Simon’s practice covers a wide range of marine and energy classes of direct insurance and facultative reinsurance business, including Hull, War, P&I, Charterers' Liability, Increased Value and Builders Risks, as well as energy claims involving Physical Damage, Liabilities, Contractors All Risks and Delay in Start-Up.
His practice focuses mainly on dispute resolution and he is used to working in a business culture that demands quick and fair resolution of disputes, based on a firm, clear and carefully argued statement of a client’s position. Simon is a firm advocate of early mediation.
In addition to advice on contentious matters, Simon has also drafted a number of innovative “plain English” policy wordings for large yachts, P&I and Charterers’ Liability insurance and for marine professional indemnity and intermodal transport cover.
Simon is able to combine his insurance expertise with strong dry shipping experience to good effect, in matters which involve a cross-over between these areas, including coverage under P&I, SOL and Charterers' Liability Covers, loss of hire issues and subrogated recovery actions.
He has also applied his experience in contentious shipping claims in advising on drafting and contractual construction issues.
Simon regularly advises on claims and non-contentious issues, in particular Contracts of Affreightment and time charter disputes involving, principally, project cargoes and the fertiliser and cement trades.
He is a firm supporter of an approach which keeps a client’s lawyers in the background, providing discreet support and advice in seeking to avert disputes – until direct involvement becomes a tactical necessity.
In addition to his principal areas of practice, Simon is regularly involved in commercial disputes often where there is an insurance component in the background. These arise principally in the context of liability covers and have included commercial disputes in connection with crime/fidelity covers, Directors' and Officers' liabilities, cash-in-transit/cash management losses, disputes involving the supply and installation of power and telecoms cables and shipbuilding disputes.
In addition, Simon has been involved in managing or responding to contentious inter-firm moves by employee teams, advising on disputes concerning the planned reinstatement of a defunct Middle-Eastern oil pipeline and defending defamation allegations in overseas jurisdictions.