London Arbitration 11/15

Arbitration – Jurisdiction – Owners concluding charterparty with non-existent company as charterers – Charterparty containing London arbitration clause – Owners asserting arbitration claim for demurrage against chartering brokers – Whether brokers party to charterparty – Whether brokers purporting to act on behalf of charterers – Whether arbitration tribunal had substantive jurisdiction – Whether brokers negligent

The claimant owners thought that they had fixed their vessel to X Ltd, of a given address in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The charterparty, dated July 2013, contained a London arbitration clause. The charterparty was performed and the owners subsequently brought arbitration proceedings against X Ltd claiming demurrage.