Mays Brown

What Mays Brown does

Mays Brown Limited (operating as Mays Brown Solicitors) is a London-based boutique law firm specializing in shipping and maritime legal services. Founded around 2016 and registered in England and Wales, the firm operates from a City of London headquarters at 6 Gracechurch Street and a secondary office in Newcastle upon Tyne. Its core services span shipping dispute resolution (charterparties, bills of lading, MOAs, bunker contracts, FFAs) in LMAA, LCIA, ICC, GAFTA, and FOSFA arbitration and the English courts; admiralty and casualty work (collisions, groundings, fires, salvage, general average); shipbuilding and vessel sale transactions; and commodities and broking matters. The team of approximately 15 fee-earners includes partners, directors, senior associates, associates, and trainees, with differentiating expertise from Master Mariner-qualified lawyers holding unlimited STCW 95 command certificates and dual-qualified solicitors admitted in both England and South Africa.

The firm's client base is institutional and spans the maritime value chain: shipowners, operators, charterers, P&I Clubs, marine insurers and underwriters, banks, and shipyards. Engagement is direct, sales-led, and quote-based, with 24/7 casualty emergency response embedded as a core service differentiator. The firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (registration 615313) and registered with the ICO under GDPR (ZA334575). It has maintained ranked recognition in Chambers UK and Legal 500 for nearly a decade, with individual partner accolades for Joe Mays and David Wartski reinforcing the boutique's positioning as a credible alternative to larger City shipping practices.

In May 2026, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Mays Brown Limited through its Gallagher Bassett subsidiary, integrating the boutique into a global risk management and advisory platform under Manan Sagar, head of Gallagher Bassett's EMEA and Asia operations. The Mays Brown team continues to operate from its existing London and Newcastle offices, with casualty and admiralty practice in Newcastle led by Partner Andreas Welz. The acquisition gives the firm access to Gallagher Bassett's marine insurance, claims, and broader risk advisory distribution, while preserving its specialist maritime identity.

Name

Mays Brown

Legal name

Mays Brown Limited

Website

https://maysbrown.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mays Brown is a London-based boutique maritime law firm serving shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs, marine insurers, banks, and shipyards with shipping dispute resolution, admiralty/casualty work, shipbuilding contracts, and commodities advisory across London and Newcastle offices.

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Revenue: Mays Brown generates revenue through professional legal services billed to corporate and institutional clients in the maritime and shipping industry, including shipowners, operators, charterers, P&I clubs, insurers, and shipyards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Mays Brown Solicitors is a London-based boutique law firm that provides specialized shipping and maritime legal services to corporate and institutional clients. Its core offerings include dispute resolution through London arbitration (LMAA, LCIA, ICC, GAFTA, FOSFA) and English court litigation, drafting and negotiation of charterparties, bills of lading, MOAs, bunker contracts, FFAs and COAs, admiralty and casualty work (collisions, general average, salvage), shipbuilding and vessel sale-and-purchase transactions, and commodities and trade dispute work.

Product overview

Mays Brown Solicitors is a boutique maritime law firm offering a unified suite of specialized shipping and maritime legal services. The firm operates through interconnected practice areas: Shipping Dispute Resolution (charterparties, bills of lading, MOAs, FFAs, bunker contracts in arbitration and English courts), Admiralty and Casualty Services (collisions, fires, groundings, salvage, general average), Shipbuilding and Transaction Services (vessel sale and purchase, shipbuilding contracts, management agreements), and Commodities and Trade Services (insolvency, broking). All services are delivered through the firm's London headquarters and Newcastle office, with a team of dual-qualified solicitors and Master Mariner-qualified lawyers providing 24/7 coverage for clients including shipowners, operators, charterers, P&I clubs, insurers, underwriters, banks, and shipyards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shipping Dispute Resolution Services Legal representation handling the full range of shipping disputes in London arbitration, English courts and mediation, including worldwide action to secure or enforce claims and obtain or preserve evidence, for shipowners, operators, charterers, P&I Clubs, insurers and other maritime clients.
• Charterparty and Contract Services Commercial legal assistance for drafting and negotiating shipping-related contracts including charterparties, bills of lading, MOAs, bunker supply contracts, FFAs, offshore supply contracts, and contracts of affreightment (COAs), for owners, charterers, operators and trading companies.
• Admiralty and Casualty Services Specialized legal services covering admiralty and casualty matters including collisions, shipboard fires, groundings, general average, salvage and related emergency response for owners, operators, insurers and P&I Clubs.
• Shipbuilding and Transaction Services Legal services for shipbuilding contracts, vessel sale and purchase agreements (VSAs), guarantees, insurance arrangements, management agreements and limitation proceedings, for shipyards, owners, banks and other transactional maritime clients.
• Commodities and Trade Services Legal services addressing commodities disputes, insolvency matters and broking agreements for trading companies and commodities houses, often handled through GAFTA, FOSFA and LMAA arbitration.
• Casualty and Admiralty Practice Differentiated 24/7 casualty response and admiralty practice led by Master Mariner-qualified lawyers, handling collisions, shipboard fires, groundings, salvage and general average matters for owners, operators and their insurers worldwide.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gallagher BassettcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Mays Brown through its subsidiary Gallagher Bassett. Mays Brown operates as a boutique maritime law firm under Gallagher Bassett's direction, with the team continuing to operate under Manan Sagar, head of Gallagher Bassett's Europe, Middle East and Asia operations. The acquisition strengthens Gallagher Bassett's marine and legal capabilities.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Parent company Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Mays Brown Limited through its Gallagher Bassett subsidiary in May 2026. The acquisition adds specialized shipping and maritime legal expertise to the parent company's risk and advisory services, expanding capabilities across human capital and complex sector risks.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Campbell Johnston Clark: London-based boutique shipping and commodities law firm founded by former Ince & Co partners. Closest direct comparable to Mays Brown as a similarly sized London boutique focused exclusively on maritime disputes, charterparty work, and commodities.
• Quadrant Chambers: London-based barristers' chambers specializing in shipping, commodities, and commercial disputes. Operates as referral counsel to firms like Mays Brown for advocacy in LMAA arbitration and Commercial Court matters, making it a closely linked professional peer in the maritime legal ecosystem.
• Ince & Co: Historic London-based shipping law firm with longstanding practice in charterparty disputes, admiralty, and casualty work. Comparable to Mays Brown in maritime focus and London-centric boutique-style practice, though larger and more internationally distributed.
• Hill Dickinson: UK-headquartered shipping and marine law firm with strong London and Liverpool presence serving P&I clubs, owners, and charterers. Most directly comparable to Mays Brown as a focused UK shipping practice with similar client mix and dispute resolution expertise.

Broad incumbents

• Stephenson Harwood: City firm with a strong shipping and international trade practice covering disputes, transactional, and finance work. Overlaps with Mays Brown on charterparty disputes, commodities, and shipbuilding matters but offers a broader full-service platform.
• Watson Farley & Williams: International law firm with a recognized shipping and maritime finance practice serving owners, charterers, and financiers. Comparable to Mays Brown on contentious shipping work and maritime transactions, with greater scale and European/Asian office footprint.
• Clyde & Co: One of the largest global shipping and marine law practices with deep relationships across P&I clubs, owners, and charterers. Directly comparable to Mays Brown on maritime dispute resolution and casualty work, but operates at vastly greater scale with offices worldwide.
• Reed Smith: Global law firm with a substantial shipping and marine practice handling disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters. Comparable to Mays Brown on maritime dispute work but operates across multiple practice areas and geographies.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global full-service firm with a major shipping practice (Stephen Grainger, a Mays Brown partner, trained in Norton Rose's shipping department). Comparable in handling charterparty disputes, bills of lading matters, and broader maritime work, though vastly larger.
• Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW): Major international shipping and commodities law firm with leading London maritime practice handling charterparty disputes, casualty matters, and shipbuilding work. Comparable in service offering to Mays Brown but with substantially larger headcount and global office network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mays-brown-solicitors

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Mays Brown