Shipping Offshore

We are a leading international law firm within the shipping and offshore sectors. Headquartered in Norway, home to one of the world's largest and most active shipping and offshore clusters, and with offices around the world, the firm's practice assists on projects and disputes across the industry both in Norway and globally.

We pride ourselves on adding value to our clients' commercial activities and providing top quality legal services and up to date solutions that are adaptable to rapidly changing market conditions. Many of our lawyers are leaders in their fields and are treated as trusted partners by our clients.

One of our core strengths comes from the substantial development of our English law practice, which enables us to match industry expertise with both Norwegian and English law capability across our offices. We also have leading experts within other fields who can be involved if needed, and we can tailor the right team across offices and teams as necessary to meet the specific needs of our clients. We are uniquely positioned to provide full service support in large cross border shipping and offshore projects and dispute resolution.

Expertise

We offer legal services across the entire shipping and offshore industry, including:

  • Arbitration and litigation
  • Financing
  • Sale and purchase transactions, including sale and lease backs
  • Shipbuilding contracts and follow-up of building projects
  • Capital raising and IPOs
  • Super yacht construction, registration and operation
  • Construction of offshore vessels, modules and structures
  • Drilling and service contracts
  • Cruise ship construction and operation
  • Charterparties, bills of lading, cargo claims etc.
  • Marine insurance
  • War risk and piracy
  • Admiralty and emergency response (emergency number: +47 22 82 77 00)
  • Salvage and wreck removal
  • Pollution and clean-up following maritime casualties
  • Anti-corruption, compliance and sanctions
  • Tax

Global presence

We have an established global presence with offices in Oslo, Bergen, London, Shanghai and Singapore. We have been in Asia since 1965 and were the first international shipping firm to practice local law in Singapore. Through our alliance with one of Brazil's leading law firms, Vieira Rezende, we are also well established in Brazil.

International accolades

We are top-tier rated with Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and other legal directories and have received a number of other international recognitions:

2022.jpg

  • Excellence in Maritime Law 2019, Lloyd's List Europe Awards (nominated)
  • Deal of the Year 2019, Lloyd's List Europe Awards (nominated)
  • Maritime Law Firm of the Year Asia, Lloyd's List Asia
  • Maritime Law Firm of the Year, Lloyd's List Global Awards
  • Shipping Law Firm of the Year, ALB (UK cross-border finance work included)
  • Maritime Law Firm of the Year, Seatrade Asia (UK cross-border finance work included)
  • Shipping Law Firm of the Year, China Legal Business

Read more about our recognitions here.

  • 2014

    Maritime and Offshore Emergency Response Team

    Wikborg Rein’s Maritime and Offshore Emergency Response Team is comprised of partners and associates with extensive experience in the practical and legal issues related to casualties and other maritime emergencies, including shipboard investigations. The team assists insurers, owners and operators in connection with a wide range of incidents including collisions, groundings, capsizings, fires, allisions and pollution throughout the globe and particularly in Europe, Asia and Africa.

  • Shipping Offshore

    2019

    Shipbuilding Portal – digital building contracts

    The Shipbuilding Portal is a user-friendly online solution for the drafting of shipbuilding contacts based on the Standard Form Norwegian Shipbuilding Contract 2000, often referred to as "Ship 2000". It simplifies the drafting process and provides access to relevant practical information.

Read our latest articles about Shipping Offshore

  • Shipping Offshore, Sustainability

    2022

    Recent developments in Fuel EU Maritime proposal

    On 2 June 2022 the European transport ministers adopted a "general approach" to the FuelEU Maritime proposal. This marked an important step in the legislative process. Although some provisions have been proposed changed, the proposed scope of the regulation (both geographical and with respect to the type of vessels that the regulation will apply to) has been kept the same.

  • Shipping Offshore, Sustainability

    2022

    MARPOL Annex VI: EEXI and CII – can your contracts cope?

    Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI aimed at improving the technical and operational efficiencies of all types of ships were adopted by the IMO in June 2021. These amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2023. The amendments introduce the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI), a technical measure concerned with a ship’s design, and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), an operational measure concerned with a ship’s trading and operation.

  • Shipping Offshore, Sustainability

    2022

    The EU Taxonomy in the maritime transport industry

    In the maritime sector, several measures are needed in order to reduce emissions to the extent necessary, and the EU Commission approach this challenge by presenting a basket of measures, one of them being the EU Taxonomy. By setting harmonised criteria for determining whether an economic activity qualifies as environmentally sustainable, it is intended to incentivise the greening of the sector.