Joanna Steele

Partner

Admitted as a Solicitor in 1992.

Joanna advises shipowners, charterers, traders, managers, intermediaries, and their insurers on a wide range of charterparty & COA issues, complex P&I claims and other problems often involving dangerous cargoes, vessel breakdowns and general average. She regularly advises on marine insurance policies and coverage issues. Her expertise encompasses contracts of carriage, charterparties, ship sale and shipbuilding contracts, as well as international sale contracts and she has experience of negotiating and drafting contracts across a spectrum ranging from the cruise ship sector to LNG..

Joanna has spent her entire legal career specialising in shipping and marine insurance advice and dispute resolution involving arbitration, the High Court and mediation.  She is highly regarded in her field and individually ranked in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, where she is considered a leading individual.

Joanna studied BA(Hons) Jurisprudence at Oxford University.

Work highlights include:

• Defence of claims arising from, for example, loss of deck cargo and other marine casualties, associated indemnity claims and general average issues
• Charterparty expertise, including hire, liens, bunker quality, unsafe ports and other disputes
• Marine insurance policy review and advice including Insurance Act issues
• Joanna established the modern law on the carriage of dangerous cargoes (the “GIANNIS NK”) [1998] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 337, with numerous subsequent cases involving dangerous cargoes.