Haiwen Secures Significant Victory in High-Stakes Maritime Arbitration

海问律师事务所欣然宣布，近期在一宗金额达数百万美元的由香港国际仲裁中心（HKIAC）根据《2018年HKIAC管理仲裁规则》管理的海事仲裁案件中，代表一家中国船东取得重大胜诉。该案件涉及复杂的跨境法律问题，由一位在海事争议领域具有丰富经验的独任仲裁员裁决。

Haiwen & Partners is pleased to announce a significant victory on behalf of a Chinese shipowner in a maritime arbitration administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) under the 2018 HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules. The arbitration, involving complex cross-border legal issues and claims amounting to several million US dollars, was adjudicated by a sole arbitrator with extensive expertise in maritime disputes.

争议源于租船方在装港出现严重延误后，拒绝在指定卸货港卸货，导致货方在孟加拉国对船舶实施了错误扣押。自船舶被扣押之初，海问便代表船东依据航次定期租船合同，积极主张向租船方追偿各项损失。

The dispute arose from the charterers’ refusal to discharge cargo at the designated discharge port, following substantial delays at the loading port. This refusal led to the wrongful arrest of the vessel in Bangladesh by cargo interests. Since the commencement of the arrest proceedings, Haiwen has acted for the shipowner in pursuing claims against the charterers under a trip time charterparty.

仲裁庭近期作出的中期裁决支持了船东的绝大部分主张，明确认定船舶被扣押系由租船方的行为直接导致，裁决确认船舶在整个扣押期间均应视为“在租状态”，船东由此有权获得相应的租金赔偿。

In a recently issued interim award, the tribunal ruled in favour of the shipowner, finding that the arrest of the vessel was directly caused by the charterers’ conduct. Accordingly, the tribunal confirmed that the vessel remained on-hire throughout the duration of the arrest, entitling the shipowner to substantial contractual compensation.

本案裁决的一大亮点是，仲裁庭采纳了海问提出的保留管辖权主张，即对船东就孟加拉国正在进行的诉讼中可能产生的进一步损失，有权继续向租船方主张赔偿。仲裁庭对尚未成形的潜在损失主张表示接受，显示出其处理复杂海事案件时兼具前瞻性与灵活性的务实态度。该裁决进一步巩固了船东在本案中的法律地位，为其在后续平行程序中主张潜在损失提供了有力保障。

A notable aspect of the award is the tribunal’s acceptance of Haiwen’s argument that it should retain jurisdiction to determine the shipowner’s potential indemnity claims against the charterers for losses that may arise from ongoing proceedings in Bangladesh. The tribunal’s willingness to entertain such arguments in respect of uncrystallised claims reflects a pragmatic and forward-looking approach to complex maritime disputes. Importantly, this ruling strengthens the shipowner’s position by preserving its right to pursue recovery for contingent losses as the parallel proceedings develop.

海问香港办公室合伙人刘洋律师表示：“本案裁决充分体现了香港仲裁界在处理复杂、多法域争议时的灵活与务实，尤其在面对尚未成形的损失主张时的应对能力。这一做法强化了香港作为国际仲裁中心的领先地位。”

“The tribunal’s decision reflects the Hong Kong arbitration community’s pragmatic and flexible approach in managing complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes, particularly in cases involving uncrystallised claims,” said Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP. “This reaffirms Hong Kong’s status as a leading centre for international arbitration.”

他进一步指出：“我们为这一结果感到自豪，其充分体现了海问争议解决项目组在高风险商事与海事案件中制定最优策略、实现客户最大利益的专业能力与坚定承诺。”

“We are proud of the outcome, which underscores our dispute resolution team’s ability to craft effective, tailored strategies and deliver outstanding results for our clients in high-stakes commercial and maritime disputes,” Liu added.

此次胜诉进一步巩固了海问律师事务所在商事与海事诉讼及仲裁领域的领先地位。海问始终致力于为客户在涉及多个司法管辖区的重大争议中争取卓越成果。

This victory reinforces Haiwen & Partners LLP’s position as a leading law firm in commercial and maritime litigation and arbitration, striving to secure exceptional results for clients in high-stakes disputes involving multiple jurisdictions.