This, and a dozen nightmares like it, are typical of the sorts of situation Maritime Resolve can help with. Negotiation on the spot is one of our primary strengths. In the course of repossessing ships, carrying out investigations and working with different maritime groups, we have built up a great bank of experience. This enables us to understand the differing viewpoints of ship and crew, port authorities, agents, cargo interests and stevedores, insurers and banks. In turn, applying this experience and understanding gives us the capacity to reach for the reconciliation which allows the ship to go about its business and the other interests to be satisfied. Equally, we understand other cultures and legal systems and have infinite patience.

Maritime Resolve people can make a technical assessment of the situation when needed to support negotiations – is the ship or cargo damaged? If so, to what extent and how does this affect the problems? Is the ship still seaworthy? Are the claims justified?

We are available at short notice – our record is being on a plane three hours after the ‘phone rang – although we do recommend at least one briefing meeting before heading out. As in all our work, the two-way communication channel is opened to the client on arrival, intelligence fed back and agreed strategy carried out.

We have negotiated in the back streets of Russia, battled with bureaucracy in South America, and been delicate in the Arab world as well as going eyeball to eyeball in the Niger Delta. Free of local influence and with no investment in the dispute except to serve our client’s interests, we can be very effective.