Miller’s Coghlin calls it a day

Terence Coghlin, described as "the most respected and influential figure in the world of P&I management over the past 20 years," retires from Thomas Miller today (20th July).

The accolade came from UK P&I Club Chairman Aleco Kairis, referring to Mr. Coghlin's 36 years of managing transportation and other insurance mutuals and the Miller partnerships and company.

He told a reception attended by shipowners and insurance representatives that Mr. Coghlin had made an "exceptional contribution to the UK and Defence Clubs and to the marine P&I movement as a whole.

"The shipping industry, which voted so strongly to preserve the mutual system through its clubs, owes him a great debt of gratitude."

Mr. Coghlin, former senior partner of Thos R Miller & Son and first chairman of Thomas Miller Holdings which succeeded the partnerships in 1999, was a special guest at receptions in Tokyo, Athens, London and Istanbul.

An Oxford law graduate and barrister, Terence Coghlin joined Thos R Miller & Son in 1965. Early in his career, he specialised in handling all types of P&I and Defence Club disputes, except personal injury. He began to specialise in Japanese and Greek fleets and became the manager of syndicate S1.

In 1967, he paid his first visit to Japan and soon became the UK Club's chief representative in looking after a growing Japanese membership and dealing with many senior figures in the Japanese shipping industry. By the late 1960s, he was a regular visitor to the Soviet Union to help develop Club membership.

Six years later, Mr. Coghlin was among the UK Club delegates invited to Beijing by the People's Insurance Company. By the end of an eventful trip involving a thorough immersion in the thoughts of Chairman Mao, the delegates managed to negotiate the entry of several COSCO tankers.

He was instrumental in developing special seminars for shipowners from all over the world.

Major claims involvement's included the Delian Apollon oil spill at Tampa (1970), the Seawise University wreck removal (1972), the Tosa Maru, which exploded and sank in Singapore in 1975 and the Laconia (1977) which also involved the Defence Club. This landmark case focused on the right of a shipowner to withdraw his ship from time charter if the charterer fails to make timely payment for hire.

He became a partner in Thos R Miller & Son in 1970. Widening management responsibilities at Miller's led to his participation in international matters. He spoke for the P&I clubs at the Comite Maritime International conference in 1981, urging recognition of the salvor's efforts in saving the environment even where no property was
saved. The resultant draft convention, with changes, became the 1989 Salvage Convention.

Mr. Coghlin was elected senior partner of Thomas Miller and chairman of the International Group in 1991, holding the latter office for three years. He spoke on various issues before the European Commission and before Congressional committees in Washington on shipowners' limitation rights, OPA and other legal issues. He helped defend the International Group Agreement before the EC Competitions Directorate in 1984 and 1997, playing a leading role in negotiating with the Brussels authorities. He played a major part in gaining acceptance among Group clubs of the principle of limited liability.

Most recently, he has focused on modernising Miller's structure, which changed last year from partnership to private employee-owned company. The creation of Thomas Miller Holdings Limited helped widen Miller's capital base. This has been reinforced by a long-term loan from the UK Club, convertible into a 10 per cent stake in the company in 2005. Thomas Miller aims to continue enhancing the service to the UK, Defence, TT, International Transport Intermediaries, professional indemnity and other clubs and to develop innovative insurance and marine products and services through associated businesses.

Mr. Coghlin is an associate of Southampton University's Institute of Maritime Law, a member of the editorial board of Lloyd's Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly and a series editor of Lloyd's Shipping Law Library.

He is co-author of Time Charters, a work of widely accepted authority, two editions of which have been published in Japanese. He is currently working on the fifth edition and
expects to continue to utilise his expertise in P&I and Defence as an arbitrator in maritime arbitration.