Contact details

Monika Humphreys-Davies

T: +971 4 407 3928 M: +971 56 412 0168 Email Monika | vCard Office: Dubai

Monika Humphreys-Davies Associate

Contact details

Monika Humphreys-Davies

T: +971 4 407 3928 M: +971 56 412 0168 Email Monika | vCard Office: Dubai

Monika is an associate in the marine and international trade team in the firm's Dubai office. Her practice focuses on assisting clients in the shipping and international trade sectors on a wide range of contentious matters.
  • Profile
  • Services
  • Sectors

Monika regularly advises traders, charterers, owners and their insurers in the Middle East and overseas with their commercial disputes arising out of charterparties, bills of lading, letters of indemnity and various other shipping and offshore related contracts, including vessel sale and purchase agreements.

She has acted in a wide range of arbitrations conducted pursuant to the LMAA, SIAC, DIAC, LCIA, ICC as well as the now defunct DIFC-LCIA, rules. In addition, she has litigation experience before the English High Court and the UAE Courts, including the DIFC Courts.

Whilst her practice is mainly contentious, her clients also benefit from her non-contentious experience, and she frequently assists clients with drafting or reviewing their proposed shipping related contracts.

Prior to starting her training contract in London with another international shipping law firm, Monika obtained an LLM in Maritime Law from the National University of Singapore, one of the world's key shipping hubs.

Monika’s expertise in the market is recognised by her recently being shortlisted as a "Rising Star – Private Practice Lawyer of the Year Award" at the LexisNexis Middle East Women in Law Awards 2022.

  • Shipping
  • Marine and international trade
  • Commercial litigation

Shipowner and the vessel's P&I club

Acting for the owner and the vessel's P&I club in relation to a multi million dollar cargo contamination claim advanced by the cargo receivers as well as in relation to a potential claim under the charterparty.

GCC based chemical and petrochemical distribution company

Advising on various issues arising out of charterparties and bills of lading, including provision of letters of indemnity in return for issuing clean bills of lading and advising on a charterer friendly infectious diseases clause for incorporation in their charterparties, advising on a contract of affreightment terms and the content of a notice of assignment.

Vessel owner

Acting for the owners of a vessel in a multi-million dollar claim against the lawful holders of a bill of lading and charterers following discharge of a cargo of gas oil without presentation of original bills of lading.

Owners as sellers of vessels

Acting for owners and sellers of vessels in several LMAA arbitration proceedings arising out of failed sale and purchase transactions of tankers on amended Norwegian Saleform ("NSF") 2012 form.

UAE based offshore services provider

Drafting a sale and purchase contract and heads of terms for the purchase of several K-class cranes.

UAE based bunker trader

Drafting standard terms and conditions for the supply of LNG bunkers.

Various owners and charterers

Regularly reviewing and advising charterers and owners on various BIMCO forms.

More: Shipping

UAE based trader

Advising a UAE based trading company on their rights and obligations in its capacity as the charterer and disponent owner of the vessel under three separate, but interlinked, charterparties relating to the same vessel.

GCC based chemical and petrochemical distribution company

Advising on various issues arising out of charterparties and bills of lading, including provision of letters of indemnity in return for issuing clean bills of lading and advising on a charterer friendly infectious diseases clause for incorporation in their charterparties, advising on a contract of affreightment terms and the content of a notice of assignment.

Shipowner and the vessel's P&I club

Acting for the owner and the vessel's P&I club in relation to a multi million dollar cargo contamination claim advanced by the cargo receivers as well as in relation to a potential claim under the charterparty.

Middle East based cargo receivers

Acting for a cargo receivers against the carrier and the vessel in relation to a dispute under the bill of lading where the vessel refused to proceed to the discharge port as an entity in the charterparty chain had not paid the hire to head owners. 

Vessel owner

Acting for the owners of a vessel in a multi-million dollar claim against the lawful holders of a bill of lading and charterers following discharge of a cargo of gas oil without presentation of original bills of lading.

Owners as sellers of vessels

Acting for owners and sellers of vessels in several LMAA arbitration proceedings arising out of failed sale and purchase transactions of tankers on amended Norwegian Saleform ("NSF") 2012 form.

UAE based offshore services provider

Drafting a sale and purchase contract and heads of terms for the purchase of several K-class cranes.

UAE based bunker trader

Drafting standard terms and conditions for the supply of LNG bunkers.

Various owners and charterers

Regularly reviewing and advising charterers and owners on various BIMCO forms. 

More: Marine and international trade

DIFC-LCIA arbitration – logistics services agreement

Defending an international shipping and logistics provider in a multi-million dollar dispute before a DIFC-LCIA arbitral tribunal arising out of an alleged breach of a logistics services agreement.

DIFC Courts – shareholders dispute

Acting for one of the shareholders in DIFC Court proceedings in relation to a shareholders' agreement dispute, which involved service of the proceedings out of the jurisdiction, obtaining a judgment in default and dealing with an application to set aside the judgment in default.

Dubai World Tribunal proceedings

Acting for the vessel interest in a multi million dollar limitation of liability claim following an allision between the vessel and the terminal in the UAE before the Dubai World Tribunal. 

  • International trade

UAE based trader

Advising a UAE based trading company on their rights and obligations in its capacity as the charterer and disponent owner of the vessel under three separate, but interlinked, charterparties relating to the same vessel.

GCC based chemical and petrochemical distribution company

Advising on various issues arising out of charterparties and bills of lading, including provision of letters of indemnity in return for issuing clean bills of lading and advising on a charterer friendly infectious diseases clause for incorporation in their charterparties, advising on a contract of affreightment terms and the content of a notice of assignment.

Middle East based cargo receivers

Acting for a cargo receivers against the carrier and the vessel in relation to a dispute under the bill of lading where the vessel refused to proceed to the discharge port as an entity in the charterparty chain had not paid the hire to head owners.  

Latest news & insights

19 Sep 2023

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Commodities in Focus Weekly: Issue 47

Vive la différence: English High Court refused to grant an interim anti-suit injunction in support of ICC arbitration proceedings seated in Paris given the unavailabil..

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03 May 2023

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Commercial Court refuses to set aside the award where the Tribunal found it did not have jurisdiction

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25 Apr 2023

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Commodities in Focus Weekly: Deductions from hire

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20 Dec 2022

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Commodities in Focus Weekly: Vitol S.A. v JE Energy Ltd. – meaning of laycan in FOB sale contracts and useful reminder on repudiatory breach

On 7 October 2022 the English Commercial Court handed down a judgment in Vitol S.A. v JE Energy Ltd [2022] EWHC 2494 (Comm), where the Court revisited the meaning of l..

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