Haiwen advises shipowner on successful outcome in Hong Kong-seated maritime arbitration

海问律师事务所香港办公室代理一名船东处理一起以香港为仲裁地、适用《2021年伦敦海事仲裁员协会条款》并受英国法管辖的海事仲裁案件，并取得有利结果。

Haiwen & Partners LLP has advised a shipowner on a successful outcome in a Hong Kong-seated maritime arbitration conducted under the LMAA Terms 2021 and governed by English law.

该争议源于一份定期租船合同，涉及多项争议事项，包括停租、港口罚款、船舶性能不足、绕航，以及据称因租期内所供应燃油所导致的主机损坏等问题。

The dispute arose under a time charterparty and concerned a range of contested issues, including alleged off-hire, port penalties, underperformance, deviation, and engine damage said to have resulted from bunkers supplied during the charter period.

在最终裁决中，仲裁庭将承租人最终获支持的请求金额限制在其原主张金额的约1.19%。就需作出裁断的主要争议事项而言，仲裁庭在其中绝大多数问题上支持了船东的立场，包括港口罚款、船舶性能不足、绕航，以及承租人停租主张中的重要部分。仲裁庭同时支持了船东就租期内所供应不适用燃油导致主机损坏及维修费用所提出的请求。

In its final award, the tribunal limited the charterers' recovery to approximately 1.19% of the amount originally claimed. The tribunal found in the owners' favour on the substantial majority of the issues requiring determination, including key issues relating to port penalties, underperformance, deviation, and significant aspects of the charterers' off-hire case. The tribunal also upheld the owners' claim for main engine damage and repair costs arising from unsuitable bunkers supplied during the charter.

尽管最终结算结果显示船东仍需向承租人支付一笔数额不大的净额款项，仲裁庭认为，鉴于船东在争议中的实质性主要问题上胜诉，且承租人最终获支持的金额极为有限，因此由承租人承担船东的仲裁费用，属公平合理。

Although the final accounting exercise resulted in a modest net amount being payable to the charterers, the tribunal held that it was just and fair to award costs to the owners, having regard to the owners' success on the substantial issues in dispute and the limited extent of the charterers' ultimate recovery.

根据裁决，承租人需自行承担其自身法律费用，并承担船东可获赔偿的仲裁费用，以及裁决费用，包括仲裁员的费用和支出。

Under the award, the charterers were ordered to bear their own costs, pay the owners' recoverable costs of the arbitration, and bear the costs of the award, including the arbitrator’s fees and expenses.

本案由海问香港合伙人刘洋律师领衔，黎淇瀚律师负责具体经办。刘洋律师评论道：“本案再次表明，在复杂仲裁案件中，判断结果优劣，不能孤立地看最终结算后的净额数字，而应着眼于仲裁庭对各项核心争议问题的实质认定。仲裁庭在本案绝大多数关键争议问题上采纳了船东的立场，并判令由承租人承担船东的仲裁费用。从整体结果来看，这对客户而言是一项相当有利的结果。”

The matter was supervised by Edward Liu, with day-to-day conduct by Aaron Lai, Associate. Edward Liu, partner at the Hong Kong office, commented: "This award is a good example of why the outcome of a complex arbitration must be assessed by reference to the substance of the issues determined, rather than the net accounting position viewed in isolation. The tribunal accepted the owners' case on the substantial majority of the matters in dispute and awarded costs in the owners' favour. Taken as a whole, it was a strong result for the client."

海问香港争议解决团队长期就复杂航运及贸易争议提供法律服务，尤其在香港仲裁、LMAA仲裁程序以及英国法项下租船合同争议等方面具有丰富经验。

Haiwen Hong Kong dispute resolution team regularly advises on complex shipping and trade disputes, including matters involving Hong Kong arbitration, LMAA procedure, and English law charterparty claims.