Francesco Berlingieri is a leading authority on Shipping Law. He is the President ad honorem of the Comite Maritime International.

• Legal nature of the time-bar period; time-bar periods in respect of various types of maritime claims; when the time-bar period commences to run; tort claims; collision, pollution, other damage to the environment, damage to third parties at sea or ashore, damage to the salved ship during salvage operations; contract claims - shipbuilding and ship repairs, supplies to ship, agency agreements, terminal operations, contracts of affreightment, loss of or damage to cargo, contracts of carriage of passengers; death of or personal injury to passengers, insurance, reinsurance, general average, salvage; time-bar periods for securities; mortgages and hypotheques, maritime liens, possessory and other liens, other charges; suspension and interruption of the time-bar periods; part contents.