HFW
Having served the world’s shipping industry since 1883, we are universally regarded as one of the world’s leading shipping law firms. The reputation of our marine and admiralty departments, and the enduring relationships developed by our firm with the owners and operators of yachts and commercial vessels throughout the world form the foundation of our current practice. Our yacht team has been an integral part of the yachting industry for over 30 years and its in-depth knowledge of this intimate industry, combined with its global reach, ensures it is pre-eminent in the provision of legal services to yachting. We recognise that the industry is driven by a small group of high and ultra-high net worth individuals whose acquisition of a yacht and the drivers for doing so are usually quite separate to any business activities they may undertake and where issues of discretion and confidentiality are often of paramount importance.
We provide full service legal support to the yachting industry and advise on all legal issues a yacht is likely to encounter during its life, including
- design and construction,
- sale and purchase transactions,
- financing,
- ownership structures,
- registration arrangements,
- VAT/Customs issues,
- operation and management,
- crewing,
- refit & repair,
- chartering,
- physical and cyber security,
- insurance.
- health, safety and regulatory compliance,
- casualties and crisis response,
- yacht arrest and dispute resolution.
We also support owners with legal issues concerning related assets, such as berths, tenders, submarines, helicopters and business jets.
