2006/2007 (Leading Individual)
Shrikant Hathi of Hathi & Partners ranked by The Asia Pacific Legal 500 as a 'Leading individual' in India for shipping work

2005/2006 (Leading Individual)
Shrikant Hathi of LEX Nexus (now known as Hathi & Partners) ranked by The Asia Pacific legal 500 as a 'Leading individual' in India for shipping work

'Hathi & Partners offers a full-service shipping practice under managing partner Shrikant Hathi. It is notably strong in ship arrests, which forms a large part of its practice. The firm also gaining experience in more off-beat shipping-related work, such as advising a client on the building of floating hotel in the form of a reproduction Chinese junk, and setting up of a floating casino business in Goa'
- The Asia Pacific legal 500 (2006/2007) 

2006/ 2007
'Hathi & Partners stands out for its (predominantly oil) projects-related work in the Middle East, notably in the UAE, Qatar, and even Iraq. It also has experience of work related to projects in the subcontinent.
- The Asia Pacific Legal 500 (2006/2007)

'Recommended firm for shipping, projects and energy, dispute resolution'
-The Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2005/06

'The firm has strong litigation arms, both in Mumbai and New Delhi'
-The Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2003/04

The full complement of shipping-related work is offered by LEX Nexus (now known as HATHI & PARTNERS), including purchases and sales, cargo-claims, casualties, charterparties, collisions, marine insurance and finance. Ship arrests and releases are where the firm particularly excels, where a young and committed group of partners, including Shrikant Hathi and Binita Hathi, work flat out to obtain favourable results for clients
-The Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2005/06

'The practice assists overseas clients in ship arrests and releases, purchases and sales, cargo-claim, casualties, charter parties, collisions, marine insurance and commercial'
-The Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2004/05

'..it has established strong links with several high-profile shipping companies and has advised on numerous ship arrests.'
-The Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2003/04

'A good choice for oil & gas related projects, with experience of power projects'
-The Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2005/06

'The International Arbitration and Litigation book, co-authored by partners of LEX Nexus (re-named as HATHI & PARTNERS) is fantastic'
-Kari Russ, Editor, Aspatore Books, 2005/06

Our Admiralty, Maritime & Shipping practice includes:

Arrests or Release of Vessel in Mumbai and other ports in India
Agency/freight forwarding matters
Arbitration
Bunker disputes
Cargo claims
CIF and FOB contracts
Claim and cause of action in respect of any mortgage 
Claim by a master in respect of disbursements 
Claim by a master or crew for wages, etc. 
Claim by the owner or consignee or assignee of any bill of lading of any goods for damage
Claim for damage done by any ship 
Claim for damage received by any ship or sea-going vessel 
Claim for necessaries supplied to any ship
Claim for the building, equipping or repairing of any ship
Claim for the possession or ownership of a ship 
Claim in respect of any registered mortgage 
Claim in the nature of salvage services
Claim in the nature of towage
Claims Relating to Cargo and contracts of Affreightment
Commodity disputes
Construction of ships, rigs and port facilities
Demise, time, and space charter agreements 
Financing, mortgaging, and registration of ships
Freezing injunctions/ ship arrest or release
General average
Hire and off-hire claims
Incorporation and management of offshore companies
International and domestic joint ventures
Lay time and demurrage disputes
Liner operations
Marine insurance
Maritime litigation
Ownership disputes.
P&I settlement 
Performance warranties
Port regulations
Purchase and sale of vessels and other maritime assets
Resolving maritime lien and ship mortgage disputes 
Sale and purchase of second-hand tonnage
Setting up business in India/ Foreign Investments in India 
Supplies, repairs etc...Unpaid dues.
Taxation
Trade finance and documentary credits
Unsafe port or berth claims
Vessel documentation, inspection, registration, and flagging 
Vessel financing for lenders, borrowers, and charterers 
Vessel management and product sales agreements 
Vessel repair litigation 

We are known worldwide for our expertise in ship arrest or release and have one of the strongest shipping practices in India and are highly recommended in this area, by independent credential bodies. 

Maritime team is co-headed by our Mumbai office partner Mr. Shrikant Hathi and Ms. Binita Hathi, both qualified advocate and solicitor, with an LL.M degree, both are also admitted to the Supreme Court of India. Mr. Shrikant Hathi has been practicing maritime for the past 16 years and Ms. Binita Hathi for 14 years.

HATHI & PARTNERS is an established Indian law firm being one of the two lead law firm of the country practicing maritime and admiralty matters amongst others, a law firm which is also recommended by Legal500, Lloyds (Informa) Group, Worldlawyers.NET, Chamber Practice and other bodies for maritime and admiralty matters in India. 

The Asia Pacific Legal 500, has strongly recommended HATHI & PARTNERS (previously known as LEX Nexus) since 2002.

The Asia Pacific Legal 500 , 2005/2006 under 'Leading Individuals' rated Shrikant Hathi as the 'best' shipping lawyer of India..

Our Professional Charges for maritime / shipping related arbitration or non-contentious matters depends on the complexity of the matter and are computed on per hour basis while all disbursements are computed on actual . 

Ship Arrest matters are charged on lump sum basis, more details can be obtained by writing a mail to our partner Mr. Shrikant Hathi on shrikant@hathipartners.com or by calling him. 

Maritime Litigation (excluding ship arrest) are charged on hourly basis, while all disbursements are computed on actual.

LEX Nexus (re-named to HATHI & PARTNERS) has practiced maritime law since the establishment of the firm in 1998 and its partners much prior to 1992; today we have a worldwide reputation as specialists in this area. Our partners regularly appear as recommended shipping specialists.

We provide a comprehensive service in both contentious and non-contentious aspects of shipping law, advising on matters ranging from cargo claims to marine casualties, and from ship finance to ship purchase or sale.

We act for clients in every area of the shipping business. These include numerous ship owners and charterers, hull and cargo insurers, P & I and Defense Clubs, salvage and tug companies, shipbuilders, ship breakers, banks, ship repair yard, marine engineering companies, ship and chartering brokers, oil companies, port authorities, and Government agencies.

To read "Maritime Practice in India", e-book which can be downloaded or accessed free of from the website www.maritimepractice.com or www.admiraltypractice.com 

CONTENTIOUS SHIPPING MATTERS

We combine long experience in this area of law and have extensive contacts in the shipping industries , which enables us to call on suitable technical experts with a network of international maritime law firms, and to advise on choice of an arbitrator.

Members of the firm are frequently called upon to deal with matters requiring urgent responses, such as, a freezing order, the exercise of a lien or the arrest of a ship; they are accustomed to attendance at short notice.

Maritime disputes are dealt with by solicitors who advise on all aspects of shipping litigation and arbitration which includes a specialist Admiralty team.

Shipping litigation and arbitration

We have extensive experience of all aspects of 'dry' shipping, including such matters as bills of lading and charterparties, P & I and Defence Club cover, and international sale of goods.

Examples of issues with which we regularly deal are: 
cargo claims
laytime and demurrage disputes
hire and off-hire claims
unsafe port or berth claims
performance warranties
bunker disputes
supplies, repair etc...unpaid dues.
ownership disputes.
agency/freight forwarding matters
commodity disputes
general average
CIF and FOB contracts
trade finance and documentary credits
freezing injunctions/ ship arrest or release

In addition to litigation & arbitration, we also provide the following other services: 

A.Drafting of contracts and other documentation relating to shipping
B.On site Investigation and assistance as required, dealing with local lawyers, government inspectors, surveyors and experts (making use of our database of specialist foreign lawyers (network) and shipping experts throughout the world)

In an out-of-hours emergency, we can be contacted either by calling the Mumbai office telephone number which has the facility of "follow me" (tripping facility) 24 Hrs Emergency Response Team.


NON-CONTENTIOUS SHIPPING MATTERS

Commercial shipping and ship finance

We act for banks and finance companies, shipowners, shipbuilders, ship breakers and port authorities. The areas on which we regularly advise include: 
sale and purchase of second-hand tonnage
financing, mortgaging, and registration of ships
construction of ships, rigs and port facilities
international joint ventures
incorporation and management of offshore companies
taxation
liner operations
port regulations