Dr. Miquel Roca
Managing Partner
London
mroca@lmalegal.co.uk
 

Dr. Miquel Roca is our Managing Partner.

Miquel is qualified both in Spain (Abogado) and England (Solicitor).  LL.B (law degree) University of Barcelona, LL.M (Masters in law degree – with Distinction) in Shipping Law Barcelona Law Society and LL.M in Shipping Law from the University of Cardiff. PhD (J.D.) in Maritime Law, with Cum Laude distinction and International Honours, UAO Barcelona University with a research stage at St. Thomas University of Houston, Texas and at The City Law School of London.

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 works as a Maritime Law Professor at ALBA Business School of The American Business College of Greece, in Athens.

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:

  • Successfully incorporating two clauses into the new 2022 BIMCO contract SEV-GUARDCON (read more here)
  • Winning a 1,5 USD million LMAA Arbitration for a Venezuelan oil charterer against owner taking the vessel off service by sending an invalid technicality notice and not following charterers instructions.
  • Advising on a regular basis a Private Maritime Security Company providing Security Escort Vessels with armed guards to prevent piracy attacks.
  • Advising a shipyard in a 35USD million shipbuilding dipute
  • Advising an oilrig owner on a 10USD million international maritime arbitration.
  • Winning a 2.5USD million LMAA arbitration advising a charterer 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, 2nd Ed, 2021) 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 is currently studying Greek.

Out of the office, Miquel is an active amateur swimmer. He has finished several master long ditance ocean races like Oceanman (10 kilometers) and Marnaton (7,5 kilometers). He is also a proud father of three and a double bass player and has a degree in Biblical Theology by the University of Navarra.

 

 

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