With around 3,000 people in over 30 offices, including more than 1,600 attorneys across three continents, Reed Smith is ranked by Law360 as among the “Global 20” for the breadth, volume and sophistication of our cross-border work. Our lawyers provide a full range of transactional and litigation support, typically in a cross-border context. Reed Smith is an adviser to leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises.  We have always followed our clients into jurisdictions where their businesses take them.
 
Within the shipping industry, we have advised clients on risk and change for nearly 100 years which gives us unparalleled knowledge of business operations and challenges, as well as strong connections and excellent working relationships across the industry. Our global shipping team consists of more than 120 lawyers, including many highly regarded senior practitioners, Master Mariners and several seafarers.
 
We maintain one of the largest shipping practices in our offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Houston, New York, Paris, Athens, London, and Washington D.C. from which we can service the needs of our global clients.
 
Whether you are dealing with a marine casualty, navigating a dispute, looking at financing or restructuring options, sanctions violation or regulatory issue, you can depend on us to look at the issue from all angles and guide you appropriately.
 
On the strength of our Formal Law Alliance (FLA) with Singapore law practice Resource Law LLC in 2016, we are able to service our clients’ legal requirements in handling multi-jurisdictional transactions, disputes and cross-border work involving Singapore law and represent them in the Singapore Courts.

Main practice areas

1. Casualty and admiralty, particularly collisions and other major casualties, salvage, Article 14, SCOPIC wreck removal and pollution, and their associated insurance and general average implications, guarantees and securities, fires, total losses, loss of and damage to containerised cargoes, oil and HNS pollution.
2. Dry shipping, often involving the preparation of cases for arbitration or the Commercial Courts in various jurisdictions. Our caseload comprises mainly contractual matters, including charter party disputes, cargo claims, shipbuilding, conversions and repair disputes, bunker disputes and ship sale and purchase disputes.
3. Finance and transactional, we guide clients through the intricacies of acquisition, disposal, financing and operation of ships, super yachts and other capital equipment used in the maritime and offshore oil and gas industry.