As the International Maritime Law Seminar marks twenty years since its foundation, San Simón & Duch continues its longstanding involvement in this international forum, with Enrique Rubio joining leading maritime law specialists in London to address the future of marine insurance claims.
London | 21 October 2026
The International Maritime Law Seminar (IMLS) returned to the City of London on 21 October 2026, bringing together maritime law specialists, industry leaders and insurance professionals from across the globe for an afternoon of legal discussion and international exchange.
Held at the historic Chartered Accountants’ Hall at One Moorgate Place, the seminar addressed three subjects of particular importance to the international shipping industry: Marine Finance, Vessel Arrest and Marine Insurance: Future Claims.
For San Simón & Duch, the 2026 edition carried particular significance. It marked twenty years since the establishment of an initiative that the firm helped create and continues to support through its involvement in the organisation’s leadership and academic programme.
A Forum Founded on International Cooperation
The International Maritime Law Seminar was established in 2006 by Luis de San Simón of Spain, Ricardo Rozas of Chile and Vincent M. DeOrchis of the United States, with a shared vision: to create an international forum in which maritime law specialists and industry professionals could exchange knowledge, examine emerging legal challenges and foster meaningful dialogue across jurisdictions.
What began as an initiative founded by practitioners from three countries has evolved into an international platform encompassing leading maritime law firms from 14 countries across four continents.
Today, IMLS holds annual seminars in London and Singapore, bringing together shipowners, charterers, hull and machinery insurers, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurers, brokers, arbitrators and maritime lawyers.
The seminars are regularly moderated by senior representatives of the International Group community and are designed to provide substantive legal analysis grounded in the practical realities of international shipping.
Over the past two decades, IMLS has examined a broad range of issues, including the enforcement and termination of maritime contracts, vessel arrest, pollution liability, mass-casualty incidents and product liability claims.
Its enduring purpose remains unchanged: to provide a forum for the international maritime community to examine legal developments, exchange perspectives and contribute to a better understanding of the challenges affecting global transportation.
San Simón & Duch: From Founding Vision to Continued Leadership
San Simón & Duch’s relationship with IMLS extends to the organisation’s origins.
As one of its three founders, Luis de San Simón played a central role in establishing a platform built on international legal cooperation and the exchange of specialist maritime knowledge.
Twenty years later, that connection continues through Diego de San Simón, who serves on the IMLS Steering Committee alongside:
- Johannes Grove Nielsen — Bech-Bruun, Denmark
- Marco Remiorz — Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein, Germany
- Robert O’Connor — Montgomery McCracken, United States
- Diego de San Simón — San Simón & Duch, Spain
The Committee brings together practitioners from four jurisdictions to guide the development of the IMLS platform and support its continued relevance to the international maritime community.
For San Simón & Duch, this longstanding involvement reflects an institutional commitment to maritime law that extends beyond individual cases and transactions. It is rooted in the belief that international collaboration, specialist knowledge and constructive professional dialogue are essential to addressing the increasingly complex legal issues facing the shipping industry.
Enrique Rubio Joins International Experts to Discuss the Future of Marine Insurance Claims
At the London 2026 seminar, Enrique Rubio of San Simón & Duch was included among the speakers for the third panel, Marine Insurance: Future Claims.
Moderated by Monica Kohli of Gard, the session brought together maritime insurance and dispute resolution specialists from Spain, the United States, Germany and India.
The panel featured:
- Enrique Rubio — San Simón & Duch, Spain
- Jon Werner — Montgomery, McCracken Walker & Rhodes, United States
- Lynn Krieger — Cox, Wootton, Lerner, Griffin & Hansen LLP, United States
- Svenja Breckwoldt — Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein, Germany
- Tripti Sharma — Bose & Mitra & Co, India
Marine insurance operates within an exceptionally international legal and commercial environment. A single maritime casualty may involve vessels, cargo interests, insurers, contractual arrangements and judicial proceedings spanning several jurisdictions.
Against this background, the panel’s focus on future claims addressed an area of continuing importance for the maritime industry: the capacity of insurance arrangements and legal frameworks to respond to evolving risks and increasingly complex disputes.
The participation of specialists from different legal systems reflected one of IMLS’s defining characteristics: its ability to bring together jurisdiction-specific expertise within a genuinely international discussion.
Three Critical Areas of Maritime Law
The 2026 programme was structured around three interconnected subjects that remain central to the legal and commercial operation of international shipping.
Marine Finance
The opening panel brought together practitioners from Malta, Panama, France, Poland and Japan to examine marine finance, a field in which international financing structures, security arrangements and the legal interests of multiple stakeholders frequently converge.
As vessels and maritime assets operate across borders, understanding the interaction between different legal frameworks remains essential to the effective structuring and protection of maritime investments.
Vessel Arrest
The second panel, moderated by independent arbitrator George Eddings, assembled specialists from the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, the Netherlands, Brazil, Norway, Denmark and Italy.
Vessel arrest remains a fundamental legal mechanism in maritime dispute resolution, enabling eligible claimants to seek security for maritime claims, subject to the applicable jurisdictional rules.
The international composition of the panel underscored the importance of understanding procedural differences and enforcement mechanisms across maritime jurisdictions.
Marine Insurance: Future Claims
The final panel examined the future of marine insurance claims, bringing together perspectives from Europe, North America and Asia.
The session reflected the continuing need for insurers, shipowners, legal advisers and other maritime stakeholders to assess how existing legal and contractual frameworks respond to changing commercial circumstances and emerging categories of risk.
Together, the three panels demonstrated the breadth of the challenges confronting the maritime industry and the value of sustained international legal dialogue.
Twenty Years of Connecting the Global Maritime Legal Community
Since its establishment in 2006, IMLS has developed into a recognised forum for specialist maritime legal discussion, supported by an international network of law firms.
Its seminars are designed not only to address technical legal questions but also to encourage direct engagement between the professionals who advise, insure, finance and operate within the global shipping industry.
The organisation’s commitment to substantive legal analysis, coupled with opportunities for professional exchange, has remained a defining feature of its approach.
The London 2026 programme concluded with a reception bringing together speakers, participants and members of the international maritime community, continuing the tradition of professional dialogue beyond the formal seminar sessions.
Looking Ahead
For San Simón & Duch, the twentieth anniversary of IMLS represents both a milestone and a reaffirmation of the principles on which the initiative was founded.
From Luis de San Simón’s role in establishing the organisation in 2006, to Diego de San Simón’s current participation in its Steering Committee and Enrique Rubio’s inclusion in the London 2026 programme, the firm’s relationship with IMLS reflects a sustained commitment to the international maritime legal community.
As global shipping continues to face evolving commercial, regulatory and legal challenges, the exchange of specialist knowledge across jurisdictions remains essential.
Twenty years after its foundation, IMLS continues to advance the vision that inspired its creation: bringing together the international maritime community to share expertise, strengthen professional relationships and contribute to the development of maritime legal understanding.
San Simón & Duch is proud to have been part of that journey from the beginning.
Founded in 2006 by Luis de San Simón, Ricardo Rozas and Vincent M. DeOrchis, IMLS is an international initiative dedicated to the exchange of specialist legal knowledge affecting the maritime industry. Its annual seminars in London and Singapore bring together maritime law practitioners and industry professionals from across the world.
Event: International Maritime Law Seminar — London 2026
Date: 21 October 2026
Venue: Chartered Accountants’ Hall, One Moorgate Place, London
San Simón & Duch speaker: Enrique Rubio
Panel: Marine Insurance: Future Claims
Further information: www.imls.law