Atlas Legal is located in Songdo International Business District (IFEZ), Incheon, adjacent to Incheon Port and Incheon International Airport. We handle the full range of legal issues faced by shipping, aviation, and logistics companies in domestic and cross-border transport — cargo damage and loss, vessel accidents, shipper-carrier disputes, seafarer injuries, customs and clearance disputes, and logistics contract disputes — drawing on the Commercial Act (Maritime Chapter), the Seafarers Act, and the Customs Act.
In cargo damage cases, we carefully analyze whether the carrier’s exemptions (navigational fault, fire, inherent perils of the sea, etc.) and liability limitations under the Hague-Visby Rules apply, and build the optimal strategy accordingly. We manage the one-year time bar (from delivery date, Commercial Act Article 814) to ensure rights are exercised without delay.
In logistics contracts, we draft and review transport agreements, warehouse agreements, and third-party logistics (3PL) contracts to define liability clearly, and optimize Incoterms and dispute resolution clauses to prevent disputes before they arise. In customs disputes, we represent clients in classification, customs valuation, and origin determination appeal proceedings.
Damages claims for cargo damage, loss, and delay. Bill of lading (B/L) disputes, carrier exemption analysis (Commercial Act Article 795), liability limitation under the Hague-Visby Rules, one-year time bar management
Fault apportionment (Commercial Act Article 876), damages claims, Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST) proceedings response, and combined civil and criminal response for collisions, groundings, and sinkings
Seafarer work-related injury and death compensation (Seafarers Act Articles 94–100), medical, disability, and survivor benefit claims, seafarer employment contract disputes, unpaid wage recovery
HS classification, customs valuation, and origin determination disputes; customs appeal proceedings (objection → review request → Tax Tribunal → administrative litigation); early response to customs audits and customs criminal investigations
Drafting and reviewing transport, warehouse, and 3PL agreements. Incoterms clause design, clear definition of liability scope, limits and exemptions, dispute resolution clause optimization
Liability assessment, damages claims, and subrogation for defects discovered after delivery. Cargo insurance claim support, defect notification procedure management
Cargo damage defense — successfully argued that the carrier bore no fault in the cargo packaging or transport, defeating the damages claim brought against the carrier
Seafarer work injury compensation and damages — pursued statutory compensation under the Seafarers Act and civil damages in parallel, maximizing recovery for the injured seafarer
Korean maritime law advisory — advised a foreign insurer on whether it could subrogate against the carrier for insurance proceeds paid to the cargo owner for lost cargo at sea, covering Korean carrier liability limitation and the relationship between freight forwarder and carrier
Representing an insurer in shipowner limitation of liability proceedings — represented an insurer in limitation of liability proceedings arising from a maritime accident, securing a settlement and bringing the dispute to a successful conclusion