In October 2000 Lester Aldridge had the foresight to recruit three experienced shipping lawyers to work out of the firm’s newly opened office in Southampton.
Three quickly became four, all of whom had previously worked at highly respected and well known shipping law firms in London and two of whom had previously been partners in such firms. The team adopted the name LA Marine and set about establishing the first dedicated shipping and marine law practice in Southampton.
Since those early days there has inevitably been a number of changes of personnel, with former members of the team having taken up in-house positions at the RYA and with several leading P&I Clubs.
Whilst only Russell Kelly remains from the original triumvirate the team was strengthened significantly by the recruitment of Linda Jacques in 2004 and of Damian Vaile in 2005 (both, like Russell, partners in the team and both with significant previous experience at pre-eminent shipping firms in London).
These three are assisted by dual Singapore and English qualified Juanita May Low (who was recruited from Singapore in 2008) and by home-grown talent Siobhan Creely, Lily Chan, Stephanie Hayward and Katie Bancroft. The team is ably supported by PAs Annabelle Harrison-Kerr and Emma Meace in Southampton and Sarah Belton and Tina Duffy in London.
LA Marine is recognised as one of the leading marine law practices based predominantly outside London (although three of the lawyers in the team are based in the firm’s London office and all members of the team use the London office on a regular basis to meet with our many London based clients). The team’s enviable client base spans the globe and a wide range of disciplines (including insurers, banks, vessel owners and operators, charter companies and many more besides), in both the commercial shipping and leisure marine sectors.
Full details of the team members and examples of the work undertaken can be found on the team’s website at www.la-marine.co.uk.
LA Marine has gone from strength to strength, particularly over the past five years, and is proud to celebrate 10 years of successful business in October 2010.