Sanctions: A victory for common sense

A team of HFW lawyers, led by William Gidman, secured a victory in the English High Court in a summary judgment application confirming that an “innocent” EU bareboat charterer could discharge their obligations to obtain title to vessels by paying in a non-contractual currency and into a frozen account when its counterparts are subject to international sanctions. The case endorses the Court of Appeal’s view in Mur Shipping v RTI [2022] EWCA Civ 1406.