Text us your ideas and feedback!

Sanctions enforcement in yachting spreads far beyond Russia-Ukraine headlines. In this episode, we talk through why the U.S. is casting a wider net across superyachts and the people who service them. We dig into how AI-driven pattern spotting turns routine yacht behavior into red flags, and what that means for owners, captains, managers, brokers, and insurers:
• the surge in sanctioned vessels globally and how designations link back to individuals
• why U.S. Treasury attention is expanding beyond yachts to service providers
• how KYC expectations collide with reputational triggers around superyachts
• what “irregular yacht movements” can look like in practice and why previously innocuous measures are becoming a tripwire
• AIS as a compliance signal, when switching it off is justified, and how satellites fill the gaps
• how investigations can build from a yacht’s visibility to allegations like money laundering
• the real-world damage of frozen yachts, from maintenance decay to environmental risk.

Have a yacht law question? Email it to info@megayachtnews.com or michael@moore-and-co.com for your chance to have it answered on our podcast. All requests for confidentiality and/or anonymity are respected.

Hiring a lawyer is a big decision. Visit Moore & Company for the legal team's qualifications and experience. And, to learn the latest about superyacht launches, shipyards, designs, and destinations, visit Megayacht News.

Text us your ideas and feedback!

A lot of yacht disputes don’t start with bad intent. They start with a rushed boatyard job, a handshake promise at a boat show, a wire sent to the wrong vendor, or an owner who accepts a benefit and later decides the bill “wasn’t in the scope.” That’s where unjust enrichment comes in, and it’s one of the most useful concepts in maritime law when the facts feel unfair and the contract language doesn’t neatly solve it.

We unpack how admiralty courts and maritime judges think about equity and restitution, and why unjust enrichment is often treated like a quasi-contract remedy. Using real yachting scenarios, we walk through parts supplied but not paid for, repairs performed without time for a work order, broker introductions that lead to a sale and then a commission fight, and the headaches that follow mistaken payments and missing funds. We also dig into change orders and scope creep, including why unsigned amendments are “playing with fire” for yards and managers when speed targets, delivery dates, or cost caps shift mid-project.

Then we get into the defenses, especially unclean hands. If the claimant’s own misconduct helped create the problem, courts may bar recovery, but the standard is high and the conduct has to relate to the dispute. We close with a vivid story about emergency help at sea in hurricane-force winds, the question of what a fair award looks like, and the practical reminder that collectability and time can matter as much as being right.

If you found this useful, subscribe so you don’t miss the next yacht law conversation, share the episode with someone headed into refit season, and leave a review to help other owners, brokers, and yards find it.

Have a yacht law question? Email it to info@megayachtnews.com or michael@moore-and-co.com for your chance to have it answered on our podcast. All requests for confidentiality and/or anonymity are respected.

Hiring a lawyer is a big decision. Visit Moore & Company for the legal team's qualifications and experience. And, to learn the latest about superyacht launches, shipyards, designs, and destinations, visit Megayacht News.

Text us your ideas and feedback!

Money now moves at the speed of a click, but the law is racing to catch up. We dive into the rise of worldwide freezing orders—born from the English Mareva injunction—and explore how a judge in one country can halt assets across borders, reshaping how major deals get done. From the chaotic rush of Russian privatization to Bill Browder’s campaign and the Magnitsky framework, we connect the dots between private remedies, public sanctions, and the new reality facing owners, buyers, banks, and brokers.

We break down the legal tests courts use—good arguable case, real risk of dissipation, and proportionality—and why most freezes are granted ex parte to prevent “hit send” asset flight. Then we turn to the real‑world fallout: yacht sales paused at the dock, liens colliding with clean‑looking titles, and the buyer’s nightmare where a $75M vessel becomes an “unlawfully dissipated asset.” Along the way, we examine sanctions lists across the U.S., U.K., and EU, how mismatches create compliance traps, and why service providers risk contempt if they facilitate transfers after notice.

We also tackle due process head‑on, contrasting constitutional concerns about pre‑judgment takings with maritime exceptions designed for assets that can simply sail away. The Phi yacht saga highlights how geopolitics and perception can shape enforcement even without a formal sanctions designation. Throughout, we share practical safeguards: multi‑jurisdiction sanctions checks at signing and pre‑funding, robust KYC and UBO verification, independent title reviews and flag‑state searches, escrow structures with clawbacks, and covenants that permit rapid exit if freezes hit mid‑deal.

If you navigate high‑value transactions—especially movable assets like yachts—this conversation offers clarity and concrete steps to reduce risk while the legal landscape evolves. Subscribe, share with a colleague who handles complex closings, and leave a review with the one question you want us to tackle next.

Have a yacht law question? Email it to info@megayachtnews.com or michael@moore-and-co.com for your chance to have it answered on our podcast. All requests for confidentiality and/or anonymity are respected.

Hiring a lawyer is a big decision. Visit Moore & Company for the legal team's qualifications and experience. And, to learn the latest about superyacht launches, shipyards, designs, and destinations, visit Megayacht News.