On 2 April we welcomed over 50 attendees from the insurance industry to our inaugural Marine Claims seminar.
The conflict in the Straits of Hormuz, which was on-going at the time, was intensifying challenges for the shipping and marine insurance industries and beyond. Missile and drone strikes have prompted urgent reviews of war‑risk coverage, while the pursuit of "dark‑fleet" vessels has placed sanctions compliance at the forefront for insurers and maritime stakeholders alike. At the same time, shipping delays are driving up oil costs and creating ripple effects that are likely to surface in cargo claims. These geopolitical pressures intersect with other critical issues confronting the maritime sector. The sharp rise in cyber incidents across shipping in 2025 has underscored the vulnerability of global supply chains, while the maritime sector continues to grapple with its environmental commitments.
Sumyutha Sivamani (a Legal Director at Clyde & Co) looked at notable cyber attacks in the maritime sector such as those including those affecting Maersk and Keppel. As the maritime sector includes vessels, ports, supply chain logistics, technical services and energy services (to name but a few) the impact of cyber incidents can be far reaching. Sumyutha discussed their impact and looked at the regulatory notification obligations as well as third party liability exposure. She shared her experiences handling both incident response and data privacy matters as well as cyber insurance matters
Our first panel considered the impact of recent armed conflicts on marine insurance landscape, including the need for war risks cover, the increasingly complex sanctions regime and how the ‘dark fleet’ operates. The panel looked at the tangled web of sanctions regimes that insureres must navigate, fleshing out the impact of sanctions regimes on underwriting and claims teams. The panel then gave some of their thoughts on the impact of the ‘dark fleet’ phenonment on marine insurance and global trade. The discussion was moderated by Vedanta Vishwakarma (Associate, DAC Beachcroft) and the panellists were Amanda Bjork (Head of Claims, Cambiaso Risso), Tan Wan Jing (Vice President SEA, Gard) and Karnan Thirupathy (Parner, Kennedys Singapore).
Our second panel then considered the legal and practical issues of causation. Our speakers shared their experiences in handling matters with complex causation issues, offering practical strategies for tackling coverage disputes. Dedi Affandi (Partner, Rajah & Tann’s Shipping & International Trade practice group) and Toby Nabarro (Director Fenchurch Law’s Singapore office) gave attendees some tips on building cases using forensics and telematics, as well as how to distinguish trends from triggers in perishable cargo delays. Loh Wai Yue (Global Head of DAC Beachcroft’s Shipping, Trade & Commodities Practice) shared lessons he had gleaned from Argoglobal Underwriting Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and others v Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd [[2026] SGCA, a recent Court of Appeal decision. He talked the audience through where the burden of proof rests in cases where the cause of the loss is said to be ‘perils of the sea’. He also looked at the standard of proof needed to prove that a loss is a “constructive total loss”.
We then heard from two industry experts.
Dan Yeo (Technical Director at Crawford & Company International Pte Ltd) a loss adjuster specialising in Logistics, Transportation & Freight division talked the audience through complex claims including inorganic fertiliser in bulk transport. Such fertiliser is generally not flammable but is temperature sensitive and exothermic and can give off dangerous gases when ignited. However, in the case study, the cargo caught fire whilst the transport vessel was transiting the Gulf of Aden. This necessitated careful navigation of various claims related issues. In his talk, Dan emphasised the importance of identifying issues early and having a clear strategy backed by fast action, including obtaining the buy-in from stakeholders and appointment of the correct experts.
The session was concluded by Tom Wilson (Country Manager of Boyd Marine Consultants (Singapore) Pte Ltd) who looked at the risks and practical realities of the transition to sustainable marine fuels. He noted the regulatory and commercial pressure to decarbonise shipping which has been increasing in recent years and which no doubt will increase given the uncertainties about oil supply through the Straits of Hormuz. He raised concerns about whether currently available sustainable fuels can match the global demand. He also spoke of the challenges faced with the pivot, such as the introduction of new failure points and the ned for new safety interlocks.