Graeme Baird

Graeme is a Partner based in our London office. He qualified in England and Wales in 1990 and has 30 years’ experience handling major insurance claims, particularly in the marine, energy and construction sectors.

He provides coverage advice to insurers and reinsurers and assists in the defence of third party liability claims. Graeme has extensive experience of claims resolution under widely contrasting legal systems worldwide. He has worked on legal issues in more than 80 different countries across all continents. 

Graeme has particular expertise in offshore energy claims and is a noted market leader in this sector, with notable expertise in oil and gas upstream and midstream issues, both onshore and offshore. He is currently advising on two major offshore energy losses, each of which has an aggregate loss value in excess of US$1 billion.

He is experienced in all kinds of marine claims including hull, cargo, war risks, mortgagee’s interest, protection and indemnity, salvage, sue and labour, and regularly handles subrogated recoveries.

Graeme regularly advises on issues arising out of construction projects and associated insurances such as contractors’ all risk, erection all risk, delay in start-up, advance loss of profit and business interruption.

Graeme has worked on some of the market’s largest and most complex claims, such as the Pemex KAB 101 disaster 2007; the Erika pollution disaster; the Kikeh ultra deepwater project offshore Malaysia; the sinking of the Perro Negro 6 offshore West Africa; the Banff FPSO loss in the North Sea; the Piper Alpha platform explosion; and the Bowbelle/Marchioness collision on the River Thames.   

He presents regularly at major industry events including the annual conference of the International Marine Contractors Association; the offshore energy insurance conference at Lillehammer and the Asian offshore energy insurance conference at Bali. Graeme is also a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) and the British Insurance Law Association.

Graeme is regularly praised by legal directories as being a recommended lawyer for shipping in London.