Panama Maritime Law and Admiralty
Maritime Litigation in Panama
Due to its vital position and the Canal, Panama is a necessary route for a continuous stream of vessels of all classes. Panama also has a high number of vessel registrations due to its relatively lax and straightforward registration process and requirements.
Of course, this doesn’t mean there are no regulations, and if certain disputes, claims, or arrests occur, then the Maritime Court of Panama gets involved.
This is when you will need a Panama lawyer on your side to protect your rights and ensure you get the counsel you need.
What does maritime law cover?
Maritime law refers to a body of laws, conventions, and treaties that were put in place to oversee maritime businesses, insurance claims, shipping matters, civil matters between shipowners and service providers, maritime disputes, and other offenses that occur out on the open water.
In most countries, these laws follow a different code and are considered an independent jurisdiction from the average body of national laws.
Establishing these codes is up to the individual countries, but most are based on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued. These codes and conventions are regularly updated and changed to keep up with evolving technologies and businesses, so you need a firm that understands the latest developments and how they apply to you.
Understanding maritime law and ligation in Panama.
Maritime law in Panama has an extensive history due to Panama allowing foreign registration, which means many businesses and people register here due to geographical and commercial advantages.
The Maritime Court of Panama has proven to be a convenient judicial forum for plaintiffs in the international maritime community. It has made it possible to institute judicial proceedings to enforce their claims or dispute the seizure and arrest of vessels. The Admiralty Court of Panama also has jurisdiction concerning the lawsuits derived from acts of maritime commerce and maritime trade outside the territory of the Republic of Panama when the defendant is out of its jurisdiction.
At Mata & Pitti, our law firm has strong links with the Panama Maritime Court. Our firm founder, Mr. Francisco Mata, has dealt with many arrest-of-vessel cases and has served as an interim judge of the Court.
Working with the Panama maritime court.
The costs for a vessel arrest in Panama are very competitive compared with having a trial in other jurisdictions, and all the expenses are taxed as cost in the action. The Panama Maritime Court is available to the international maritime community 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, to institute judicial proceedings to enforce their claims through the seizure and arrest of vessels.
Our law firm provides the following Panama maritime services:
- Arrest of Vessels
- Cargo Claims
- Labor Claims
- Maritime Liens
- Carriage of Goods
- Collisions and Salvage
- Pollution Claims
- Personal Injuries Claims
- Maritime Collections
- Maritime Enquiries
- Charter Parties
- Ship Sale and Purchases
- Naval Mortgagees
- Commercial Vessel Registrations in Panama
- Pleasure Vessel Registrations in Panama
Contact us for further assistance or set an appointment with our Panama maritime lawyers to discuss your case. Mata & Pitti Attorneys at Law has the experience necessary to make your claim succeed.
Contact
Get in touch with us!
OUR OFFICE
Advanced Tower, 1st Floor
Panama City, Panama
CONTACT US
+507 264.5570 | 264.5931
info@matapitti.com
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