Dr. Miquel Roca is our Managing Partner.
Miquel is qualified both in Spain (Abogado) and England (Solicitor) and is registered as a Foreign Legal Consultant at the Bar of the State of Texas. He has been awarded an LL.B (law degree) from the University of Barcelona, an LL.M (Masters in law degree – with Distinction) in Shipping Law from the Barcelona Law Society and an LL.M in Shipping Law from the University of Cardiff. He holds a PhD (J.D.) in Maritime Law, with Cum Laude distinction and International Honours, from the UAO Barcelona University with a stage at the St. Thomas University of Houston, Texas.
He has been a member of the Managing Board of the Spanish Maritime Law Association for seven years and it is a current active member of the Instituto Iberoamericano de Derecho Marítimo.
He is an associate lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University of Cambridge, and at ALBA Business School of Athens and at Barcelona UAO CEU University.
After working for the Legal Office of the Barcelona Port Authority, Miquel joined the container shipping line P&O Nedlloyd where he worked as an Account Manager. He was then retained by the United Nations in Vienna within the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s (UNCITRAL) Transportation Law Working Group, Maritime Law Branch, where he participated in the drafting of the Rotterdam Rules. Miquel also lectured in Maritime Law at the Webster University of Vienna.
Miquel was appointed Plenipotentiary of the Spanish Crown before the United Nations and, on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, formed part of the Official Delegation that Signed the Rotterdam Rules.
Miquel then returned to private practice, first in Hamburg and then in Barcelona, after which he moved to London where he practised as a Solicitor acting for shipowners, shipyards, freight forwarders, logistics operators, P&I associations and insurance companies worldwide, both in court and arbitration proceedings.
His most recent work includes:
- Advising an oilrig owner on a 10USD million international maritime arbitration.
- Advising a charterer in a London Maritime Arbitration upon termination of a Heavylift Charterparty.
- Drafting a Bareboat Charterparty for a Moroccan shipowner.
- Drafting on a regular basis Ship Repair contracts for several shipyards worldwide.
- Advising a barge owner after a collision in the North Atlantic.
- Advising three of the largest shipyards in Europe on a regular basis under English law.
- Winning a multimillion London international arbitration for a cement trader under LCIA Terms.
- Directing the first court proceeding in Spain which successfully decided on the inexistence of the right of retention of bills of lading;
Directing the court proceeding which ended with the publication of the first-ever Court Resolution in Spain which established the economic value of a bill of lading. - Advising a marine recoveries company on the recovery of the cargo out of a shipwreck.
- Drafting a new bill of lading for a leading European freight forwarding group.
Miquel is the author of two books: “London Maritime Arbitration” (Thomson Reuters), which can be bought here in e-book and “The Ship Registry of the Estate of the Vatican City. Vatican Maritime Law” (CEU), which can be bought here.
Miquel speaks English, Spanish, German and Catalan.
Out of the office, Miquel is an active amateur swimmer. He has finished several pro open water races like Oceanman and Marnaton. He is also a proud father of three and a double bass player.
Latest Posts
- The new REPAIRCON 2018
- In a Charterparty, who is responsible for securing the cargo? The MV PRIVOCEAN
- “SUBJECT TO BOD”, can the Charterer just walk away of a Charter Party negotiation?
- Consecuencias de cambiar la fecha de emisión de Conocimientos de Embarque: SINOCORE INTERNATIONAL CO. LTD & RBRG TRADING (UK) LIMITED
- ¿Es aplicable el plazo de prescripción de un año de las Reglas de La Haya incluso para casos de entrega sin BL? El MV The Alhani
- Riesgos del uso de tecnología en la entrega de contenedores
- ¿Puede un armador cobrar demoras o detenciones a cada uno de los fletadores en un part-cargo?
- London Maritime Arbitrators Association 2017 statistics
- Consecuencias para el transporte marítimo de la retirada de EEUU del Acuerdo Nuclear con Irán
- Los riesgos del Blockchain en el transporte marítimo