John Reeder QC joins TugAdvise

Mr Reeder is an extremely well known silk in the legal and shipping communities and has vast experience of maritime law. Mr Reeder will provide expert counsel’s opinion ‘in house’ as well as working on a general case load of contentious and non-contentious, ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ matters.

In addition to his great experience of traditional towage and salvage matters, Mr Reeder will offer TugAdvise clients his particular expertise in the growing field of maritime cultural heritage and treasure salvage. TugAdvise’s Simon Tatham said: “It is a complex area but one which generates considerable commercial interest. John Reeder is an expert on the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage which governs much practice in this field. People interested in prospecting for treasure should take advice.”

John Reeder is also an expert on General Average and Simon Tatham noted: “These are specialist areas of expertise and our clients will certainly benefit from having access to John’s formidable understanding of these topics and his other specialties. John’s consultancy will be exclusive to our clients in England and it is a real coup for Tatham Macinnes and demonstrates the high regard in which our firm is held. But of course the real beneficiaries will be our clients, who will get access to the best advice in an affordable way.”

Mr Reeder is editor of the fifth edition of ‘Brice’, the leading textbook on salvage law and is a former Lloyd’s Salvage Arbitrator and Appeal Arbitrator. He will continue to expand his practice as an arbitrator and mediator through his association with Stone Chambers, where he will remain an associate member.

Mr Reeder said: “I am looking forward to getting stuck in and guiding clients directly in a way that isn’t really possible when working in chambers. I have always enjoyed the practical aspects of shipping law and technical considerations. I’m just as comfortable considering a master’s navigational decisions or a set of stability calculations as I am considering the academic side of an issue.”

Tatham Macinnes and TugAdvise launched in 2012 and have handled a number of high profile marine casualties and other work on behalf of their clients. Partner Alex Macinnes began his career in naval architecture and trained as a ship surveyor with Lloyd’s Register of Shipping before working as a solicitor at Ince & Co and Holman Fenwick Willan. Partner Simon Tatham has more than 25 years experience as an admiralty solicitor.