The seventh issue of the Maritime Advocate

IN this, the seventh issue of the Maritime Advocate, we have broken our own rules, or at least - as Mae West once said - cracked them a little.

We started life, in October 1997, with a clear objective to write a truly international magazine for maritime lawyers and arbitrators and for those who use their services. We weren't going to ignore the US and the UK, but we were going to make sure that we included on a regular basis some of those places which live in the shadow of New York and London.

We have not abandoned that basic tenet, nor will we. But in this issue you will not fail to notice a number of articles from the United States. There is a good reason for this. The US Maritime Law Association is this year celebrating its hundredth birthday, and we thought it worthy of recognition in our pages. We congratulate the US MLA on this milestone, and commend to you the articles written for us by some of its members.

Meanwhile, we have not ignored the rest of the world. In this issue you will find contributions from, among others, Finland, France, Canada, New Zealand and Sweden. I think you will find plenty to think about in Patrick O'Donovan's article on London arbitration, and also in the Third Man's views on the same subject.

Although dwarfed somewhat by the US MLA centenary, we felt that it was worth noting also twenty-five years of women in shipping. Of course women have been around in shipping much longer than that, but they have not always been represented by an organisation such as WISTA.

WISTA combines business with pleasure in a way we could all learn something from. Neither does it limit attendance at its meetings to women. Meanwhile, rumours of the formation of a rival organisation started by men in shipping -MISTA - remain unconfirmed.

Speaking of anniversaries, the Maritime Advocate will celebrate two years of publication with its next issue. It is only a small landmark, but the longest journey starts with the first step, and we thank all our subscribers, readers, friends and supporters for helping us achieve it. And we look forward to welcoming more of you as subscribers in the months and years ahead.

Finally, it would be remiss of me to sign off without mention of Nick Healy who, at the grand age of 89, continues to get the subway into Manhattan three days a week to the Broadway offices of the law firm which bears his name. Nick is much older than WISTA, but not quite as old as the MLA. Even in a cynical world, longevity and excellence are worthy bedfellows.