Full Profile
Jai is the head of Clyde & Co's marine cargo casualty practice.
He focuses on marine casualty cases and recoveries, and is one of very few solicitors with extensive experience of salvage and GA claims from a cargo perspective. He has been involved in about 500 marine casualties for cargo underwriters during his career.
Cases he has handled include a number of very significant reported English maritime cases, for example "OLYMPIC GALAXY", "NEW FLAME", "AQASIA", "EURASIAN DREAM" and "CMA CGM LIBRA" as well as reported cases in other jurisdictions, such as Singapore, India and the Marshall Islands.
Other notable casualties Jai has been involved in are the "MOL COMFORT", "MSC FLAMINIA", "HYUNDAI FORTUNE", "APL PANAMA", "YM GREEN", "HANJIN ITALY", "HEUNG-A DRAGON", "MAERSK SEOUL", "PANAMAX TRADER", "MAERSK HONAM" and “EVER GIVEN”.
Jai is recognised by Legal 500 as a recommended lawyer for shipping in London and South East England and was placed fifth in Lloyd's List of the Top 10 maritime lawyers in 2020.
Jai also has a number of disputes in the automotive sector, related to his lifelong interest in classic cars and as a competitive participant in historic motorsport over many years.
Jai Sharma is an absolutely excellent solicitor. He has a very quick legal brain and can really think outside the box. He always has the key facts at his fingertips and he is very commercially astute. Much loved by clients and a pleasure to work with.
Legal 500
Experience
- "AQASIA" – Led the UK High Court and Court of Appeal litigation for the successful insurers of the cargo. This is a key decision on the inapplicability of Hague Rules limitation to bulk cargo.
- "HANJIN ITALY" – Advising insurers of 700+ containers of cargo on claims for General Average and recovery of losses against the colliding ship "AL GHARRAFA".
- "MSC FLAMINIA" – Advising insurers on substantial claims for salvage following a major fire on board a containership, during which several crew died, the ship was heavily damaged and at least 60% of the cargo on board was destroyed.
- "HEUNG-A DRAGON" – Pursuing recovery for the loss of cargo following a collision between a container ship and a bulk carrier, following which only the on-deck cargo was salvaged and nearly all 600 containers were lost. As part of the strategy, a favourable decision on vessel limitation from the Supreme Court in the Marshall Islands was obtained.
- "MOL COMFORT" – Advising multiple cargo insurers on the total loss of over $100 million of cargo after "MOL COMFORT" broke in two, caught fire and sank in two sections, losing all 4,382 containers on board. This is the largest container vessel ever to be lost.
- “PANAMAX TRADER” – Advising insurers of all the cargo on board following the sinking of the vessel.
- “MAERSK HONAM” - Advising insurers of over $100m of cargo in respect of the LOF salvage claims.
- “CMA CGM CENTAURUS” – Advising insurers of the terminal following an allision resulting in major damage to the terminal including two large gantry cranes.
- “CMA CGM LIBRA” - Advising insurers of cargo facing claims for General Average. Representing the only cargo interests to successfully defend those claims in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
- “EVER GIVEN” – Advising insurers of over $170m of cargo in respect of claims for General Average.
