Edward Kuznetsov is a maritime arbitrator and shipping lawyer based in Riga, Latvia, with over three decades of experience in international maritime law and dispute resolution. His practice focuses on maritime arbitration, including charterparty disputes, cargo claims, marine insurance, P&I matters and ship arrest.
He has been regularly appointed as arbitrator in maritime disputes under various arbitration frameworks, including LMAA, GMAA and other international arbitration institutions. He has participated in over 40 arbitral proceedings and has rendered more than 25 published awards under LMAA, including awards as sole arbitrator.
His arbitration experience covers disputes governed by English, Latvian and Russian law.
In addition to his work as arbitrator, Mr Kuznetsov has extensive experience acting as counsel in international arbitration and litigation. He has represented clients in proceedings under ICC arbitration (Paris and Geneva), LMAA, GMAA and other forums, as well as in court proceedings in multiple jurisdictions.
His professional background includes over 15 years in senior legal positions within the maritime industry, including as Head of Legal Department for Lloyd’s agents and P&I correspondents in Latvia. He has also worked as commercial manager and in-house lawyer in a shipping company operating a fleet of river-sea vessels, providing him with practical insight into commercial shipping operations.
Mr Kuznetsov is the CEO of Marine Legal Bureau, a law firm specialising in maritime law. His practice combines legal expertise with in-depth industry knowledge, particularly in areas such as chartering, cargo disputes, marine insurance and enforcement actions, including ship arrest.
He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) and holds a Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration. He has been recognised as a leading maritime practitioner by Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
Mr Kuznetsov is actively involved in the international maritime arbitration community. He is a member of the Agenda Committee of the XXIII International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA) in Singapore (2026), and has participated in numerous international maritime conferences over the years.
He brings to his role as arbitrator a combination of practical maritime experience, legal expertise and a balanced and pragmatic approach to dispute resolution.