Ports & marine

Freeports are exciting opportunities for the UK to do more business with more parts of the world more frequently and sustainably. Plenty of thought has been given to devising a Freeport model that combines the need for investment and opportunities for growth with the need to ensure that investment is sustainable and respects the environment in which the Freeport community exists.

Freeports present plenty of positive outlooks for the regions they are situated in but with any opportunity, every investor, business and local authority should consult legal teams, so they have a clear understanding of what they are getting involved in.

Our environmental and planning lawyers have worked closely on Development Orders, an intrinsic part of Freeport operation. Our construction and property teams can act for landlords and tenants alike in negotiating the complex development projects that are likely to spring from Freeport status.

We have been supporting businesses and investors located close to or want to get involved in the Freeport operation for many years. Our expertise in this area is unprecedented and we pride ourselves on supporting Freeports in England through pragmatic and understandable legal advice.

Ports and harbour authorities have powers and duties to act to ensure safety for all those who use the water.

In our experience, ports and harbour authorities take this responsibility extremely seriously. It is essential they use their powers effectively to make sure that everyone who uses the water understands their obligations to do so safely – and that tough penalties will be issued to those who don’t.

We have advised and represented ports and harbour authorities all over England and Wales for over a decade. We have worked with them to ensure Harbour Masters and patrol officers understand the procedural steps they need to take to ensure enforcement is robust, fair and proportionate and will stand up to the scrutiny of the courts. We will be with you and your team every step of the way.

It’s important to note not all ‘critical incidents’ will lead to prosecution- on some occasions other forms enforcement can work well. We work with clients to ensure effective and proportionate enforcement, and that prosecutions in the Magistrates Court or Crown Court are robust and act as a deterrent.

To support you further, we provide training to board members and patrol officers, to make sure everyone involved in the process understands what needs to be done. We have worked hard to ensure clients think of us as an extension of their team – all pulling in the same direction in a responsive manner and with the deep knowledge of the sector you would expect from a team that has been so involved in supporting the industry for so long.