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Maritime

Navigating the maritime and logistics sector

CMS is one of the leading law firms in Europe for the maritime and logistics sector. We have the specific legal expertise and technical understanding to support our clients both in their home countries and abroad. They benefit from our deep understanding of their global operations and the economic context of their business.

Our clients include shipping companies, shipyards, terminal operators, brokers, NVOCCs, transport and logistics operators, freight forwarders, trading companies, banks, P&I clubs, other insurers and all other players in the shipping and logistics market.We receive instructions from our clients covering virtually all areas of their business. We advise them on their day-to-day operations, in relation to drafting, revising and negotiating contracts, in the event of collisions and accidents/casualties, as well as with regard to a wide range of projects and transactions.

Our key areas

In conjunction with our Banking & Finance team, we regularly advise major German banks, other financing institutions and shipping companies regarding their ship financing and restructuring operations.

We are a leading practice for advice on offshore projects

We are particularly familiar with the offshore industry. We understand the specific commercial and technical challenges and risks of this sector and how to adequately address these risks in agreements and disputes. Working with our Energy team, we are one of the leading firms for legal advice in relation to offshore wind farms.

Disputes – help you can rely on

We successfully represent our clients in and out of court as well as in domestic and international arbitral proceedings. We have in-depth knowledge of the maritime arbitration institutions, such as the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) and the German Maritime Arbitration Association (GMAA). We also regularly sit as arbitrators in arbitration proceedings involving maritime matters, transport and logistics, and commercial disputes. 

Emergency Response 24/7

  • Christoph Zarth: +49 172 74 76 443

Choose area

Maritime Wirtschaft
Admiralty and Casualty – "Wet Shipping"
More than almost any other lawyers in Germany, our wet shipping specialists have experience and expertise in all types of maritime incidents and accid
Maritime Wirtschaft
Marine Insurance
Comprehensive marine insurance is essential when operating and financing ships and carrying goods by sea. We support insurers, agents and policy holde
Maritime Wirtschaft
Maritime Contracts
Our service portfolio naturally also includes advice on all the typical maritime contracts and terms and conditions. We regularly advise clients on th
Maritime Wirtschaft
Shipbuilding, Ship Sale and Purchase
Shipbuilding, ship sale and purchase are central to maritime business. We offer comprehensive advice to shipping companies, shipyards, banks, investor
Maritime Wirtschaft
Transport and Logistics
In addition to maritime business, our services cover all other modes of transport (road, rail, air, inland waterways), plus warehousing and logistics.

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22/01/2024
State aid: The European Commission approves an Italian aid scheme for the...
On 15 January 2024, the European Commission approved a EUR 120 mil­lion Italian aid scheme for all airlines establishing new connections between one of the three airports in Calabria, namely Tito Minniti...
24/11/2023
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism transition in effect since 1 October...
On 1 October 2023, a two-year transitional period began for implementation of Regulation (EU) 2023/956, which introduces the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CBAM levies punitive CO2 charges...
18/10/2023
State aid: The Court of Justice of the EU annuls the judgment of the General...
The European Commission's decision of 31 July 2017  On 7 April 2017, Germany notified the Commission of its plan to grant operating aid to Frankfurt-Hahn airport to cover the deficit of its operator...
31/08/2023
Deep sea mining: navigating in murky waters
On 9 July 2023, the latest deadline for finalising the draft exploitation regulations for deep sea mining in international waters expired without agree­ment.1 This deadline resulted from a letter from...
10/07/2023
In-depth investigation by the European Commission into Danish and Swedish...
In August 2020, Denmark and Sweden notified the European Commission of their plans to provide support in the form of recapitalisation measures for the airline SAS.As a result of pandemic-related travel...
05/07/2023
Deep sea mining: a new source of transition minerals
The energy transition has accelerated demand for a range of minerals required for batteries and renewable energy application, and has heightened global concerns over resource security. Accordingly, accessing...
06/06/2023
The European Commission investigates the project of acquisition of Asiana...
Korean Airlines notified the European Commission of its proposed acquisition of Asiana Airlines on 13 January 2023. On 17 February 2023, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation into the proposed...
01/06/2023
State aid: following appeals by Ryanair, the General Court of the EU annuls...
On 11 May 2023, the General Court of the EU cancelled two European Commission decisions authorizing State aid in the form of capital injections for the airlines SAS and Deutsche Lufthansa, in particular...
21/05/2023
GDPR Enforcement Tracker Report
A warm welcome... ... to the fourth edition of the GDPR Enforcement Tracker Report – the anniversary edition celebrating five years of GDPR. In the five years since the GDPR became applicable its powerful framework for imposing fines has certainly helped to raise awareness and encourage compliance efforts – just as the European legislator intended. At the same time, the risk of fines of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of a company’s global annual turnover can also lead to fear and reluctance or ignorance about compliance issues. We still believe that facts are better than fear. This is why we continuously update our list of publicly known fines in the GDPR  Enforcement Tracker and started the GDPR Enforcement Tracker Report as an annual deep dive approach to provide you with more insights into the world of GDPR fines. As in the three previous editions, the GDPR Enforcement Tracker Report starts with the Executive Summary (also available as a PDF version), followed by the “Numbers and Figures” section and the “Enforcement Insights per business sector” (also including the overarching employment category. The “Enforcement Insights per country” provide background on the specific enforcement framework under national law. Some remarks on our methodology can be found at the very end of the report.
18/05/2023
European Commission's public consultation on the extension of operating...
The European Commission has recently submitted for public consultation its draft communication extending the transitional period for operating aid that can be granted to regional airports under the 2014...
13/04/2023
State aid: Italian EUR 400 million loan for Alitalia qualified by the European...
On 27 March 2023, the European Commission concluded that an Italian loan of EUR 400 million granted in 2019 in favour of Alitalia constituted illegal and incompatible aid that has to be reimbursed. Alitalia...
10/03/2023
Energy / Shipping – Effect of Anti-assignment Clauses and Transfers to...
The recent decision of the Commercial Court in Dassault Aviation SA v Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co Ltd [2022] EWHC 3287 (Comm) concerned a contractual prohibition against assignment and whether this applied...