Nor-Shipping

A FEW good pairs of shoes, headache tablets and hundreds of business cards - essential packing for the Nor-Shipping week. With seven halls packed with over 1,300 exhibitors and a two-day conference, the 2001 Nor-Shipping event, held in Oslo from May 29 to June 1, was bigger and better than ever.

Norway is rightfully proud of its maritime heritage and of the cluster of maritime-related companies it plays host to today. But while the exhibition was packed to the rafters with banks, owners, brokers, equipment suppliers, shipbuilders, insurers, and class societies, the biggest surprise was the lack of any legal presence. Bearing in mind Norway's prominent role in the provision of maritime law services, the only legal mind contributing to the event was Ince & Co's Richard Sayer, who travelled from London to take part in a lively debate as part of the conference programme addressing the issue of whether a premium should be paid by charterers for quality tonnage.

While Nor-Shipping week is a must in the diary of anyone in the shipping industry, the exhibition can, with the right shoes and stamina, be exhausted in less than two days. Which leaves at least two days to enjoy and recover from the many social events laid on for the delegates. The highlights of the packed social calendar included DNV's barbecue at its stunning offices on the Oslo fjord, and Tradewinds' bash on board the beautiful full rigger Christian Radich.

The Maritime Advocate's advice? Put Nor-Shipping 2003 in your diary now, but book your hotel at least a year in advance.

IUA and Lloyd's launch ADR clinics

INTERMEDIATION, a mediation service provider specialising in the insurance market, has set up weekly consultation clinics at the IUA and Lloyd's, in London. The clinics, which are staffed free of charge, provide an opportunity to meet confidentially with people well-versed in the mediation process who can answer questions and provide further information about mediation. These clinics follow a serious of highly informative and successful mock maritime mediations held in London by the IUA and Lloyd's.

For more information contact Tom Grove at Intermediation tel. +44 (0)20 7600 4909 E-mail: supp...@intermediation.com, David Taylor at the IUA tel. +44 (0)20 7617 5449 E-mail: davi...@iua.co.uk, or Christine Marley at Lloyd's tel. +44 (0)20 7327 8332 E-mail: chri...@lloyds.com.

Cancun 2001

THERE are many reasons to visit Mexico in October. It's dry and sunny. It has long white beaches and clear blue seas. And its landscape is so diverse you can walk through a tropical jungle in the morning and a barren desert in the afternoon. But if you needed another reason to go, there is always the International Bar Association's (IBA) Business Law International Conference.

Taking place in Cancun from October 28 to November 2, the conference features sessions on all areas of business law from aviation to construction, medicine to real estate, and tourism to sport. Maritime and transport law are covered in three sessions dealing with securing and prosecuting maritime claims, cabotage issues, the use of experts and evidence in maritime cases, and a round-up of maritime law developments from jurisdictions around the world.

Held at the luxurious Moon Palace Complex and Convention Centre, right on the Caribbean, the event will set IBA members back $990 if they book before October 17, and $1,060 afterwards. IBA non-members can expect to pay $1,100 before October 17, and $1,180 thereafter. Guests are also welcome at $280 each.

For more information contact IBA on tel. +44 (0)20 7629 1206 fax. +44 (0)20 7409 0456 or visit www.ibanet.org.

MLAANZ 2001

THE Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (MLAANZ) is holding its two-day conference in Sydney on October 11-12. Keynote speakers on the first day of the conference include Michael Everard, chairman of BIMCO, and Ingar Skaug of Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The second day is devoted to legal issues. Local and international speakers will debate liability issues relating to the carriage of goods, classification societies, and regulatory bodies. It will also consider pollution issues, including those relevant to the Great Barrier Reef, as well as reporting on new directions in maritime dispute resolution.

For more information e-mail Franc Asis at MLAANZ at fda...@qldbar.asa.au.

INCE launches ADR guide

LONDON-based Ince & Co has launched a client guide to alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The guide, entitled The Dispute Revolution - A brief guide to mediation and ADR, outlines the benefits and practical implications of adopting mediation and ADR, explains the mechanics and terminology, and gives advice on how to get the best out of the system.

Copies of the guide can be obtained by contacting the marketing department at Ince & Co tel. +44 (0)20 7623 2011. The guide can also be downloaded from www.ince.co.uk.