K&L Gates

This Practice Note provides assistance when making an application to obtain the courts’ permission to serve the claim form outside England and Wales. Such an application is generally made without notice and on the papers. This Practice Note covers the timing of the application, the documentation required to make the application and considerations when completing it. It then sets out the steps that need to be taken if permission is granted.

This Practice Note considers the requirement for completing Court Form N510 (Notice for service out of the jurisdiction where permission of the court is not required) when serving a claim form out of the jurisdiction without the court’s permission. It explains what Form N510 is and when it must be used. It then explains the different parts of the form to be completed, depending on which jurisdiction the claim form is to be served in. It also provides some considerations when completing Form N510 and explains the consequences of a failure to complete it correctly. Finally it covers when the form must be filed and served and the consequences if this does not take place.

This Practice Note provides an overview of the main issues in decommission of oil and gas installations and pipelines that may give rise to disputes between interested parties, including Section 29 Notices, decommissioning security agreements (DSAs) and contractor disputes in relation to delay, variation, force majeure and indemnity provisions covering property damage and pollution.

This Practice Note provides guidance to offshore oil and gas industry participants who seek to rely on force majeure or frustration relief in relation to their offshore oil and gas drilling, decommissioning and service contracts, as a result of a significant market disruption, such as coronavirus (COVID-19). It provides an overview of force majeure and frustration under English law, includes practical considerations and steps in relation to claiming such relief, and analyses the application of relevant provisions in a sample of commonly used industry contracts. While this note focuses on COVID-19 as the context for the market disruption, the issues it addresses will be applicable to other disruptions affecting the offshore energy sector in the future, including possible future pandemics.

This Practice Note seeks to give an overview of considerations in the use of technology at all stages of an arbitration, before proceedings commence during proceedings, use in hearings, post-hearing considerations including enforcement and commentary on general technical issues that arise when considering the use of technology in arbitration proceedings.