25 - 26 October Shipping and the Law 2016

The 7th edition of Shipping and the Law conference, organized by Studio Legale Lauro, will take place on the 25th and 26th October in Suor Orsola Benincasa - Naples.

The conference, in which over 200 shipowners, bankers, maritime lawyers, underwriters and other leaders of the Italian and European shipping scene participating, will begin on Tuesday the 25th October with a welcoming address by Francesco S. Lauro and opening speeches delivered by‎ President of Confitarma Emanuele Grimaldi, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping Esben Poulsson, Secretary General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization Efthimios Mitropoulos and Ammiraglio di Squadra  Donato Marzano, Commander in Chief of the Italian Navy fleet.

  

25th October

The Opening Session titled “Energy and Shipping” shall follow straight after the opening speeches.There will be a panel focusing on oil and gas market trends and macroeconomic perspectives on the price of oil and its relationship to shipping and shipping markets. 

Participants will include Grimaldi and Mitropouo­s in addition to Fratelli d’Amico CEO Paolo d’Amico, CEO of Scorpio Group Emanuele Lauro, Past President of the European Community Shipowners’ Association Juan Riva, CEO of Rina S.p.A. Ugo Salerno, Sheikh Yamani’s energy studies think-tank director Leo Drollas, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development General Director Amedeo Teti, CEO of Ecospray Technologies Guido Ceccherelli, shipping and trading expert Salvatore Carollo and former ENI General Counsel and member of Studio Legale Lauro Francesco Bentivegna.

After lunch, Former Oil Pollution Compensation Funds Director Mans Jacobsson will give a presentation titled “The judgment of the Spanish Supreme Court of Cassation in the Prestige case – Does the judgment respect international treaties?”. In addition, there will be a presentation by SMIT on the offshore market.

That afternoon will begin a ship finance session titled “What’s happened to my banker?”. This year’s finance panel will feature prominent Italian and foreign shipowners along with various representatives from the financial industry. The focus of the discussion will reflect on the changing landscape of ship finance at a time when banks are encountering challenges from the Basel III review and the increasing role of institutional debt and equity providers along with private debt funds, and incorporate the shipowners’ perspectives on alternative sources of capital. Among some of the participants include Managing Director of Italy’s first and only dedicated shipping private equity fund Fabrizio Vettosi, private debt fund RiverRock Managing Director Roberto Ippolito, Ver Capital CEO Andrea Pescatori, the Association of Italian Banks Head of Credit Office Raffaele Rinaldi, Deloitte Partner Giuseppe Ambrosio, H.I.G. Whitehorse Director Guido Lorenzi, and Greek shipowner John A. Xylas.

On the evening of the same day will take place a black-tie Gala Dinner hosted by C&R Marine and SMIT.

 26th October

The following day of the 26th October will begin with a session dedicated to the cruise industry. Confirmed participants include President of Marinter Shipping Agency Umberto Masucci, Senior Vice President of Costa Crociere S.p.A. Massimo Brancaleoni, MSC Cruise Country Manager Director (Italy) Leonardo Massa with other representatives from Royal Caribbean and other cruise companies, port authorities and the Italian Ministry of Transportation.

The following session shall be “Shipping and Big Data in the Era of Digitalization”  focusing primarily on the increasing use of data and automation in shipping: digital data management and remote performance analysis, how to address data utilization and data ownership, cyber security, and legal ramifications and developments in this context. Chaired by shipping data expert Philippe Holthof, participants will include Winterthur Gas & Diesel Senior Engine Portfolio Manager Carmelo Cartalemi and Wärtsilä Digital­ization Director Mikko Tepponen, shipowners and technical management teams, and other players from shipping technology and innovation.

A new and unique feature of the 7th edition of Shipping and the Law will be a mock arbitration and mock mediation session, with the arbitration tribunal composed of President of the London Maritime Arbitrators Clive Aston and past LMAA president Chris Moss with a third to be announced shortly and Jonathan Lux as mediator. Taking place just before and just after lunch, various shipowners, international law firms, and barristers will take part in mock mediation/arbitration proceedings with the view to have as a topic a substantial speed and performance claim of a recently delivered and newly-built vessel.

To conclude the conference works, the “Looking to the Future” session in which there will be a panel of members of the Giovani Armatori di Confitarma (The Young Shipowners at Confitarma) such as Caronte & Tourist’s Lorenzo Matacena in addition to Greek shipowners Yannis Triphyllis and Alex Tsavliris. Chaired by its president Andrea Garolla di Bard, the panel will reflect upon the future of shipping and what it shall mean to them as the next generation of shipowners manage their companies in the future.