Shipping and The Law 2014 Tackles Challenges

Over the past five years, Shipping and the Law has developed a reputation as Italy’s leading maritime industry conference building a reputation for high quality debate in a friendly and informal atmosphere.

Organized by law firm Studio Legale Lauro, the conference takes place on October 7 and 8 in Naples, home to more than half of Italian tonnage.

Participants include shipowners, as well as leaders from other sectors including bankers, charterers, underwriters and P&I Club managers, leading maritime lawyers and international shipping arbitrators.

A new feature of this year is a pre-conference workshop entitled, Eco-ships: Investing in Technologies, organized in association with the Italian Young Shipowners at Confitarma and ATENA, co-chaired by their presidents Andrea Garolla and Alberto Moroso.

A panel including Scorpio’s Emanuele Lauro, RINA and BV CEOs, Ugo Salerno and Didier Michaud-Daniel and LR’s Apostolos Poulovassilis, will follow technical papers and a paper presented by conference organiser Francesco S. Lauro, on drafting successful Eco-Ship newbuilding and retrofit contracts.

The full-day conference follows on October 8, with a programme including an opening panel session, Global Challenges and Strategic Decisions in the Current Shipping Markets, featuring Co-CEO of Grimaldi Group and President of Confitarma Emanuele Grimaldi, Past President of ECSA John C. Lyras, President of Fincantieri Vincenzo Petrone, Scorpio CEO Emanuele Lauro and Managing Partner of RS Platou Richard Fulford-Smith. 

Francesco Lauro, who will chair the opening session, said:

“Now more than ever, the industry faces the need to take decisions which could make the difference between survival and success for some players and extinction for others. Successfully addressing changes in technologies, environmental regulations or in the cost of energy, as well as in changing geo-political and economic scenarios, is essential. Nobody can see in the future but all must make their best bet. A lot of capital, some of it from unconventional sources, will be needed by the winners while the losers will destroy much of it. Shipping and the Law will be a great opportunity to hear, from some of the most important players in their respective fields, their opinions on the hottest issues the industry faces today."

The Ship Finance Session will be co-chaired by Jeffrey Pribor, Head of Maritime Investments at Jefferies, and Paolo d’Amico, CEO of d'Amico di Navigazione and Past President of Confitarma, and will include the participation of representatives from among the major shipping banks, as well as private equity investors and funds.

The Insurance, P&I, H&M Session will be co-chaired by Mauro Iguera, Managing Director of CR Marine & Aviation, and Federico Deodato, Managing Director of PL Ferrari & Co. The CEO of the Norwegian Club, John Wiik, will give a presentation on the subject of ‘Market volatility and innovation in marine insurance’ in addition to papers presented by representatives of the North Of England Club and Swiss-Re.

Finally, the Charterparty, Shipbuilding Contracts and Disputes, and S&P Agreements session will be co-chaired by Francesco Berlingieri, Honorary President of the CMI and Clive Aston, President of the LMAA. In this section, Mans Jacobsson, Former Director of the Oil Pollution Compensation Funds, will give a presentation entitled ‘The Prestige incident – some important court judgements’.

The event includes a Gala Dinner on October 8 which will take place at the aristocratic Circolo Nazionale dell’ Unione, part of the historic Opera House of San Carlo, located in the Royal Palace of Naples. The conference venue locations chosen for 2014 is the Baroque-styled Donnaregina Nuova, located in the heart of Naples and the Palazzo du Mesnil, a historical building overlooking the Bay of Naples.

To register for the conference and for further information on the programme, please visit www.shippingandthelaw.org