Hello and welcome to this website on the environmental aspects of shipping.
This is a field in which I have worked as a legal practitioner for some 45 years – over 35 of them in a leading international law firm, where I was a solicitor and partner up to 2013, and thereafter as an independent consultant.
I have acted in most major oil spills worldwide, usually on behalf of shipowners, insurers or oil companies, and have advised on a wide spectrum of marine environmental affairs. Beside professional practice I have taught the subject, participated in its reform, and tried to raise awareness of its issues at conferences and seminars in many countries around the world. I am co-author of Shipping and the Environment, the main practitioners’ text.
Please note that I am no longer taking on new consultancy work. My legal career has come to a close with publication in early 2023 of the third edition of Shipping and the Environment – a substantially revised text that results from four years’ work with my co-authors Charles Anderson and Jonathan Hare. A launch event at Lloyd’s was an occasion to celebrate not just the publication but the work of many people who have contributed to the law and practice we try to describe; and as I am retiring from legal practice it was a chance to say thanks for the support and friendship I have enjoyed over the years.
For the time being this site is left up and running for anyone who may find it of use. Whether you are new to the subject or familiar with it, I hope it either provides what you seek or helps you on your way.
With best wishes,
Colin de la Rue
colin@colindelarue.com
Tel. (office): 44 (0) 1394 549 034
Tel. (mobile): 44 (0) 7887 503 816