Trading Straits

Shipbuilding law (part 2): Refund guarantees and delays during construction

Partners Sally-Ann Underhill and Thor Maalouf discuss refund guarantees, why it matters whether you have a “true guarantee” or a “demand bond,” and attempts to delay payment by refund guarantors. They also discuss how integration of new decarbonization technologies may lead to delays during construction, how delays impact the legal framework under a shipbuilding contract, and the prevention principle. 

Shipbuilding law (part 1): Specifications vs. performance criteria for decarbonization technologies, and documenting shipbuilding deals

Partners Sally-Ann Underhill and Thor Maalouf discuss the law on the initial stages of a shipbuilding project, including how new decarbonization technologies impact the documentation of specifications and performance criteria, the main types of contracts used to document shipbuilding deals, and how to record changes to a shipbuilding deal once it is signed.

Next-level ESG: Greenwashing, competition, and insurance

Cross-practice partners Michelle Mantine, Carolyn Rosenberg, and Jennifer Smokelin discuss new legal, regulatory, and antitrust concerns relating to ESG programs. They examine the latest ESG-related greenwashing and competition litigation risks that businesses and organizations need to consider and the associated insurance protection implications.

BIMCO ship sale and purchase agreement: SHIPSALE22

Join partners Philip Rymer and Susan Riitala as they discuss the new BIMCO ship sale and purchase agreement, SHIPSALE22 and how it compares to the Norwegian Shipbrokers’ Association’s standard form of contract, as well as the potential issues surrounding the new form.

Solving the ’possession’ problem: Electronic trade documents

Following industry responses to its consultation paper on electronic trade documents, on 16 March 2022, the Law Commission published its revised recommendations and draft legislation in “Electronic trade documents: Report and Bill No 405.” In this podcast, partner Nick Austin and associate Sofia Papaspyropoulou focus on the key issues coming out of the Law Commission’s latest proposals.

Sailing toward zero emissions: COP26 implementation

The need to create a greener future in shipping is more important than ever and has created an industry focus on reducing carbon emissions. Reed Smith partners Nick Austin, Jennifer Smokelin and James Willn discuss future regulations steering shippers toward emissions targets set at COP26. The speakers analyze legal and commercial issues around the shipping industry’s transition to net zero.  

A look ahead to 2022: LNG Shipping (Part 2)

In the second half of our series on LNG looking ahead to 2022, Kevin Keenan, Antonia Panayides and Mike Adamson discuss their expectations of the LNG market in the shipping sector. They opine on emerging trends, growth opportunities, regulatory challenges, and potential bumps in the road, all from their unique legal and geopolitical perspective.

A look ahead to 2022: LNG Production and Trading (Part 1)

2021 was a turbulent year in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector. Now, with the new year in full swing, several of our Energy & Natural Resources lawyers – James Atkin, Frances Furness, and Richard Swinburn – discuss what they expect to see from the LNG market in the year ahead. They share their forward-looking thoughts on emerging trends, growth opportunities, regulatory challenges, and potential bumps in the road from a legal perspective.

Energy storage in Greece: Insights into renewables and clean technology

Reed Smith partners Sally-Ann Underhill and Dimitris Assimakis discuss energy storage in Greece, with a focus on energy generated through renewable sources. They cover why energy needs to be stored, the various energy storage technologies available, the factors impeded further development of energy storage systems so far, the high interest of investors currently recorded in the Greek market and the new policies anticipated to be adopted by the Greek authorities for the promotion of energy storage systems. 

The impact of Belarus sanctions on the shipping and energy sectors

Leigh Hansson, Alexander Brandt and Brett Hillis discuss the impact and differences between the new U.S., UK and EU sanctions on Belarus, with a particular focus on the shipping and energy sectors.