gedser

Scandlines operates around the clock and is invested to meet the company’s Green Agenda and the goal of direct emissions free ferry service by 2040.

https://www.scandlines.com/about-scandlines/about-scandlines-frontpage

Sea-Cargo

Sea-Cargo AS was founded on 1^stAugust 2001 through the merging of the liner activities of Seatrans and Nor-Cargo, the two leading shipping lines trading between West Coast of Norway to UK and mainland Europe. The main shareholder is Seatrans.

Seatrans was established in 1971 and had evolved from the roots of Norwegian maritime culture. For generations, the families of its founders, Wollert Hvide and Bjarne Kyrkjebø, have been involved in seafaring and shipping. Hvide and Kyrkjebø joined forces in 1971, forming the management company Seatrans.

In 1984, the Institute of Seatransport was founded in Hong Kong. Seatrans Shipping Ltd. was established in 1986 in Malta. In 1991 and in Latvia, Seatrans Ltd., was founded as the first private shipping agency after the collapse of the Soviet Union, building on the expertise of former Soviet agency staff. In 2020 Sea Trans was established in Australia. Through Sea-Cargo, Seatrans is engaged in roro liner and logistics services in the North Sea market.

The predecessor of Nor-Cargo was established in 1967 when Be-No-Ve samseilingen was established by Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab and Vesteraalske Dampskibsselskab. Four years later Ofotens Dampskibsselskab, Narvik Dampskibsselskab and Nordlandske Dampskibsselskab also joined. This was a cooperation between the shipping companies. In 1979 this was taken one step further when Nordsjørederiet Nor-Cargo A/S was founded. In 1988 the company RoNoTro A/S was established, and it purchased Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, including the shipping companies K/S Nor-Cargo, Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, from Kosmos.

By 1993 all these companies had merged into one. In 1999 the company was renamed Nor-Cargo ASA before getting its present name in 2004 when it was purchased entirely by Posten from the previous owners Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskap and Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab. This acquisition by Posten did not include Nor-Cargo Shipping, since liner activities had been merged into Sea-Cargo AS. Today Nor-Cargo AS is a Norwegian cargo transport and logistics company and subsidiary of Posten Norge, the Norwegian Postal Service.

Sea-Cargo AS’ head office is located in Paradis, been Bergen the heart of the scenic west coast of Norway, an area known for international shipping and maritime industry. Sea-Cargo is complemented by a fully owned agency structure in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and UK.

Sea-Cargo AS had a significant expansion through the acquisition of Johs. Sundfør in 2011. This acquisition integrated a company with over 150 years of experience into Sea-Cargo's operations, broadening their service offerings to include worldwide sea and air freight movements, stevedoring, warehousing, and distribution.

Sea-Cargo owns and operates a modern fleet of multipurpose vessels, SC Connector, Sea-Cargo Express, Bore Bay, Trans Sol and Trans Hav, offering ro-ro, container, side door (pallet and conventional), heavy lift and through hatch capacity. Sea-Cargo operates a regular ro-ro liner service in the North Sea – to and from Norway, UK and the Continent, complimented by warehousing and local transport services in many ports, with twice weekly departures in each direction. Ro-ro vessels have more than 170.000 sqm under-deck space and can accommodate all kinds of rolling cargo.

https://www.sea-cargo.no/about-us/

Simonsen Vogt Wiig

Simonsen Vogt Wiig is one of the largest law firms in Norway, with offices in the major cities in Norway and in Singapore. Our 180 lawyers represent clients within all industries and sectors, across all legal functions and areas of expertise. We support leading domestic and international clients and have a global reach and significant cross-border experience.

Simonsen Vogt Wiig is recognised as one of the leading law firms within shipping and offshore and is one of the few to offer strength across the board in shipping and maritime law.
Shipping and Offshore is one of our core areas, and we are recognised as one of the leading legal firms in this business sector. Several of our lawyers are internationally ranked as leading within maritime law, shipping transactions and ship building/offshore construction. We assist Norwegian and foreign owners, suppliers, insurers, brokers, shipyards and financial institutions.

https://svw.no/en

SKULD

Protection & Indemnity (P&I insurance) is Skuld's largest line of business. The cover protects our members against third party losses and liabilities.

Together with additional covers tailored to individual needs of the member, a reliable cover for liability exposure is ensured.

www.skuld.com

Spliethoff Bevrachtingskantoor B.V.

Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor B.V. was established in 1921 by JohanFredrik Spliethoff as a shipbroker specialising in the transport of timber products from the Baltic Sea ports to Western Europe.

In 1946 his son Herman Spliethoff added a ship-owning branch when he commissioned Spliethoff’s first newly built vessel, the MV Keizersgracht built by NV Scheepswerf Gebr Van Diepen at Waterhuizen and named after the Amsterdam canal where the company had its offices, one of the most sumptuous canals in Amsterdam's Old Town, known for its elegant buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Ever since, Spliethoff’s own fleet of vessels have borne the names of canals (gracht), and this has become the trademark of the company over the years.

Few months later, Herman Spliethoff added another ship when he purchased the 493 grt MS Ursula Heinemeier built in 1942 by Van Diepen at Waterhuizen, from H.F. Bertling of Lübeck. The ship was renamed MS Heerengracht. She was sold in 1959 to Magnus Solheim of Trondheim and renamed MS Grete Solheim. Renamed again as MS Rosita K by K. Karmiris of Piraeus in 1964, she ended her days sinking on 27^th May 1973 off Cape Zuvra in the Saronic Gulf, while on a voyage from Piraeus to Benghazi with a cargo of cotton seed.

Spliethoff’s fleet grew steadily from these two ships in 1946 with a total DWT of 1,360 tonnes. As example, MS Prinsengracht of 499 grt was completed at Zaandam in 1948, and MS Lucas Bols of 499 grt was managed for Erven Lucas Bols from 1949. Spliethoff’s own fleet of 499 grt motor coasters, numbered sixteen in 1962, with eight owned and eight managed. During this time the ships mainly transported timber from ports in Russia or in countries around the Baltic Sea to ports in Northwest Europe. On the return legs all kinds of cargo were transported. However, the growth of the fleet also changed the field of work. In addition to the traditional transport of timber and timber products many other cargoes were shipped around Europe.

In 1975 Spliethoff ordered the construction of its first series of vessels in Japan. The delivery of these six ships led to a further change and soon the company was operating worldwide. Over 40 ships have been built at the same yard. This long-lasting relationship is typical of those that Spliethoff aims to maintain with its clients and through the years, the company has built further on its quality reputation by constantly keeping the fleet up to date, manning it with highly qualified crews and by tailoring its ships to the market in close consultation with the customer.

Still an independent company, today Spliethoff operates a fleet of about 50 modern, ice-classed, multipurpose vessels, ranging from 12,000 to 23,000 tonnes. All vessels are equipped with tween decks and cargo cranes.

Additionally, the S-type and newbuild L-type vessels are equipped with side-loaders, enabling rapid and weather independent cargo operations of products such as paper and palletised cargoes.

The last two L-class in service with the company, MS Lindengracht and MS Lootsgracht, operated an unusual “split personality” existence in two distinct areas of operation for several years from the Canadian Arctic ice free season of 2007, which lasts from June to November. They supplied Canadian Arctic ports with vital supplies for the Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping Inc. (NEAS) based in Montreal. These two ice class 1A Spliethoff’s vessels were renamed Umiavut and Avataq respectively for this short season and then returned to European trading in winter to regain their “gracht” names with port of registry as Amsterdam. Avataq is the Inuit Eskimo name for a float attached to a harpoon line to prevent a harpooned seal from sinking, while Umiavut means ‘Our Ship’. They were managed by Transport Inukshuk Inc. for the ice free season and operated under Canadian registration. On 21^st August 2009, Umiavut sailed from Montreal on the first ever commercial navigation of the Northwest Passage by a Canadian vessel, reaching the remote western Kitikmeot region of Nunavut including Cambridge Bay, Kuglutuk, Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven.

On September 2024 it was confirmed that Dutch company ForestWave, founded in 2003 and active in short sea and worldwide ocean transportation, mainly in European waters and the Atlantic basin, would join the Spliethoff Group, as its seventh business unit effective, while maintain its identity and independent operations.

Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor B.V. is the founding company of the Spliethoff Group, headquartered in Amsterdam too with a century of maritime expertise behind, operating around 145 vessels (multipurpose, heavy lift, shortsea, Ro-Ro vessels, semi-submersible and module carriers) and a broad portfolio of specialised companies:

Spliethoff and ForestWave, dry cargo, breakbulk & project cargo,

Transfennica, container & ro-ro cargo services,

Transfennica Logistics, door-to-door container & trailer services within Europe,

BigLift Shipping, heavy lifts & project cargo,

Wijnne Barends, shortsea specialist,

Bore, tonnage provider,

Sevenstar and DYT, yacht transport companies.

https://www.spliethoff.com

Stena Rederi

Stena Line is a Founding Member of the North Sea Operators' Claims Conference.

Mr Fredrik von Wachenfeldt, forwarding manager and Mr Göran Berger, claims manager; in Ipswich on the 14^th of September 1977 at The Post House Hotel - London Road, for Stena Line AB (Göteborg) and together with the other Founding Members; were signatories of the minutes' § 27 of the "Claims procedures for articles of transport Assembly" where "the Members agreed that further cooperation should be performed under the name North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference (NSOCC)". (1 NSOCC 1977 Ipswich).

Ms Anna Molin is the Delegate representing Stena Line AB (Göteborg) at the 47 NSOCC 2025 Hamburg.

Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the world's largest ferry operators. It services Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere together with Stena Sessan AB og Stena Metall AB. It is too, a sister company to Stena Bulk one of largest tanker companies in the world, and to Stena RoRo.

Sten A. Olsson the son of Skipper and ship owner Gustav Olsson from Donsö, established on the 18 November 1939 at the age of 23, Sten A. Olsson Metallprodukter trading company in Göteborg, which still serves as the company's headquarters, focusing on metals and scrap.

In 1946 he bought his first vessel, a three-masted schooner named "Dan" (after his first son) and the shipping business started on a small scale.

It will be in 1962 when the foundation of Stena Line was laid with the acquisition by Sten A. Olsson of the Skagenlinjen and passenger ferry services began between Göteborg and Skagen:

Poul Ludvigsen with the ferry MS Østersøen, which had served the Allinge-Simrishamn route, started the Skagen-Göteborg route in early September 1962 but had to close after 4 days on the route. On 21 September of the same year, Sten A. Olsson started on the same route and chartered the same ferry MS Østersøen. In 1965 the Skagen line was closed and operations moved to Frederikshavn. The name Skagenlinjen was changed to Stena Line.

In 1967 the first freight-focused route of Stena Line was launched, to Kiel with the MS Stena Transporter.

In the following years the company expanded both inside and outside the country’s borders and Stena has developed into an international group of companies with business activities all over the world. Activities today are spread over several areas: ferry routes, shipping, offshore drilling, property, finance plus recycling, environmental services and trade.

During the 1980s and 1990, Stena formed or acquired several other ferry companies. Most significant were:

In 1981, Sessan Line, Stena's biggest competitor on Sweden–Denmark routes, was acquired and incorporated into Stena Line. In 1983, Stena acquired Varberg-Grenå Linjen, and two years later also the right to that company's former name, Lion Ferry. Lion Ferry continued as a separate marketing company until 1997, when it was incorporated into Stena Line. In 1988, Stena Line purchased the British Columbia Steamship Co., operators of a Victoria–Seattle route (permanently cancelled in November 1990). In 1989, Stena acquired yet another ferry company, Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ) (which at the time traded under the name Crown Line). SMZ's Hook of Holland–Harwich route then became a part of Stena Line.

In 1990, Stena Line doubled in size with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries from Sea Containers. This first became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line (UK). In 1998, Stena's operations from Dover and Newhaven formed a joint venture with P&O European Ferries as P&O Stena Line, owned 40% and 60% respectively. In 2002, P&O acquired all of Stena's shares in the company, thus becoming the sole owner of P&O Stena Line, which soon changed its name to P&O Ferries.

In 2000, Stena Line AB signed an agreement with SJ, the Swedish Railways, to acquire all Scandlines AB’s shares (a smaller Swedish ferry group). Further, in 2012 Scandlines sold most of its Baltic Sea business to Stena Line. The deal included five Baltic routes and the BorderShop at Sassnitz.

2008, May - The company moved its Belfast Terminal from Albert Quay to the new VT4.

2010, December - Stena Line announced it had acquired the Northern Irish operations of DFDS Seaways. The sale includes the Belfast to Heysham & Birkenhead routes, two vessels from the Heysham route (Scotia Seaways & Hibernia Seaways) and two chartered vessels from the Birkenhead route (Mersey Seaways & Lagan Seaways). The Fleetwood to Larne route ended on 24 December 2010.

2014, 26 February - it was announced that Stena Line would acquire Celtic Link Ferries service from Rosslare to Cherbourg, France. It was also agreed to take over the charter of their vessel Celtic Horizon, which was renamed Stena Horizon.

2019, February - A joint venture with Hyundai Glovis was announced and approved by the European Commission, for the implementation of a new cooperative short sea intra-European waters service in between the two carriers, for the sea transport of transhipment cargo originating from South Korea.

In 2020 - due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the company suspended temporarily, and later permanently closed, operations between Oslo and Frederikshavn due to travel restrictions in Denmark and Norway. The route’s sole ship, MS Stena Saga was sent to Göteborg where she arrived on 16 March. She had been built as MS Silvia Regina in 1981 by Wärtsilä in Turku, Finland, for Rederi AB Svea for use in Silja Line traffic. The ship joined the Stena Line fleet in 1991, originally with the name MS Stena Britannica in the route Hook of Holland-Harwich and changed to MS Stena Saga in 1994 when entering service on the route Oslo–Frederikshavn. (For the weekend 12–13 May 2001 the ship was chartered to a music festival in Copenhagen and in June 2003 the ship was chartered to the Norwegian football union for a cruise from Oslo to Copenhagen). In 2020 she was renamed Saga and laid up in the port of Uddevalla for almost a year. In November 2021, Saga was reported bound for the Philippines, on charter to Bridgemans Services, where she was converted as a floating hotel vessel.

2024, 8 April - Stena Line acquired 49% of the shares in Africa Morocco Link (AML) from Attica Group, expanding them outside of Europe. They operate the routes Tanger Med, Morocco to Algeciras, Spain and Tanger Ville, Morocco to Tarifa, Spain.

https://www.stena.com/about-stena/history/

The Swedish Club

Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening (Göteborg) is a Founding Member of the North Sea Operators' Claims Conference,

since the First Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport', - the "0 NSOCC 1976 I" where Delegates were summoned “as an attempt to introduce uniformity in documentation between all operators on the North Sea, thus aiding and simplifying both insurance contracts and claims handling”. Held on the 30^th of March 1976 in Göteborg, Mr. Lennart Delfs, Claims adjuster, attended as Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening first Delegate;

since the Second Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport', - the "0 NSOCC 1976 II" where “The participants agreed to draw up a uniform document for remarks against the condition of articles of transport. The document shall be named "Condition report"”. Held on October the 11^th and 12^th 1976 in Kungälv, Hotel Fars Hatt, Captain Åke Thor and Mr. Lennart Delfs, Claims adjuster, attended as Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening Delegates.

At the Third Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport', Mr Åke Thor, Master Mariner; in Ipswich on the 14^th of September 1977 at The Post House Hotel -London Road, for Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening (Göteborg) and together with the other Founding Members; were signatories of the minutes' § 27 of the "Claims procedures for articles of transport Assembly" where "the Members agreed that further cooperation should be performed under the name North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference (NSOCC)". The "1 NSOCC 1977".

The Swedish Club has participated at the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference on most occasions since then.

The Swedish Club was established in 1872 and wrote its first Hull and Machinery policy on the 13^th of December that year. The first entered ship, the one-year-old steamship Orvar Odd, was insured for a large sum at that time – over 50,000 Swedish crowns. By January of the following year, a total of 13 ships were covered for Hull and Machinery risks by The Swedish Club.

By 1910, demand for Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance was growing rapidly in Sweden - where shipowners were required to have protection against personal injury, loss of life and collision liabilities. Despite an earlier reluctance to offer P&I insurance, the attractively titled Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förenings Delägares Ömsesidiga Försäkringsbolag ‘Protection & Indemnity’ was founded on the 8^th of December. This proved to be one of the most important developments in the Club’s history.

Forty years later, the P&I Club amalgamated with the Hull Club in a first step towards creating the total service concept offered by the Club today.

The outbreak of war in 1914 presented the Club with new challenges and opportunities. The Club continued to offer hull cover for members during the war and assisted members by arranging war cover.

The Second World War also passed without significantly disrupting the Club’s activities. The only significant change in the following years came in 1969, with the development of a new hull reinsurance programme – an excess quota share treaty placed mainly with Lloyd’s of London.

Today, The Swedish Club, also known and registered as Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening, is an independent, self-managed and mutual insurance association, with head office in Göteborg and branch offices in Oslo, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. There is also a representative office in Athens.

www.swedishclub.com

Thomas Miller Claims Management

Thomas Miller Claims Management (TMCM) is a unique marine risk management consultancy providing claims, casualty and risk management solutions to its clients in Thomas Miller’s heartland sectors of marine, transport and general commercial business.

TMCM combines the service and core claims handling expertise of Thomas Miller, with the flexibility and innovation needed to meet the challenges of today’s risk management and operational environments.

Comprehensive claims management, on-demand or for whole caseloads
Advice on disputes, liabilities and loss prevention
Market leader in medical case management and pre-employment screening
Casualty response, coordination and investigation worldwide
In-house expertise to improve outcomes and control external costs
Unparalleled network of partners and resources
Low-cost, flexible structure ideally suited to TPA, high-volume and run-off claims

Control on claims

The claims environment today is more complex than ever. TMCM stresses the importance of knowing your business as well as just your claims- giving you greater clarity and control in your risk management while reducing your claims burden.

Support wherever and whenever you need it

TMCM provides real-time advice and support to operators and insurers worldwide, from advice on contracts and marine charters to coordination of emergency response and disaster management

A natural option for outsourcing and TPA

TMCM’s low-cost location and flexible structure make it a natural choice for insurers and operators looking for claims handling and third-party administration (TPA) solutions on high-volume workloads such as cargo, personal accident, employer liability and travel claims, or run-off vehicles for occupational disease or insolvency.

www.thomasmillerclaims.com

Transfennica

Transfennica, a major provider of logistics services for the timber industry based in Helsinki, was established in 1976 when the Finnish forest industry's joint sales associations Finnpap, Finnboard, Finncell and Converta, decided to combine all Finnish forest industry export deliveries into a single shipping company and founded Oy Transfennica Ab. In 1994, Finnpap and Finnboard sold their shares to UPM, Metsä-Serla, Myllykoski Paper Oy and Oy Metsä-Botnia Ab. In the same year, Transfennica expanded its offering beyond forest companies and in 1996 established its first foreign offices in Belgium, Germany and England, a branch office in Hamina in 1999 and a new subsidiary in Paldiski in 2001.

In 2002, Spliethoff Group acquired 51 % of Transfennica shares, acquiring the remainder of the company in 2005.

2004 - Spliethoff ordered six multi-purpose Con-Ro new-buildings to enter Transfennica's trade, further increased to two more in 2005.

2005 - A new shipping service to Gdynia was inaugurated and a new subsidiary was established.

2006 - New shipping services to Husum, Gdynia, Rostock and Lübeck were inaugurated. A new shipping service to St. Petersburg was inaugurated and new subsidiary was established. The first two new-buildings in a series of eight vessels, MS Timca and MS Kraftca were delivered.

2007 - Offices were established in Amsterdam, Bilbao and Zeebrugge. A new shipping line Zeebrugge-Bilbao was inaugurated in September.

2008 - Amsterdam became the head office of Transfennica Group. The fifth Con-Ro newbuilding MS Pulpca was delivered and deployed in the Antwerp trade.

2009 - The last Con-Ro, MS Plyca, was delivered in June to sail on the Hanko-Lübeck route.

2010 - Inauguration of a new dedicated terminal A3 in Bilbao, fully operated and controlled by Transfennica.

2011 - The Iberia operations were moved to PSA’s Wielingendok with 2 multipurpose Ro-Ro berths and a deep-sea container terminal as well as warehouse services.

2012 - Shipping services and Transfennica office were moved from Hamina to Kotka. Exhaust gas cleaning system “scrubber” was installed on MS Plyca. The Iberia operations moved from PSA’s Wielingendok to P&O Ferries, offering connections to Tilbury, Hull and Teesport.

2013 - It was decided to install exhaust gas cleaning systems “scrubbers” on the other five Con-Ro’s. Due to increasing demand in the Russian market, the shipping service was upgraded with two direct sailings per week from Tilbury and Antwerp to St. Petersburg.

2014 - Scrubbers were retrofitted in five of Spliethoff Con-Ro’s during. Iberia shipping services were terminated.

2015 - Start of a new shipping service, Kotka-Rostock.

2016 - Delivery of the third and the fourth Con-Ro new-buildings, MS Genca and MS Trica.

2020 – Introduction of 80’ roll trailers with a loading capacity of max. 80 tons and platforms equipped with rails to handle trains, locomotives and railcars.

2021 - In September Transfennica’s Helsinki office moved to newly renovated office premises at Uudenmaankatu after 41 years in Eteläranta. Route Hanko-Gdynia was terminated, but the shipments continue with sub-contracted tonnage.

2023 – Closing of the St. Petersburg office. MV Seagard was sold to Smyril Line in Faroe Islands after being chartered by Transfennica for 24 years.

2024 - Transfennica and CLdN connected their shipping services in Zeebrugge to provide customers with broader connections through Northern and Western Europe.

Spliethoff Group, headquartered in Amsterdam with a century of maritime expertise behind, operates around 145 vessels (multipurpose, heavy lift, shortsea, Ro-Ro vessels, semi-submersible and module carriers) and a broad portfolio of specialised companies:

Spliethoff and ForestWave, dry cargo, breakbulk & project cargo,

Transfennica, container & ro-ro cargo services,

Transfennica Logistics, door-to-door container & trailer services within Europe,

BigLift Shipping, heavy lifts & project cargo,

Wijnne Barends, shortsea specialist,

Bore, tonnage provider,

Sevenstar and DYT, yacht transport companies.

www.transfennica.com

Van Ameyde Marine

Van Ameyde Marine is a Member of the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference.

Mr. Albert Weatherill, Managing Director -McAusland & Turner Ltd. (Hull) participated at 31 NSOCC 2007 Bristol.

Mr. Chris Boyd, Managing Director -Van Ameyde Marine UK (Hull) is a Delegate at the 47 Session NSOCC 2025 Hamburg.

Van Ameyde Marine's history is rooted in Henri van Ameyde, who in the aftermath of World War II, took on the vital role of motor claims adjuster for the Dutch army in 1945 and laid the roots. In the 1950s, Henri van Ameyde was a driving force behind the Green Card system for international motor insurance.

He soon identified a need for specialized marine surveying services in the Netherlands in 1954. Starting with key offices in prominent Dutch ports like Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Vlissingen, activities extended to Belgium in 1965.

The mounting demand and progression towards increasingly intricate fields prompted the establishment of a distinct entity in 1969: Marine Survey Bureau H.A. van Ameyde.

In 1975 Van Ameyde is officially founded as a specialist in claims management and damage handling, focusing on providing reliable and efficient solutions for the insurance industry.

Over time, Van Ameyde has grown too, into a marine consultancy and surveying network through acquisitions and strategic partnerships, among them:

Krogius since 2015 (founded in 1872, since 1893 Lloyd’s Agency in Helsinki, today stretching from Copenhagen to Estonia and Lithuania),

Sparks Surveyors Antwerp since 2018.

McAusland & Turner Ltd. since 2019 (established in 1888, McAusland Turner is still today the UK's longest-running Marine Surveying and Consulting firm in the Port of Hull. Official P&I Correspondents in 1916 and Lloyd’s Agency for England's East Coast since 2002),

Seasia since 2019 (now rebranded as Van Ameyde Marine Asia, Van Ameyde concluded on 16 October 2020 a share transaction with Singapore-based Seasia Group, established in 1996).

Since 2023 this Group of companies associated with Van Ameyde has been rebranded as Van Ameyde Marine.

Van Ameyde Marine is part of the Van Ameyde Group, a network of companies, including those operating under the Van Ameyde brand as well as other specialized brands (among them Van Ameyde Systems, Van Ameyde Risk Solutions, Arntz van Helden, Woodgate & Clark, Interschaden, Cordaet and many more) in turn part of the RWTÜV Group, established in 1872.

https://www.ameydemarine.com/

Van Doosselaere & Partners

Van Doosselaere & Partners has its roots in one of Antwerp's oldest established private liner shipping agents, back to 1939 as Van Doosselaere & Achten. The company, located on the Sint Pietersvliet canal, specialized in both bulk transport and container traffic. The company helped shape the entire expansion of the port of Antwerp.

Today, Van Doosselaere & Partners focuses on all types of enterprises.

But Mediation is for Van Doosselaere & Partners a way of life. And a way for conflicted parties to look for an acceptable solution to their conflict together in a calm and serene manner. Van Doosselaere & Partners pay a lot of attention to restoring communication and the relationship between the parties.

The mediators at Van Doosselaere & Partners are recognized by the Federal Mediation Commission (FMC), which means that they can have the agreements concluded by the court approved. In addition, recognition by the FMC is synonymous with targeted and high-quality training, as a recognized mediator has the obligation to undertake continuous training and to comply with deontological obligations.

At Van Doosselaere & Partners, areas of practice are maritime law, transportation law, intellectual property, business procedures, principal commercial agreements, general commercial law, tax law, customs and excises, corporate and company law, insolvency, judicial reorganisation, bankruptcies, restructuration, labour and social law, civil law, real estate law, administrative law, criminal law and financial and banking law.

To offer an efficient solution to business problems, careful attention is given to personal contacts with clients so that a clear picture can be obtained of the desired objectives, offering them competent and customised solutions.

Depending on the needs of the clients, their file is handled by specialists on the subject, under the supervision of a contact person.

The bonding agent of the law office is made up of a combination of common targets, working methods and knowledge and data systems that make it possible to coordinate (cross-border) activities and to offer our clients a constant and top-quality service.

Clients can call upon other Belgian or European law offices with which cooperative agreements have been concluded. This provides for immediate evaluation and monitoring of the legal consequences of a cross-border opportunity.

https://vando.be/

Wallenius Wilhelmsen

Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a shipping and logistics group, with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions (formerly known as Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics), EUKOR, American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier (ARC), United European Car Carriers (UECC) and Armacup as main brands.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen delivers innovative and sustainable global shipping and logistics solutions for manufacturers of cars, trucks, heavy equipment and specialised cargo.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen sophisticated supply chain solutions ensure an efficient integration of ocean transportation, inland distribution, terminal handling, processing and a comprehensive range of technical services. The company has a strong environmental focus and is an industry leader in developing innovative solutions to reduce its operational impacts on the environment.

Founded in Norway in 1861, Wilhelmsen is now a comprehensive global maritime group providing essential products and services to the merchant fleet, along with supplying crew and technical management to the largest and most complex vessels ever to sail. Committed to shaping the maritime industry, we also seek to develop new opportunities and collaborations in renewables, zero-emission shipping, and marine digitalization. Supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace, with thousands of colleagues across more than 60 countries, we take innovation, sustainability and unparalleled customer experiences one step further.

Wallenius Lines was founded in 1934 by Olof Wallenius and is today a privately owned Swedish shipping company. The fleet consists of 40 PCTC-Roll-on/roll-off vessels, specializing in transporting cars and trucks worldwide. The fleet is chartered and commercially operated by companies in which Wallenius Lines is a shareholder.

https://www.walleniuswilhelmsen.com

Weightmans

A leading national player in its client markets, Weightmans’ roots date back to the early 19th century. With 140 specialisms recognised and 432 experts listed in key legal directories, the firm offers a full spectrum of services to built environment enterprises, large corporate institutions, health organisations, insurance companies, public sector bodies, owner managed businesses and individual private clients.

At Weightmans, we believe the success of our clients and our people is key.

How we help achieve these results varies from organisation to organisation, person to person. No assumptions, no one size-fits all approach, just the very best support from a team that delivers measurable results.

We know that superb client service only comes through a happy and motivated workforce, so commitment to our people is at the heart of who we are, reinforced in all we do.

That’s why our business is successful. That’s why our clients come back time and time again.

www.weightmans.com

West of England

WEST is Member of the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference since the 3 NSOCC 1979 held in Rockanje (Holland), 7^th to 9^th November when Mr Patrick O'Donovan - West of England Ship Owners Mutual P&I Association (Luxembourg) Ltd., as the Club's first Delegate attended the Conference to draft uniform standard conditions of carriage for use in the North Sea trade and a Safety Guide for terminal operation.

Mr Andy Macrow has been Chairman of the North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference for the period 2012-2018, having represented the Club since the 27 NSOCC 2003 when he received the delegation from Ms Hilary Vines, until his own retirement from WEST. He still participates at the Yearly Session.

~~~~~

John Bagwell Holman, a mariner-turned-owner and ship builder from the Holman ship owning family in the port of Topsham in the southwest of England, had established in 1855 The Shipowners' Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, insuring third party liabilities, under the management of John Holman & Sons, comprising John Holman, Thomas Holman and John Holman the younger. The Association started life with 221 ships and 58,228 GRT. (A decade later, a member of the Holman clan, Frank, set up as a solicitor in London and began to expand a law business that grew to become Holman, Fenwick & Willan, the global firm now known as HFW.)

Sail gave way to steam, and as the membership in this category grew, it became obvious that the demands made on the Association by steamship owners were different from those made by owners of traditional craft. Although the shipping community was divided about the long-term viability of steam, John Holman & Sons characteristically decided that the future was in steam.

In 1870 John Bagwell Holman decided to launch The West of England Steamship Owners Protection & Indemnity Association Ltd. This could have been just another mutual but, as its name suggests, one dedicated entirely to the insurance of third party liabilities for vessels powered by steam.

In 1873, John Holman & Sons, the then managers of the Club along with the Shipowners' Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association moved their offices from Devon to Lime Street in London, which was a central hub for the shipping industry.

85 years of management of the Club by John Holman & Sons came to an end in 1955 when the Holmans resigned as Managers following a dispute with the Board of the West of England. John Holman & Sons was replaced by a management company 100% owned by the Club in 1956.

The Club began to diversify at the beginning of the 20^th century with an increasing number of Greek Members. Further diversification developed after World War II with a reduction in the amount of British ship owners and an increasing variety of foreign-flagged vessels, first in Europe and then, increasingly, in North America, Eastern Asia and the Pacific Rim.

In 1969 the Club began establishing overseas branches, first setting up a claims handling office in Piraeus headed by Peter Holman under the name “PPD Holman”. In 1978 the office changed its status to become West of England (Hellas). A growing presence in Asian markets in China and Vietnam saw the establishment of a Hong Kong office in 1982. Additional regional service hubs were established in Singapore in 2017 and New York in 2018. The Club has been domiciled in Luxembourg since 1969, and both the Club and its Managers are authorised by the Commissariat aux Assurances in Luxembourg.

In 2019 the Club launched new branding ahead of its 150 anniversary which encompassed a new WEST logo, new offices in the City of London, and an enhanced website. That year also celebrated 50 years of the office in Piraeus.

On 9 January 2025 it was announced that WEST had acquired 100% of Nordic Marine Insurance, a provider of fixed premium marine insurance. The Club had initially acquired a significant stake in Nordic in 2020.

The Club is one of the thirteen Clubs which comprise the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) and who collectively insure the liabilities of around 90% of the world’s ocean trading tonnage.