BIOGRAPHY

As a member of the firm’s Shipping and Admiralty Department, O’Neal Webster associate Hermia Tench brings practical and legal experience in the global maritime industry and British Virgin Islands law to her practice. From private yachts and small cruise ships to commercial vessels, tankers, bulk carriers, mega-yachts, and charters, she assists private and public vessel owners, operators, agents, shipbuilders, and charterparties in the full complement of their maritime needs, including ship registration, sales, purchases, and financing. She advises on regulations and other matters pertaining to cruising Virgin Islands waters and represents clients in claims enforcement and liabilities, liens, ship arrests, and collisions. Her knowledge extends to ship building contracts, post contractual procedural legal matters, types of mortgage and financing arrangements, and obligations of and contracts for charterparties, both owners and charterers.

Prior to joining O’Neal Webster, Hermia gained experience handling private vessel operational matters in the BVI and served for time in the BVI Attorney General Chambers, advising on public law maritime matters, mutual legal relation requests, and other general counsel advice. After completing the masters of law program at the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta, she was engaged by the Virgin Islands Shipping Administration to support and advise on issues impacting ship registrations, maritime policies and notices, and audit findings.

Hermia is a member of Women in Maritime Association Caribbean.

RECENT ARTICLES

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  BVI Government Amends the BVI Charter Acts, in Effect June 1, 2025

  The Government of the Virgin Islands has amended the Commercial Recreational Vessels Licensing Act, 1992 (the CRVL), the Cruise and Home Port Permit Act, 2001 (the CHPP), and the Customs Management an... Read More

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  Virgin Islands Shipping Registry to Become a Statutory Body

  The Virgin Islands Shipping and Maritime Authority Act, 2023 successfully received assent on October 16, 2023. It is now imminent that The Virgin Islands Shipping Registry will become independent of t... Read More

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  UN General Assembly Adopts Convention on the International Effect of Judicial Sales of Ships

  The United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships on 7 December 2022. The Convention looks to ensure certainty on an international s... Read More

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  ADMIRALTY SNAPSHOT: Ship Mortgage Registration in the British Virgin Islands

  Overview: Ship Mortgage Registration in the British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands recognizes a ship mortgage as a charge or encumbrance attached to a vessel as a security, guaranteeing th... Read More