Stephen Askins is joining the specialist maritime law firm Tatham Macinnes LLP from Ince & Co LLP as a partner in its London-based offices.
Askins, a former Royal Marine, is well-known as an authority on casualty response and in particular piracy, maritime terrorism and the use of armed guards at sea. He has managed many of the more serious piracy and hostage incidents in recent times. He was also part of the drafting committee which produced GUARDCON, the BIMCO standard contract for the employment of security guards on board merchant ships - widely recognised as contributing to a significant reduction in piracy incidents around the world
Askins is also acknowledged as an expert adviser on the legal and practical issues arising out of operating in complex environments, including Libya, Crimea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea. More recently, he has been dealing with the issues arising out of trading to Ebola-affected areas - helping to develop specific charter party clauses to cover the risks associated with the virus.
