What Roose+Partners does

Roose+Partners is a UK boutique law firm, founded in 2012 and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 566034), that provides specialist maritime legal services from offices in London (40 Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0BT) and Liverpool (Exchange Court, Dale Street). The firm's core offering spans shipping casualty incident resolution, port and terminal disputes, salvage law, general average security, cargo claims recovery, bill of lading and charterparty contract interpretation, international shipping convention advice, and insurance policy coverage analysis. It is built around a 24-hour emergency response capability that positions the firm as a first-call advisor when major maritime incidents occur. The firm's underlying technology is minimal — a WordPress-based marketing website and standard professional indemnity arrangements (qualifying insurer: Travelers, accessed via Cavendish Munro) — and it competes entirely on human expertise rather than platform or tooling advantages.

The firm targets enterprise clients exclusively in the marine insurance vertical, comprising major marine insurers, major broking houses, and the insureds of those insurers and brokers. It is recognised by Chambers as a well-regarded boutique firm specialising in cargo matters and cargo insurance recovery, and has been involved in several of the highest-profile container shipping casualties of recent years, including the EVER GIVEN Suez Canal blockage (2021), the DALI / Baltimore bridge incident, the SOLONG / STENA IMMACULATE collision (March 2025), and the 2024 Asian container ship fire cluster (NORTHERN JUVENILE, MAERSK FRANKFURT, YM MOBILITY). The go-to-market is direct partner-led engagement with institutional buyers, supported by emergency response availability and directory reputation rather than broad marketing spend.

The business model is professional services law firm economics: fee-earning work delivered by four partners (Philip Roose, Phil James, Mark Meredith, Tom Langley) plus a consultant, associate, legal assistant, casualty specialist, COO, and support staff — a 14-person team. Revenue, fee structures, and partner profitability are not publicly disclosed, and the firm operates as an independent private partnership with no parent company, institutional investors, or external capital. Pricing is described as "innovative" within the sector but no tiered rates are public, and the model inherently relies on episodic, high-value mandates tied to the global casualty pipeline rather than recurring volume.

Name

Roose+Partners

Legal name

Roose+Partners

Website

https://roosemarinelaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roose+Partners is a UK boutique maritime law firm (London and Liverpool) advising major marine insurers, broking houses, and their insureds on shipping casualty incidents, salvage, general average, cargo claims, and policy coverage, with 24-hour emergency response.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Provides specialist maritime legal services including resolution of shipping casualty incidents, port and terminal disputes, salvage law, general average matters, bill of lading and charterparty contract interpretation, international shipping conventions advice, and policy coverage issues. The firm states its fee schemes are some of the most innovative in the sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Roose+Partners is a specialist maritime law firm delivering legal advisory services to major marine insurers, broking houses, and their insureds. Its core work covers the resolution of complex, high-value shipping casualty incidents and port and terminal disputes, including salvage law, General Average, cargo claims recovery, Bill of Lading and Charterparty interpretation, international shipping convention advice, and insurance policy coverage issues, supported by a 24-hour emergency response line.

Product overview

Roose+Partners is a maritime law firm offering a unified suite of legal services rather than a technology product platform. The core offering encompasses shipping casualty resolution, salvage law, General Average services, cargo claims advisory, Bill of Lading and Charterparty interpretation, insurance policy coverage advice, and 24-hour emergency response services. The firm serves major marine insurers, broking houses, and their insureds internationally, with offices in London and Liverpool. Their innovative fee schemes support the sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maritime Law Services Specialist maritime legal advisory covering the resolution of complex, high-profile, high-value shipping casualty incidents and port and terminal disputes for major marine insurers, broking houses, and their insureds internationally.
• Salvage Law Advisory
• Cargo Claims and Insurance Recovery
• Bill of Lading and Charterparty Advisory Interpretation of Bill of Lading and Charterparty contracts alongside advice on international shipping conventions.
• 24-Hour Emergency Casualty Response 24-hour emergency response service providing immediate legal support for maritime casualty situations, with a dedicated emergency contact line for clients.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Travelers (Qualifying Insurer)coreOthersTravelers is the qualifying insurer for the firm under SRA Indemnity Insurance Rules. Insurance covers practice carried out from offices in England and Wales and extends to acts or omissions worldwide. Insurer is accessed via Cavendish Munro Professional Risks Limited.
• Cavendish Munro Professional Risks LimitedminorOthersInsurance broker facilitating access to Travelers professional indemnity coverage for the firm.
• Legal OmbudsmancoreOthersIndependent complaints handling body for legal services. Designated complaints body for clients meeting eligibility criteria.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ince & Co: Historic London-based shipping and maritime law firm with deep cargo and casualty expertise. Direct peer in maritime legal services serving insurers, P&I clubs and shipowners, though currently restructuring after financial difficulties.
• Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW): International law firm with a top-tier shipping, commodities and marine insurance practice headquartered in London. Closely comparable offering in casualty work, cargo claims and charterparty disputes, though operating at much larger scale.
• Clyde & Co: Global law firm with one of the world's leading shipping and marine insurance practices, including major casualty response. Directly comparable as maritime legal counsel to insurers, brokers and shipowners; broader international footprint than Roose+Partners.
• Stephenson Harwood: London-based international law firm with a well-known shipping and marine insurance practice. Direct peer in casualty, cargo and charterparty work for major marine insurers and shipping clients.
• Campbell Johnston Clark: London boutique maritime law firm with deep specialization in shipping disputes, casualty and marine insurance. Closest true comparable to Roose+Partners by virtue of similar boutique scale and pure-play maritime focus.
• Hill Dickinson: UK law firm with a substantial shipping and marine insurance group based in Liverpool and London. Directly comparable in maritime casualty, cargo claims and marine insurance work for a similar institutional client base.
• Watson Farley & Williams: International law firm with a strong maritime, shipping and offshore practice. Comparable as advisor to shipowners, financiers and insurers on complex shipping matters including casualty response.

Broad incumbents

• Reed Smith: Global law firm with an established shipping and marine insurance group. Adjacent competitor for marine insurance and casualty mandates, though shipping is one of many practices within a much larger full-service firm.

Others

• Gard: Leading marine insurance provider (P&I and marine) headquartered in Norway. Comparable as a key marine insurance institutional client base that engages specialist maritime legal counsel for casualty and claims work.
• Standard Club (Standard Club Management Ltd): Major P&I (protection and indemnity) mutual insurer serving shipowners and charterers. Comparable ecosystem participant — a key institutional client type that Roose+Partners serves, though not a law firm itself.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roose-partners

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roose+Partners