Hill Dickinson International Shipping Team Expands Appointment of Former Master Mariner as Partner

International law firm Hill Dickinson has appointed Ian MacLean as a partner to its London office, where he will focus on his international client base of ship owners, ship managers and their insurers.

This appointment provides the firm with five former mariners at partner level, with Ian joining the existing team of Mike Mallin, Tony Goldsmith, Phil Haddon and Andrew Gray. This team is further strengthened by another five ex-mariner assistants, two of whom are qualified solicitors.

Ian’s casualty practice includes pollution, total losses, collisions, fire, structural failure, engine and electrical system failure, salvage, unsafe ports and cargo damage including chemical tanker contamination. He also defends against casualty related criminal charges and advises on the contractual and third party disputes that arise from casualties, including those which flow from cargo damage. In addition, Ian advises on MARPOL issues, hull and machinery claims, piracy and ship management disputes.

Ian has extensive commercial experience as a former ship manager and ship-owning company director. He remains close to the shipping community, serving as a director and general counsel of InterManager, the international trade association for ship managers. Ian contributes to seminars and writes for the trade press on litigation risk management, casualty management, seaworthiness and the ISM Code.

Maria Pittordis, who leads Hill Dickinson’s marine, trade and energy group, states: “Ian’s wealth of legal, seafaring, ship management and commercial experience further strengthens our technically experienced and expanding admiralty team who, with the support more than 100 specialist shipping practitioners worldwide, are well positioned to deal with the full range of maritime casualties.”

Maria adds: “Ian has a practical and measured approach in the emotive environment that characterizes the immediate aftermath of a casualty and is recognised for his client focused and commercially pragmatic attitude to settlement negotiations.”