UKDC in Action : Advice and Assistance
There is more to Club membership than simply cover for legal costs. Here are some examples of the advice and assistance the Club can offer, even if the Member does not get involved in litigation:
Legal updates
The Club produces SOUNDINGS, a regular bulletin for Defence Club Members. SOUNDINGS summarises recent legal developments that may be relevant to Members' operations or the way they handle claims and also updates members on developments concerning the association and the managers.
For example, one issue reported on the High Court's decision in the GOLDEN VICTORY; another dealt exclusively with war risks clauses.
Advice on drafting
The Club provides advice on drafting contractual terms that properly protect the Member's position. Most of the time the advice refers to a particular clause or contract the Member is concluding, but the Club does issue advice to the membership as a whole on terms of general importance.
Representing Members' interests
The Club Managers actively participate in the development of maritime contracts. For example, they have been represented on BIMCO's Documentary Committee for a number of years and most recently contributed to the drafting of BIMCO's standard law and arbitration clause, Boxtime charterparty and most recently Newbuildcon.
The Managers are also Supporting Members of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association. Their colleagues in Thomas Miller (Americas) are also active in the Society of Maritime Arbitrators.
Working with lawyers
Wherever possible, the Club Managers will give effect to the Member's own preferences when appointing solicitors. The Managers keep up-to-date with the charging policies and rates of all the major firms. They also note which firms or individuals have particular areas of experience or expertise.
As a result, they are able to assist Members with the choice of solicitors (if necessary), appointing the most appropriate solicitor to deal with each individual case. The Managers can also ensure that the appointed solicitor's bills are reasonable in the circumstances of the case, so that the Member receives value for money from its solicitor.