Charles Debattista practises dry shipping and international trade law from St Philip Stone Chambers in London, both as counsel and as an arbitrator. The central focus of his practice is in bills of lading, charterparties, international sale of goods and letters of credit. Apart from practising in these areas, Charles has for many years worked with the ICC on successive versions Incoterms and the UCP; back in the 1990s he was one of the main consultees on what was to become the UK Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992. Charles has taken appointments as arbitrator since 2002 and regularly sits under LMAA, LCIA and ICC Rules and also in ad hoc arbitrations. Charles has sat as sole arbitrator, as chairman of tribunals and as a party-appointed arbitrator. Several of his Awards have been confirmed on reference up to the Courts and he has yet to suffer a successful challenge. In an earlier life, Charles was a University Professor teaching and writing in the same areas, and his writing, which has been frequently been cited in courts in the UK, focuses on problems which the bill of lading document faces when there is a mismatch between the contracts of sale, carriage and credit.