Nick Humphrey

Nick is a partner in Kennedys’ Dubai office and leads our aviation and transport practice in the Middle East. He qualified in New South Wales in 2005 and is a registered foreign lawyer of England and Wales.

He specialises in aviation and transport liability claims, dispute resolution, regulatory and commercial law. He has a unique understanding of the transport, logistics and aviation sectors, with previous in-house experience as the principal lawyer of dnata’s global ground handling and cargo operations and as senior legal counsel at defence logistics provider Supreme Group, where he oversaw the provision of air, sea and land supply chain operations for the International Security Assistance Force and US forces in Afghanistan. Prior to moving to the Middle East, Nick was a partner of one of Australia’s preeminent aviation and shipping law firms.

Nick advises a broad range of companies across the transport and aviation sectors, including airlines, drone operators, ship managers, MROs, fixed base operators and their insurers, on both contentious and non-contentions matters. These include advising on aviation and transport related liability claims and litigation; advising on regulatory matters involving the operation of aircraft throughout the Middle East, including applications for air operator’s certificates, aircraft grounded for regulatory breaches, airline ownership and control issues under local laws and bilateral air service agreements; reviewing, drafting and negotiating aviation commercial contracts, including aircraft maintenance agreements, ground transport agreements, warehousing and logistics agreements, cargo and passengers general sales agency agreements, aircraft operating agreements, aircraft, complete crew, maintenance and insurance, and charter agreements for fixed wing and rotary aircraft, airport lounge and concession agreements; and advising on aviation risk, compliance and workplace health and safety issues.

As an advocate, Nick has successfully litigated and defended high value claims under institutional arbitration rules in complex cross border transport disputes.

He is the current chairperson and co-founder of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Air Law Group - Middle East Chapter and is a director of the Australian Business Council of Dubai.

Qualifications

• Qualified in New South Wales in 2005