Preston Turnbull

Preston Turnbull was established in October 2019 by a team of five leading partners from Clyde & Co’s London Shipping Department. After 5 years of operation, the firm has quickly become a household name in the shipping and international trade world. Our advice is sought by some of the largest and most significant participants in the global shipping market when dealing with business critical political/economic developments such as the Red Sea attacks and the economic sanctions arising in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.

Our advice is sought by some of the largest and most significant participants in the global shipping market, including dry bulk, tanker and containership owners and charterers, shipbuilding companies, as well as their insurers, including hull and machinery, charterers’ liability, project cargo, P&I and FD&D, where we are instructed by the majority, if not all, the International Group clubs.

We are also very strong in the commercial, trade and commodities sector, where we act for some of the largest global traders and oil majors.

We provide specialised support across a full range of dry and wet shipping matters, from traditional charterparty and bill of lading disputes, bunker disputes, admiralty and casualty response, salvage, offshore and shipbuilding disputes, to evolving legal aspects of these.

We represent clients before the Courts of England and Wales at all levels, from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, as well as in arbitration proceedings (ad hoc, LMAA, LCIA, ICC and SIAC) and mediation. We have experience of matters in countries in all continents and are often sought out to provide guidance and strategic input in relation to foreign litigation.

At the heart of our firm is a team of leading practitioners supported by brilliant lawyers whose main focus is building strong relationships with our clients through the provision of exceptional service. We pride ourselves in finding commercial solutions to assist our clients and all the senior lawyers in the team have been on secondment to in-house legal departments within trading houses, ship owners/operators and P&I clubs, giving them a deep understanding of the commercial needs of our clients.

Reflecting the international nature of our work, our lawyers speak 9 languages, with French, Greek, Spanish, Turkish and Swedish spoken at native/bilingual level.

We are committed to creating a workplace culture of diversity and inclusion and are continuously striving to ensure that every member of our team feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. We are proud of our workplace initiatives which supports individual growth, development and progress, embracing diversity and inclusion across all genders, races and backgrounds.