Project leader
Dr Melis Özdel, UCL Laws
Melis is the specialism convenor for maritime law studies at UCL, and she is the director of UCL Centre for Commercial Law. Melis has published extensively in the areas of international trade law, carriage of goods by sea, international commercial arbitration and conflict of laws and jurisdiction.
She is the editor and co-author of Commercial Maritime Law (2020, Hart Publishing), author of Bills of Lading Incorporating Charterparties (2015, Hart Publishing) and co-author of EU Transport Law (2016, Hart-Nomos-Beck).
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a supporting member of the LMAA (London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association).
Project editor
Ms Olivia Tolson
Olivia studied Law at the University of Cambridge and recently completed an LLM at the London School of Economics. She has a strong interest in technology and the law and studied various papers in this area.
Members
Sir Richard Aikens, Brick Court Chambers
Sir Richard joined what is now Brick Court Chambers in 1974 and practised in commercial law, specialising in shipping, insurance and re-insurance, banking, international trade and arbitration.
He was appointed QC in 1986. He was a judge of the Commercial and Admiralty Courts from 1999-2008 (in charge of the Commercial Court in 2005-6) and a judge in the Court of Appeal from 2008-2015. In the High Court and Court of Appeal he sat on a very wide range of cases.
He is one of the authors of Bills of Lading (Informa Publishing) and has written many articles on legal topics, particularly on conflicts of laws. He lectured regularly (in English and French) and chaired conferences throughout his judicial career.
Whilst at the bar he was a director and chairman of the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund, (the Bar’s professional negligence insurers) which he helped to found in 1985. In 2012-14 he was President of the British Insurance Law Association.
He has taught commercial law at King’s College, University of London since 2016 and is a Visiting Professor at both King’s College and Queen Mary University of London.
Mr David Baker, the International Group of P & I Clubs
David has been a member of the Group Secretariat since July 2004 following a number of years representing the UK government at both the IMO and the IOPC Funds, and has completed an MBA and an LLM during his time at the Group.
David represents the Group at the IMO, IOPC Funds and in discussions with various governments on pollution, liability and compensation related matters and has responsibility for, amongst others, the Group’s Pollution subcommittee and Vessel Response Plan Working Group and the Claims co-operation subcommittee.
Mr David Bolomini, the International Group of P & I Clubs
David has been a member of the Group Secretariat since October 2011 following over 20 years in the UK government, including representing the UK at both the IMO and the IOPC Funds.
David has responsibility for, amongst others, the Group Bills of Lading, Regulatory Affairs and Compulsory Insurance subcommittees as well as covering matters relating to sanctions and the ILO Maritime Labour Convention.
Ms Saskia Daggett
Saskia has joined the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) from the international development sector. She was previously Director of Campaigns at United for Global Mental Health and Director of Programmes for the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. Both roles involved running coalitions and working to achieve systems change. She lived and worked in Uganda for the best part of a decade working for Oxfam and grassroots advocacy organisations. She has worked in climate change for some time and led an international programme on climate charge adaptation in Africa.
Ms Kiran Khosla, International Chamber of Shipping
Kiran is the Legal Director at the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Secretary of the ICS Maritime Law Committee and the ICS Insurance Committee. ICS is the principal international trade association and employers’ organisation for merchant shipowners and ship operators.
The membership of ICS comprises national shipowners’ associations from 40 countries and represents all sectors and trades and about 80% of the world fleet. ICS enjoys consultative status with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Kiran advises the national associations on legal liability and insurance related matters affecting shipping and shipowners generally. Kiran represents ICS at the IMO Legal Committee.
Prior to joining ICS, Kiran was Manager and then head of the Defence department of Assuranceforeningen Gard, working from the Gard (UK) office. Before that she was in private practice with a niche shipping law firm in London.
Mr Richard Lord QC, Brick Court Chambers
The core of Richard Lord’s practice for over 25 years has been commercial litigation and arbitration, with a particular specialisation in dry shipping and shipbuilding, insurance and reinsurance, commodities, energy and professional negligence claims.
He has appeared in and advised on numerous cases in tribunals from The Supreme Court/House of Lords to the High Court in The British Virgin Islands.
His ‘home territories’ are the Commercial Court in London and International Arbitrations, including ICC, LCIA, LMAA and Bermuda form arbitrations.
He acts as a mediator and arbitrator, has written textbooks on Bills of Lading and the Arbitration Act and has lectured and written extensively, as well as giving expert evidence on English law for foreign courts.
In 2017 he was shortlisted by Chambers & Partners as Insurance Silk of the Year.