We are pleased to publish the first volume of the Interwits Case Review, featuring a collection of anonymised case analyses drawn from recent shipping, Â trade, energy, and logistics disputes handled by our team across different jurisdictions during 2025.
This review presents a selection of five recent cases involving charterparty termination, war risk escalation, force majeure and volume shortfall in energy transportation, jurisdictional challenges, arbitration clause enforcement, and lien rights under logistics contracts.
Main Themes from This Edition
The first volume explores five recent disputes involving:
- Prolonged waiting of a laden ship offshore for discharge and repudiatory breach by charterers
- Force majeure in contracts of affreightment
- War risk escalation and charterparty termination
- Jurisdictional challenges and enforcement of arbitration clauses
- Storage obligations and lien rights
Across these cases, several themes emerge:
- Disputes increasingly extend beyond demurrage into cargo control issues
- Demand collapse can qualify as force majeure under certain contracts
- Entering into a charter party that envisages a voyage into a conflict zone does not automatically allocate risk indefinitely during the entire performance life of the charterparty
- Courts continue to emphasise the strict interpretation of arbitration agreements in charterparties, particularly where forum-shopping attempts are properly resisted.
- Courts adopts a strict approach to lien clauses in storage contracts.
Cases Covered
- Prolonged Offshore Waiting of a Laden Ship for Discharge and Repudiatory Breach
Termination of charterparty obligations following cargo abandonment and extended offshore delay. - Force Majeure and Volume Shortfall in Petroleum COA
Analysis of force majeure claims where demand collapse disrupts performance. - War Risk Escalation and Charterparty Termination
Legal implications of conflict escalation and safe port obligations. - Jurisdictional Challenge and Arbitration Enforcement
Defending arbitration clauses against opportunistic demurrage claims and managing the risk against forum shopping. - Storage Obligations and Lien Rights under Depot Agreements
Interpretation of long-term storage agreements and lien rights in depot disputes.
Download the Full Case Review
Download the full case review, including detailed analysis of five recent shipping and trade disputes handled across multiple jurisdictions.
If you would like tailored guidance on the issues covered in this case review or on maritime and trade disputes more broadly, please get in touch.
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