OUR LAWYERS

MOHAMED GOUSH MARIKAN

Managing Partner & Mariner

Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore (1995)

Barrister at Law, Lincoln’s Inn

LLB. (Hons) (London)

Diploma in Nautical Studies

Certificate of Competency Class III and Class II (Foreign going)


Email: goush@goushmarikan.com

Mr Goush Marikan is the Managing Partner and founder of the firm. He has been at the forefront of shipping law in Singapore for over 20 years. Goush has been praised by the Asia Pacific Legal 500 for being "exceptionally good in wet work" and is “knowledgeable in dealing with collision and other casualty work”. He heads the firm’s Marine Casualty Response team and Shipping practice.

His invaluable experience as a sea-going officer for 8 years (during which he served on board general cargo vessels, container vessels and bulk carriers) and experience in handling casualties in the region has allowed Goush to carve a niche for himself as a specialist wet shipping lawyer in Singapore. He is regularly instructed by leading marine insurance companies on major casualties across the Asia-Pacific region involving collisions, groundings, fires, cargo damage and loss of life. He is highly experienced in dealing with all issues arising from casualties including salvage, general average, tonnage limitation, statutory/criminal liability and environmental issues.

Goush’s experience in dealing with the regional maritime authorities and practical knowledge of how things work in the region enables him to provide clients with swift and practical assistance following any casualty or any maritime dispute with heavy technical content.

Goush is also regularly instructed to handle and investigate petrochemical contamination cases as well as oil/chemical related disputes for oil majors, P & I Clubs and shipowners. 

His notable matters include: -

  • Acting for the owners of a container ship “LEO PERDANA” which was involved in a collision incident with an LPG tanker in a narrow channel in Selat Surabaya, Indonesia. The claim made against the “LEO PERDANA” is in excess of US$ 22 million. Work carried out for the matter included taking statements from the officers and crew of the vessel, liaising with the Indonesian Port Authorities to secure the safe and timely release of the vessel from detention. Successfully conducted the trial of the matter as lead Counsel before the Singapore High Court in October 2019, February and June 2020 where the Court apportioned liability 70/30 in favour of “LEO PERDANA”. The Owners of Navigator Aries have appealed and the matter is expected to be heard before the Court of Appeal in mid 2023.

  • Instructed on a major oil rig construction dispute involving claims in excess of SGD 1 billion.

  • Oil platform “JINTAN”: advised a major Malaysian underwriter on an All Risks Policy involving a claim for damaged pipelines/ risers during the construction of an oil pipeline located off the Sarawak Coast for an oil major. The claim under the policy was in excess of RM 250 million.

  • Presently acting for the owners of the crude oil tanker, “CORAL SEA” which was involved in an allision incident with another crude tanker while carrying out cargo discharge operations at Cilacap, Indonesia. The work carried out include reviewing the available evidence and advising clients on issues of quantum. Matter is presently being litigated in arbitration.

  • Defended the owners of the vessels “EVERLINE 3” and “EVERLINE 7”, involving a collision with gas carrier “ANTWERPEN” off Johor coast. The owners of the “ANTWERPERN” mounted an action and clients commenced a limitation action before the Malaysian High Court. The claim amount was in excess of S$4 million.

  • Acted for the owners of the vessel “BUILDER SUCCESS” against owners of the vessel “SUJIN” in a claim arising from a collision in the Singapore Straits. The claim amount involved was in excess of S$4 million.

  • Acted for the owners of the vessel “OSTENDE MAX” that was involved in a collision with “FORMOSAPRODUCT BRICK” in the Straits of Malacca, where nine seamen on the latter vessel perished. The “OSTENDE MAX” was detained by the Malaysian authorities and we were engaged by the owners to negotiate the release of the vessel.

  • Acting for the owners and P & I Club of the bulk carrier “MINERAL KYUSHU” that contacted with a hot briquetted iron jetty at Labuan, Sabah. The claim against clients was in excess of US$30 million. Work carried out for the matter included taking statements from the Master and the crew and acting as instructing Counsel to Malaysian in the preparation of all aspects of the matter for a trial on limitation, and negotiating settlement with the owners of the jetty.

  • Acted for the owners and underwriters of the container vessel “LINTAS BENGKULU” which collided with a general cargo vessel at the entrance of Tanjong Priok Port, Indonesia, resulting in the sinking of the general cargo vessel. Work carried out for the matter included taking statements from the officers and crew of the vessel, liaising with the Indonesian Port Authorities with regard to the resulting pollution caused to the nearby local waters and negotiating with the owners of the colliding vessel on issues of liability and quantum, communicating with Indonesian lawyers and the Indonesian Maritime Council and the National Transport Safety Committee in the ensuing investigations carried out by the Harbour Master.

  • Worked closely with Malaysian counsel to defend a claim under an insurance policy for the constructive total loss of a 33-meter high continuous ship unloader (CSU) which was in the process of being loaded onto a barge for delivery from Westport, Malaysia to Cilegon, Indonesia. The work carried out included the review of the technical evidence relating to the manner in which the CSU was loaded, advising clients on issues of policy liability, assisting Malaysian counsel to prepare the matter for trial, working closely with clients’ appointed expert in the preparation of 2 expert reports on the various technical issues involved including the adequacy of the lashing arrangements, and the requirements of appointing independent surveyors to carry out a pre-shipment survey before the CSU was loaded on the barge.

  • Acted for a major P&I Club in a matter involving the disappearance of a passenger onboard a cruise ship which was en route from Langkawi, Malaysia to Singapore. Work done included reviewing all the relevant evidence relating to the passenger’s disappearance (including CCTV camera footage, incident reports and the steps taken by the vessel after the passenger was found missing), assisting clients to liaise with the Indian High Commission in Singapore and Malaysia, assisting clients to liaise with the passenger’s family and meeting the family on clients’ behalf to bring the matter to an amicable close.

  • Acted for a major P&I Club in a matter involving the drowning of a Third Officer that occurred during cargo operations onboard a tanker at Sandakan, Malaysia. Work done included taking statements from the officers and crew of the vessel, assisting clients to ensure a smooth handover of the late Third Officer’s personal belongings from the ship to the agent to be delivered to the family, and preparing a detailed report to advise clients on the cause of the incident and the issue of policy liability.

  • Acted for a major P&I Club in a matter where a cargo vessel the “MILLENIUM BARU” developed a list and thereafter sank off Pulau Karamian, Indonesia. Work done included taking statements from the officers and crew of the vessel, reviewing the available evidence, advising clients on the potential cause(s) of the vessel’s sinking and on issues of policy liability.

  • Worked closely with Malaysian counsel to defend a limitation action commenced by the owners of a chemical/product tanker the “BUNGA ALPINIA” that had caught fire and subsequently exploded during loading operations of a cargo of methanol at the port of Labuan, Sabah. The explosion caused the vessel to sink and claimed the lives of 5 crew members. The work carried out included a thorough review of the technical evidence, working closely with Malaysian counsel in the preparation of all aspects of the matter for a trial on limitation, and assisting Malaysian counsel to negotiate settlement on favourable terms to clients.

  • Acted for the owners of a Capesize bulk carrier “MOUNT APO” which was involved in a collision with the LNG carrier “HANJIN RAS LAFFAN” in the vicinity of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Straits. The claim made against the clients was in excess of USD 5 million. Work carried out for the matter include reviewing the available evidence, advising clients on issues of liability and quantum, and assisting lead counsel in the preparation of all aspects of the matter for trial.

  • Acted for a major Chinese insurance company in an incident involving a collision between 2 bulk carriers in the vicinity of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Straits. The combined claim put forward by both parties was in excess of USD 4 million. The work carried out include negotiating security with the colliding vessel, taking statements from the officers and crew of the vessel, reviewing the available evidence, advising clients on issues of liability and quantum, and assisting clients to negotiate a settlement on liability on favourable terms.