A shipowner or yacht owner lives with maritime law every day, often without noticing. A charterparty signed on a poorly completed BIMCO form, a crew agreement drafted abroad for a yacht chartering in the Mediterranean, an insurance policy whose exclusions nobody read: as long as nothing happens, all is well. The day the cargo is damaged or the vessel detained, every clause counts.
The firm offers shipowners, ship managers and yacht owners ongoing maritime counsel. It acts in every French port, in mainland France and overseas, and works in English with owners, P&I clubs and foreign counsel.
Operating a vessel or owning a yacht? Tell us the flag, the use (private or commercial) and the issues on your mind.
Two audiences, the same reflexes
The commercial shipowner thinks in contracts: charterparties, bills of lading, hull and cargo insurance, technical management, crew. The yacht owner thinks first in terms of use, private or commercial, and that choice drives tax, customs, employment law and the safety regime. A commercial yacht enjoys exemptions a private yacht does not, provided the conditions are met; chartering without the required status is costly.
In both cases, disputes arise where the contract was vague. Regular counsel is there to make it precise.
What the engagement covers
For shipowners: review of charterparties and bills of lading, cargo claims, insurance and P&I questions, compliance with sanctions affecting shipping, difficulties with a charterer or a shipyard. For yacht owners: ownership structure (personal or through a company), tax and customs status, crew contracts, MYBA charter agreements, dealings with the yard during a refit.
One-off operations, a purchase or a sale, due diligence, a refit or a newbuild, are handled by the same lawyer without a break.
How the firm works
An initial review of the vessel’s documents (title, flag, insurance, operating and crew contracts) shows the priority risks. The fee agreement then sets the ongoing scope and the fee basis. In an emergency, an arrest, an average, an accident, the firm acts at once and, if the vessel is abroad, coordinates local counsel.
Typical matters
A 30-metre yacht moving from private use to charter
Change of status, conditions of the commercial exemption, crew agreements complying with the Maritime Labour Convention, management agreement with the charter agent: everything is prepared before the first charter.
A shipowner arrested over a bunker claim
The vessel is detained in port. The firm checks the nature of the claim, negotiates substitute security and, where the arrest is unfounded, applies for its release. See ship arrest.
General average declared during the voyage
The firm checks the declaration, the security demanded from receivers and the adjuster’s timetable. See general average.
Further reading
The maritime law page presents all the firm’s practice areas at sea. See also outside corporate counsel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the firm act outside mainland France?
Yes. The firm acts in every French port, in mainland France and overseas, in the French Caribbean, Réunion or New Caledonia, and before the Paris Maritime Arbitration Chamber.
Is a chartered yacht subject to the rules for commercial vessels?
Largely, yes: the tax and customs regime of a commercial yacht, safety rules, seafarers’ employment law. The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 applies to crews of ships engaged in commercial activities. Chartering without that status exposes the owner to reassessments.
What should I do if my vessel is arrested in a French port?
Act within hours: identify the claim relied on, check that it allows arrest, then negotiate substitute security or ask the court to lift the arrest. Every day of detention has a cost.
Do I need a lawyer to buy a yacht if I have a broker?
The broker brings the parties together and serves the transaction; the lawyer protects the buyer. Title, mortgages, VAT status, flag and the closing sequence are the lawyer’s job.
How are fees set for ongoing counsel?
By a written fee agreement, mandatory for every French avocat, signed before work starts. The firm does not publish a scale: fees depend on each matter, its difficulty, its urgency, what is at stake and the work it requires.
Would you like a maritime lawyer to follow your fleet or your yacht? Tell us the vessel, its flag and its use.
Discuss your international matter
Briefly describe your situation, the documents you have and any urgency: we will tell you whether the firm can act and how the matter could be organised.