Craig Bird

Full Profile

Craig joined Clyde & Co in 2015 and is a Partner in the Energy, Marine & Natural Resources team.  He specialises in coverage, cargo recovery claims, CMR, marine casualties and general average. Craig handles litigation before the commercial and admiralty courts in London and before London arbitration tribunals, as well as co-ordinating litigation in a wide range of other jurisdictions, with a particular focus on Singapore.

He handles a significant global commodities account which involves assessing claims in a wide range of jurisdictions and protecting insurers' rights from the first notification of loss.  This can lead to advising on the need for immediate security and potential arrest in multiple locations.   

Craig is frequently asked by leading insurers in London, Europe and ASIA to provide marine insurance coverage advice in respect of very high value losses.  Having completed two London market secondments in 2016 and 2017 at Zurich Insurance and Brit Syndicates, Craig has broad experience of the insurance market and first-hand experience of adjusting marine, fine art and specie claims.   

Craig has been recommended in the Legal 500 in both 2014 and 2015 as a Junior.

Craig sits on the Committee of the Lloyd's Marine and Energy Under 35s Insurance Group as the Treasurer.

Experience

• Acting for subrogated Underwriters in various High Court proceedings for cargo claims for loss and/or damage to high value cargoes.
• Successfully represented various cargo interests involving large commodities losses in excess of US $10M in London Arbitration References where settlement was agreed before reaching mediation.
• Advising insurer clients in one of the largest fraud claims in history, involving complex coverage disputes and multimillion losses.
• Advising subrogated insurers in a multimillion-dollar damage claim to a famous painting claim involving multiple jurisdictions.
• Handling an engine damage GA defence claim for various Underwriters ultimately saving Underwriters US $3.4m.
• Defending liability insurers in a personal injury claim where a crew member was struck by a yard tractor. Assisted Underwriters in executing settlement agreements with next of kins.
• Handling complex contamination claims involving rare chemicals involving multiple jurisdictions. 
• Representing insurers in recovery proceedings in UAE for significant damage sustained to a superyacht worth in excess of US $100m.
• Advising Underwriters on a high-profile warehouse loss of dairy products pursuant to the UK Warehousing Association Terms.
• Pursuing claims for a well-known speciality chemicals company for loss and/or damage to a wide range of pharmaceutical products.
• Acting for London market reinsurers in a claim for extensive damage sustained to a pump station in Oman by an adjoining reservoir osmosis desalination plant.
• Defending liability insurers of allegedly contaminating oil at a large storage facility in the UK. 
• Advising on coverage and defending insurers in a mast damage/hull claim worth in excess of EUR8.9m subject to a French Court Survey.
• Successfully defending the liability of a UK boatyard involved in an incident which resulted in fire damage to several stored vessels.