Tim
Houghton

Tim specialises in all aspects of dry shipping, including charterparties, bills of lading, cargo claims, ship sale and purchase, and shipbuilding. His practice also extends to commodity and trade finance disputes. He deals with contentious matters in arbitration and in the High Court, as well as non-contentious matters. His clients include P&I clubs, shipowners, charterers, banks and commodity traders.

Tim has extensive experience in relation to freezing and anti-suit injunctions, and also Vasso orders.

Tim has successfully represented clients in a number of prominent reported cases, including:

• The Kamilla [2006] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 238 (Interclub Agreement)
• The Channel Alliance [2008] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 428 (profit share clause in time charter)
• Classic v. Lion Diversified [2010] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 59 (enforceability of performance guarantee)
• The Savina Caylyn [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 550 (oil majors clause in time charter)
• The Pearl C [2012] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 533 (off-hire / speed and consumption)
• The Great Creation [2015] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 315 (redelivery notices under time charter)
• Classic v. Limbungan [2019] EWCA Civ 1102 (force majeure and the assessment of damages)

After taking a first class degree in History from Oxford University in 1995, Tim studied law at City University and at the Inns of Court School of Law, and was called to the Bar in 1997. After pupillage at 7 King’s Bench Walk, he joined Holmes Hardingham in 1998, and became a Solicitor Advocate in 2001.

Tim is a frequently disappointed fly fisherman, and an often injured runner.