Haiwen Secures Significant Procedural Victory in High-Stakes Concurrent Arbitrations
海問律師事務所香港辦公室欣然宣布，在兩宗復雜并行的國際仲裁案件中成功取得一項重大程序性勝利。該兩宗仲裁均以香港為仲裁地，海問代表一家作為被申請人的領先德國船舶管理公司，成功反對由對方提出的針對索賠書的關鍵修訂，顯著縮小了爭議范圍，并鞏固了船舶管理人的程序性優勢。
Haiwen & Partners LLP is pleased to announce a significant procedural victory in two complex and concurrently heard international arbitration proceedings seated in Hong Kong. Acting for a leading German ship manager as the Respondents, Haiwen successfully opposed key amendments sought by the opposing party, substantially narrowing the scope of the claims and strengthening ship manager’s procedural position.
以海事仲裁來說本案涉及申索金額巨大，起因系船東對光船租賃合同項下義務的若干指控，包括未支付租金、船舶在外國港口被扣押，以及因俄烏沖突爆發后相關制裁措施所帶來的法律與營運后果。
The arbitrations involve a substantial claim in terms of maritime arbitrations, arising from alleged breaches of bareboat charter agreements. At the heart of the dispute are issues related to the non-payment of hire, vessel arrests in foreign jurisdictions, and the legal and operational consequences of sanctions imposed in response to the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
根據仲裁庭于兩宗仲裁中作出的《程序指令第2號》，仲裁庭駁回了作為申請人的船東提出的兩項主要索賠修訂申請，包括：
In Procedural Order No. 2, issued in both arbitrations, the Tribunal rejected two major amendments proposed by the shipowners (the Claimants), namely:
● 新增的“終止金額”申索，仲裁庭認為該項申索在仲裁啟動時尚未發生；以及
A new claim for a Termination Sum, which the Tribunal found had not arisen at the time the arbitration was commenced; and
● “非法手段合謀”申索，仲裁庭認定該申索屬于全新的訴因，超出了原《仲裁通知書》的范圍。
A claim for unlawful means conspiracy, deemed an entirely new cause of action falling outside the scope of the Notice of Arbitration.
上述裁決意味著，船東無法在當前仲裁推進不被允許的申索，從而導致其申訴金額從超過3億美元降至不到1.5億美元。
These rulings mean that the shipowners will not be able to proceed with their inadmissible claims in the current arbitrations, which will reduce their claim amount from over US$300 million to just over US$150 million.
“這是一次重要的程序性勝訴，確保了在對方試圖臨時擴大爭議范圍的情況下，仲裁程序的公平與正當程序原則得以維護，”海問律師事務所香港辦公室合伙人劉洋律師表示，“鑒于本案涉及的議題新穎且復雜，包括制裁法律、多法域強制執行問題以及對船舶運營的法律影響，我們很高興取得了這一有助于維護仲裁程序完整性的結果。”
“This is an important procedural victory that upholds fairness and due process in the face of attempts to expand the dispute mid-stream,” said Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP. “Given the novelty and complexity of the issues—including sanctions law, multi-jurisdictional enforcement, and the legal impact on vessel operations—we are pleased to have secured a result that reinforces the procedural integrity of the arbitration.”
本案是目前本地區最具法律與事實復雜性的仲裁案件之一，涉及來自中國香港、英國、德國、馬耳他及其他法域的當事人。案件觸及多項前沿法律議題，包括國際制裁的適用、船旗國的責任，以及在地緣政治高度不確定的背景下合同履行的法律效力。
These arbitrations are among the most legally and factually complex currently underway in the region, involving parties across Hong Kong SAR, England, Germany, Malta, and other jurisdictions. The proceedings raise cutting-edge legal questions around the operation of international sanctions, flag state obligations, and contractual performance under geopolitically volatile conditions.
海問團隊由合伙人劉洋律師領銜，丘愷曈高級律師及黎淇瀚律師作為主辦律師。海問團隊與來自漢堡、倫敦及馬耳他的船舶管理公司法律顧問緊密合作，共同應對復雜的制裁問題、跨境爭議風險及持續的船舶管理挑戰。
Haiwen’s team is led by Edward Liu (Partner), supported by Vinca Yau (Senior Associate) and Aaron Lai (Associate) as main case handlers. The team has worked closely with the ship manager and its legal counsel based in Hamburg, London, and Malta, navigating a highly intricate sanctions landscape, cross-border litigation risks, and ongoing vessel management challenges.
主要負責合伙人
Haiwen Secures Significant Procedural Victory in High-Stakes Concurrent Arbitrations
海問律師事務所香港辦公室欣然宣布，在兩宗復雜并行的國際仲裁案件中成功取得一項重大程序性勝利。該兩宗仲裁均以香港為仲裁地，海問代表一家作為被申請人的領先德國船舶管理公司，成功反對由對方提出的針對索賠書的關鍵修訂，顯著縮小了爭議范圍，并鞏固了船舶管理人的程序性優勢。
Haiwen & Partners LLP is pleased to announce a significant procedural victory in two complex and concurrently heard international arbitration proceedings seated in Hong Kong. Acting for a leading German ship manager as the Respondents, Haiwen successfully opposed key amendments sought by the opposing party, substantially narrowing the scope of the claims and strengthening ship manager’s procedural position.
以海事仲裁來說本案涉及申索金額巨大，起因系船東對光船租賃合同項下義務的若干指控，包括未支付租金、船舶在外國港口被扣押，以及因俄烏沖突爆發后相關制裁措施所帶來的法律與營運后果。
The arbitrations involve a substantial claim in terms of maritime arbitrations, arising from alleged breaches of bareboat charter agreements. At the heart of the dispute are issues related to the non-payment of hire, vessel arrests in foreign jurisdictions, and the legal and operational consequences of sanctions imposed in response to the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
根據仲裁庭于兩宗仲裁中作出的《程序指令第2號》，仲裁庭駁回了作為申請人的船東提出的兩項主要索賠修訂申請，包括：
In Procedural Order No. 2, issued in both arbitrations, the Tribunal rejected two major amendments proposed by the shipowners (the Claimants), namely:
● 新增的“終止金額”申索，仲裁庭認為該項申索在仲裁啟動時尚未發生；以及
A new claim for a Termination Sum, which the Tribunal found had not arisen at the time the arbitration was commenced; and
● “非法手段合謀”申索，仲裁庭認定該申索屬于全新的訴因，超出了原《仲裁通知書》的范圍。
A claim for unlawful means conspiracy, deemed an entirely new cause of action falling outside the scope of the Notice of Arbitration.
上述裁決意味著，船東無法在當前仲裁推進不被允許的申索，從而導致其申訴金額從超過3億美元降至不到1.5億美元。
These rulings mean that the shipowners will not be able to proceed with their inadmissible claims in the current arbitrations, which will reduce their claim amount from over US$300 million to just over US$150 million.
“這是一次重要的程序性勝訴，確保了在對方試圖臨時擴大爭議范圍的情況下，仲裁程序的公平與正當程序原則得以維護，”海問律師事務所香港辦公室合伙人劉洋律師表示，“鑒于本案涉及的議題新穎且復雜，包括制裁法律、多法域強制執行問題以及對船舶運營的法律影響，我們很高興取得了這一有助于維護仲裁程序完整性的結果。”
“This is an important procedural victory that upholds fairness and due process in the face of attempts to expand the dispute mid-stream,” said Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP. “Given the novelty and complexity of the issues—including sanctions law, multi-jurisdictional enforcement, and the legal impact on vessel operations—we are pleased to have secured a result that reinforces the procedural integrity of the arbitration.”
本案是目前本地區最具法律與事實復雜性的仲裁案件之一，涉及來自中國香港、英國、德國、馬耳他及其他法域的當事人。案件觸及多項前沿法律議題，包括國際制裁的適用、船旗國的責任，以及在地緣政治高度不確定的背景下合同履行的法律效力。
These arbitrations are among the most legally and factually complex currently underway in the region, involving parties across Hong Kong SAR, England, Germany, Malta, and other jurisdictions. The proceedings raise cutting-edge legal questions around the operation of international sanctions, flag state obligations, and contractual performance under geopolitically volatile conditions.
海問團隊由合伙人劉洋律師領銜，丘愷曈高級律師及黎淇瀚律師作為主辦律師。海問團隊與來自漢堡、倫敦及馬耳他的船舶管理公司法律顧問緊密合作，共同應對復雜的制裁問題、跨境爭議風險及持續的船舶管理挑戰。
Haiwen’s team is led by Edward Liu (Partner), supported by Vinca Yau (Senior Associate) and Aaron Lai (Associate) as main case handlers. The team has worked closely with the ship manager and its legal counsel based in Hamburg, London, and Malta, navigating a highly intricate sanctions landscape, cross-border litigation risks, and ongoing vessel management challenges.
主要負責合伙人
Beijing ICP No. 05019364-1 Beijing Public Network Security 110105011258
