Shelley Chapelski leads the firm’s Canadian shipping and transportation law groups. Her practice encompasses both business and litigation aspects of maritime and transportation law as well as marine and non-marine insurance. She is recognized by her clients and colleagues as one of the leading maritime lawyers in Canada and is the past president of the Canadian Maritime Law Association. She advises on a wide array of charterparties, carriage contracts, logistics and multi-modal agreements, and other agreements that arise in maritime and transportation law, including ice pilot contracts. She advises the users and suppliers of marine services of their obligations, liabilities, and remedies under Canadian law. This includes regulatory matters relating to the carriage of dangerous goods, bunkering operations and insurance requirements. She has handled hundreds of casualties including collisions, damage to terminals, cargo losses, and pollution events. She has resolved many passenger injury and death claims, including ones subject to the Athens Convention. She has dealt with dozens of vessel arrests and many maritime liens and limitation of liability proceedings. She is a frequent advisor to marine and non-marine insurers on coverage matters as well as drafting insurance contracts.
