Specialist Legal Advice · Maritime Law

We legally protect
su vessel transaction

So that your investment reaches port safely. Technical and legal due diligence, international contracts, registration before DIRECTEMAR and coordinated insurance cover — all under one team.

Request a legal assessment →Which risks am I covering?
35+
Years in practice
100%
Maritime Law
48h
Initial reply

We advise shipowners, carriers, investors and businesses on domestic and international transactions

"

A vessel sale does not end when the contract is signed.
It ends when the legal risk has gone.

CLM · Consultora Legal y Marítima

Legal risks

What CLM uncovers
before completion

Every vessel transaction conceals risks that only a team specialising in maritime law can identify in time. These are the ones we encounter most often in practice.

🔒
Hidden encumbrances and mortgages
Debts, ship mortgages and registered arrests that do not appear in ordinary searches and that travel with the vessel on sale.
Full registry search
📋
Title disputes
Unregularised co-ownership, unsettled estates or defective title that make a valid transfer of ownership impossible.
Chain of title remediation
⚓
Expired class certificates
A lapsed certificate invalidates hull cover from the moment of transfer. The vessel is technically uninsured from day one.
Technical and nautical due diligence
🌊
Undisclosed casualty history
Collisions, groundings and damage recorded with DIRECTEMAR or the P&I Club that affect the true value and future insurability of the vessel.
Full history review
🏴
Flag restrictions
Flags that restrict trading on certain routes, trigger additional taxes or are incompatible with the buyer’s sector permits.
Flag and AMERB analysis
⚖️
Harbourmaster debts and penalties
Unpaid fines, port arrears and pending administrative decisions at DIRECTEMAR that must be settled before any transfer.
Comprehensive administrative check
Why CLM?

Genuine capability for high-value transactions

We do not need to invent figures to show what we do. What we offer is track record, specialisation and a team that has seen what can go wrong.

✓
Domestic and international matters in maritime and port law
✓
Advice on the sale and transfer of vessel assets of any tonnage
✓
Experience in maritime litigation and dispute resolution before courts and authorities
✓
Coordination with P&I, hull and cargo insurance specialists from completion
✓
Filings before DIRECTEMAR, SUBPESCA, port authorities and vessel registries
✓
Transactions handled under BIMCO standard forms and international maritime instruments
We take on a selective number of instructions so that our lawyers give each transaction their direct attention. Our service does not scale by volume — it is preserved in depth.
Reunión de asesoría jurídica marítima — Equipo CLM
The CLM team

Lawyers who understand the sea — and the business

Every client has a dedicated point of contact and a team with a genuine track record in maritime law. We do not outsource the legal analysis or the due diligence: we do it ourselves, with the rigour a high-value transaction demands.

Preventive and contentious advice
A dedicated contact for each transaction
Initial reply within 48 working hours
Legal cover

What CLM does
for each party

Whether you are buying or selling, our team protects your interests at every stage of the transaction.

For the Buyer
Legal certainty before you sign
We investigate the vessel before you commit. Sign on certainty, not on faith.
✓
Full due diligence: registration, encumbrances, history
✓
Review of class certificates and technical documentation
✓
Verification of harbourmaster debts and DIRECTEMAR fines
✓
Review and negotiation of the Memorandum of Agreement
✓
Protective clauses against latent defects after sale
✓
Coordination of insurance cover from the moment of transfer
For the Seller
A clean completion, with no lingering liability
We prepare the vessel for sale and shield the seller from subsequent claims.
✓
Certificate of freedom from encumbrances and clean title
✓
Full preparation of the sale file
✓
Drafting of the MoA under the international BIMCO standard
✓
Protocol of delivery and formal acceptance of the vessel
✓
Handling the transfer of ownership before DIRECTEMAR
✓
Settlement of employment obligations with the crew
Initial assessment

Configure your transaction

Three steps. You will receive a tailored legal scope within 48 working hours, free of charge.

1
Transaction
2
Condition
3
Contact
Transaction and vessel type
Are you buying or selling? What category of vessel?
Type of transaction
🔍
Buy
I am looking to acquire a vessel
📋
Sell
I have a vessel to transfer
Vessel category
🚢
Large vessel (>500 GT)
⛵
Small craft
🛥️
Yacht / Leisure
🎣
Fishing vessel
🔧
Cargo / Logistics
🔬
Special / Research
Step 1 of 3
Condition and estimated value
Help us gauge the legal scope of the transaction
Operational condition of the vessel (0–100)
Listed for sale0–25
In progress26–50
Pre-operational51–75
Fully operational76–100
Estimated transaction value
< USD 500K
Small craft, yacht or leisure
USD 500K – 2M
Mid-sized vessel or fishing fleet
USD 2M – 10M
Large vessel or complex transaction
> USD 10M
Large-scale transaction
Step 2 of 3
Contact details
You will receive a tailored legal assessment within 48 working hours
📋 CLM’s estimated scope for your transaction
Methodology

From legal analysis
to final departure

A structured process that delivers certainty at every stage of the transaction.

01
Technical and Legal Due Diligence
Verification of registration, encumbrances, mortgages, class certificates, casualty history and full registry status before DIRECTEMAR.
02
Negotiation and Contracts
Drafting of the MoA under the BIMCO standard, protocol of delivery and warranty clauses tailored to the transaction and jurisdiction.
03
Registration and Flagging
Filings before DIRECTEMAR for transfer of ownership, change of flag or national registration according to each jurisdiction and type of transaction.
04
Comprehensive Insurance Protection
End-to-end coordination of the transfer, including continuity of cover through Fullback Corredores de Seguros, the group’s strategic partner.
Strategic alliance
Comprehensive protection:
legal advice and insurance under one team
CLM coordinates the legal advice with the insurance cover through Fullback Corredores de Seguros. This allows the transfer of risk to run alongside legal completion — with no gaps in cover and no parallel processes. What matters is protecting your transaction.
Request an assessment →
Next step

Protect a multi-million investment
with the same rigour with which you negotiate it

We assess your matter and set out a legal action plan within 48 working hours.

Request a confidential legal review →Meet the team
Free initial consultation · Reply within 48 working hours