Hicksons skills in providing timely advice and assistance on transport and trade is a result of decades of experience supporting clients in Australia and abroad in all aspects of transport and trade.
We offer clients
expert advice on some of today’s critical issues, such as:
- cyber security including transport and insurance ramifications;
- unmanned aircraft (drone) and autonomous vehicle regulation;
- free trade agreements (goods and services);
- directors’ liability under chain of responsibility reform for national heavy vehicle legislation;
- coastal shipping reforms;
- emission controls for shipping and aviation;
- recent amendments to international shipping and aviation conventions affecting safety at sea and in the air, and the environment;
- ship arrest; and
- enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards (international and domestic).
Our team of transport and trade specialists
advises global and domestic stakeholders with interests in shipping, airlines, ports, rail and trading companies, including
government, regulators and corporations.
We can instruct clients in relation to contractual, regulatory and statutory compliance in
all aspects of transport and trade in Australia and globally, including:
- contractual and commercial arrangements;
- how to implement strategies for compliance with policies, legislation and regulations;
- how to deal with or respond to transport compliance issues; and
- representation in commercial disputes whether in court, arbitration or mediation in relation to all modes of transport.
Hicksons has access to an
extensive international network of providers where transactions are governed by laws other than those of Australia. We regularly act for overseas clients and are familiar with their commercial and regulatory requirements.
We have been involved in
commercial transactions and
commercial dispute resolution in many jurisdictions outside Australia, including New Zealand, Europe and the UK, the US, Canada and Central and South America, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, South Korea, India, South-East Asia and Africa.
Our services cover the provision of advice on:
General
- the supply chain for goods exported from Australia, imported into Australia and carried domestically;
- chain of responsibility in road, rail and sea carriage within Australia and for goods inbound to Australia, including prosecutions by regulators;
- advice and representation in all forms of commercial dispute resolution;
- advice and representation at coronial inquests;
- advice and representation in regulatory investigations and prosecutions;
- advice and preparing of submissions to peak national industry bodies;
- marine, rail, aviation and transit insurance;
- reinsurance; and
- credit and political risk insurance.
Shipping and logistics
- ship owning and chartering;
- international and domestic sale of goods and commodities;
- logistics and supply chain contracts and arrangements;
- logistics, freight forwarding and supply chain operations;
- charter parties, bills of lading and contracts of affreightment;
- salvage, towage and wreck removal;
- shipbuilding and repair;
- dangerous goods transport, storage and regulation;
- shipping and aircraft registration;
- pilotage;
- terminal operations and stevedoring;
- marine and other transit pollution;
- pleasurecraft, yachting and marinas;
- arrest of vessels;
- kidnap and ransom insurance; and
- piracy.
Airlines
- airline owning, chartering and ground handling operations;
- cargo and passenger claims;
- drones and safety regulations; and
- customs and quarantine.
Roads
- on demand transport expression of interest process;
- point-to-point transport regulation;
- carriage of goods and haulage contracts and arrangements; and
- dangerous goods investigations and prosecutions.
Rail
- notification of claims process under NSW rail contracts;
- contractual claims seeking indemnity against parties on the rail network;
- investigation and reporting of rail safety issues arising from rail derailments, maintenance of track and stock, and haulage;
- international arbitration including enforcement of foreign arbitral awards; and
- commercial dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.
Trade
- banking and financing transactions in relation to the movement of goods domestically and internationally;
- security over goods (including personal property securities);
- trade finance;
- insolvency in the supply chain, including cross-border insolvency;
- sale of goods and commodities internationally and domestically;
- customs and quarantine;
- free trade agreements (in goods and services);
- bilateral/multilateral trade and investment agreements and their enforcement;
- enforcement of all forms of securities in relation to goods and all modes of transport including liens and charges;
- export and import regulations and prosecutions;
- competition and consumer law and regulation in relation to all aspects of transport and trade including shipping conferences, and cartels;
- money laundering and terrorism financing;
- trade sanctions;
- bribery and corruption;
- public international law including law of the sea;
- product liability;
- agriculture and horticulture including exports and imports, irrigation and water rights, insurance, financing and land clearing; and
- fishing and whaling.