Joanna Steele read law at Oxford and initially qualified as a barrister, completing pupillage in specialist shipping and insurance chambers. She then joined Tindall Riley & Co, managers of Britannia P & I Club, where she dealt with a wide range of P & I and FD & D matters. After joining Bentleys, Stokes and Lowless in 1990, Joanna requalified as a solicitor and became a partner in 1993.

Joanna’s practice encompasses the broad spectrum of arbitration, mediation and Commercial Court litigation in relation to marine and insurance matters, with particular interests:-

 Disputes arising under time and voyage charterparties and long term contracts of affreightment;

 Complex cargo claims;

 Dangerous cargoes;

 General average;

 Off spec bunkers;

 Shipbuilding and ship sale and purchase disputes;

 Specialist offshore vessels and contracts;

 Insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes;

 Arrest, injunctions and enforcement in the UK and abroad;

 Shipbroking and agency disputes.

Joanna has presented seminars and workshops on a range of subjects including dangerous cargoes, war risk insurance, arbitration procedure and the use of expert witnesses.