Senior Shipping Associate

Job Title: Senior Shipping Associate – Dry Shipping Litigation

Location: London (City)

Level: 3+ PQE (England & Wales Qualified)

Practice Area: Maritime, Shipping & Trade Disputes

About the Firm

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a high-calibre litigator to join an elite, top-tier specialist maritime boutique in the City of London.

Renowned for housing some of the market’s premier practitioners, the firm acts on market-defining, high-value, and complex international maritime disputes. Operating with a lean, highly focused setup, they combine the sophisticated caseload of top international practices with a truly modern, agile, and collegiate culture.

The firm is widely recognised for offering market-leading remuneration, paying among the highest base salaries in the London legal market alongside one of the most lucrative and transparent bonus structures available.

The Opportunity

The practice is seeking an ambitious, highly capable Shipping Litigation Associate (3+ PQE) to work directly alongside a market-leading Partner recognized as a key authority in dry shipping and trade disputes.

In this role, you will play a central part in handling sophisticated, high-stakes international arbitrations and High Court litigation. You will work closely with shipowners, charterers, traders, marine insurers, and P&I Clubs on complex dry maritime matters, including cutting-edge disputes arising from geopolitical disruption, war risk liabilities, and sanction/fuel supply issues.

This position offers rare partner exposure, early strategic autonomy, and a clear, highly rewarded career trajectory.

Key Responsibilities

• High-Stakes Dispute Resolution: Manage complex London arbitrations (primarily LMAA, alongside LCIA and ICC) and English High Court (Commercial Court) proceedings.
• Core Practice Areas: Advise on a broad spectrum of dry shipping disputes, including:
• Complex charterparty (time, voyage, bareboat) and bill of lading claims
• War risks, geopolitical disruption, and sanctions compliance
• Cargo damage, loss, contamination, and seaworthiness disputes
• Demurrage, laytime, speed, and consumption performance claims
• MOA, COA, bunker supply, and commodity trade disputes
• Strategic Drafting & Casework: Draft high-level pleadings, skeleton arguments, witness evidence, and submissions, while managing foreign legal teams on cross-border enforcement.
• Client & Commercial Leadership: Maintain direct relationships with P&I Clubs, international operators, and traders, taking an active role in strategic decision-making and firm growth.

Candidate Requirements

• Qualification: Solicitor qualified in England & Wales with a minimum of 3 years’ Post-Qualification Experience (PQE) dedicated to shipping litigation.
• Track Record: Proven expertise in handling dry shipping disputes and LMAA arbitrations at a recognised top-tier shipping firm, leading City practice, or premier boutique.
• Technical Excellence: Superior drafting, analytical, and tactical litigation skills, with the ability to navigate novel legal points and high-value claims under tight commercial deadlines.
• Mindset: Dynamic, commercially astute, and self-motivated, with the drive to take ownership of complex files within a high-performing partner-led team.

What’s on Offer

• Market-Leading Compensation: A base salary positioned at the absolute top end of the market, complemented by the most rewarding bonus structure in the sector.
• Elite Mentorship: Direct day-to-day working relationship with a globally recognized partner and Next Generation leader in shipping litigation.
• Exceptional Casework: Exposure to high-profile, precedent-setting international maritime disputes.
• Culture: A collaborative, meritocratic, and modern boutique environment without unnecessary bureaucracy.