Watson Farley & Williams

Maritime, Energy & Infrastructure, Commercial Disputes, Commodities & Trade, Offshore Services

Managing Associate

Natalie is a Managing Associate in the firm’s Dubai office. Her practice focuses on contentious and non-contentious matters in the shipping, international trade and energy sectors.

Natalie advises a broad range of clients including shipowners, charterers, cargo interests, P&I clubs and insurers in connection with disputes arising out of charterparties, bills of lading, contracts of affreightment, and other contracts of carriage, as well as disputes arising out of collisions and allisions.

In addition, Natalie advises clients on transactional commercial matters relating to international transport and trade.

Natalie is experienced in working with lawyers in other jurisdictions and in coordinating multi-jurisdictional proceedings on a client’s behalf.

Prior to joining Ince & Co, Natalie spent four years as a shipping associate at a leading international law firm where she specialised in shipping and international trade law. Prior to that, Natalie worked in the Freight Defence & Demurrage department of an International Group P&I Association where she gained invaluable experience advising the P&I Club’s Members in relation to all aspects of contractual and charterparty disputes, including demurrage, unpaid hire, unsafe port claims, liens, withdrawal, and all other aspects of defence work.

Natalie has a wide experience of commercial litigation in both the English High Court, UAE Courts and DIFC and London maritime arbitration centers.

Highlight matters

Contentious - Representing the owners of a terminal in the recovery of their multi-million dollar losses following an allision between a tanker and the terminal in the UAE.

- Advising vessel interests and/or shore interests and their insurers in respect of a number of high value and high profile limitation of liability disputes following collisions and allisions in the UAE.

- Advising Charterers in relation to a long term time charterparty and LNG Storage and Regasification Agreement with a contract value of approximately US$450m.

- Advising one of the world’s leading global manufacturing and chemical company in respect of its claim against Owners for failure to comply with its obligations to provide vessels for the shipment of products on a monthly basis under a contract of affreightment.

- Defending one of the major energy producers and suppliers in an Owner’s claim for wrongful repudiation of charter and demurrage.

- Defending Owners in a significant cargo damage and shortage claim brought by cargo interests following an explosion onboard the vessel and advising in respect of an indemnity claim as against Charterers for compliance with orders.

- Defending a global independent commodity trading Charterer in respect of a claim for damage to the vessel following alleged over-pressurisation of pipelines.

- Defending a leading energy group Charterer and its insurer in a claim brought by Owners in the High Court for a breach of safe port warranty and damages following a grounding and collision.

Non-contentious - Advising the trading arm of a global energy company onthe contractual arrangements for securing LNG energy supply by ship over a prolonged period, including drafting Agreements to Charter and Charterparties.

- Advising an investment company in respect of the Shipping elements of a joint venture agreement to enter into a fund for the investment, purchase and management of vessels. Assisting with the negotiation and drafting of SHIPMAN and additional bespoke terms.

- Advising and drafting bespoke freight terms for a multinational sustainable technologies company, as part of a tender process.

English, German, French

University of Durham, The College of Law, England Qualified in 2011