Interlegal team succeeded in defense of the Charterer’s interests under the dispute on demurrage

The Client – Charterer applied to Interlegal due to the Shipowner’s unlawful claims on demurrage recovery.

In the process of loading and discharging operations, the Shipowner claimed for full payment of the accrued demurrage amounting to 47,000 USD. The Charterer recognized demurrage only partially, due to the vessel idle stay, caused not only by additional laytime used by the Charterer but also by breakdown of several vessel cranes intended to discharge cargo at the destination port.

Due to unsuccessful negotiations between the parties, the Shipowner engaged lawyers in drafting a claim upon the disputed demurrage recovery. In the lawyers’ opinion, idle stay at the discharge port was caused not by breakdown of vessel cranes but by stevedores’ slow operations.

Interlegal lawyers drafted a solid legal position for the Client, based on the concept of vessel seaworthiness under the English law and on breach of the Shipowner’s obligation under the Charter Party to facilitate discharge by vessel cranes.

Prompt teamwork of junior lawyer Dmitriy Reznichenko, lawyer Valeria Ivanova, under the general supervision of senior associate Ekaterina Gadetskaya, facilitated defense of the Client’s interests and rejection of the Shipowner’s claim upon the disputed demurrage in full.