Our Approach

International luxury asset and superyacht law firm

Bargate Murray is a specialist English law firm based in Mayfair, London. Founded in 2004, the firm advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, shipyards, yacht managers and other industry professionals on superyacht transactions, projects and disputes. It is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and operates as an Alternative Business Structure.
Superyacht work lies at the centre of the practice. The firm advises on construction, sale and purchase, refit and conversion, finance, ownership structures, regulation, crewing, insurance, tax and dispute resolution. Matters are frequently international, requiring coordination between the English law contract, the ownership jurisdiction, the flag state, the place of construction and the jurisdictions in which the yacht will be used.
For a new-build client, the firm provides a single point of legal coordination from the first commercial discussions through construction and delivery. The approach is director-led, practical and discreet. The objective is to protect the owner’s investment, make responsibilities clear across the project team and resolve issues before they threaten the timetable or the working relationship with the yard.

Successfully Completed Projects

• Experience on many new builds over 70 metres, including projects with individual values above EUR 200 million.
• Advised on a EUR 200 million new-build contract for an award-winning superyacht.
• Experience acting for both owners and shipyards, giving the team a practical understanding of the commercial pressures on each side of a build contract.
• Particular expertise in yacht-building disputes, supported by a wider international arbitration and litigation practice.

Why Clients Instruct Bargate Murray
The firm combines focused superyacht experience with a direct service from senior lawyers. The team works closely with family offices, project managers, captains, designers, naval architects, financiers, insurers, tax advisers and counsel in other jurisdictions. Advice is designed to be usable by the project team and to support timely decisions rather than add unnecessary process.
Confidentiality is fundamental. Many of the firm’s largest transactions and disputes cannot be identified publicly, and the firm does not publicise clients or matters without authority.

Legal Support Throughout a New Build
Initial project strategy: Review of the proposed yard, governing law, ownership and finance structure, letter of intent, confidentiality arrangements, exclusivity and the route to the definitive build contract.
Construction contract: Drafting and negotiation of the agreement, with careful attention to its interface with the specification, general arrangement, project programme and class and flag requirements.
Payments and security: Stage payment profile, evidence of milestones, title to the yacht and materials, refund guarantees, performance guarantees, parent company support, insurance and protection against yard insolvency.
Time quality and remedies: Delivery dates, permissible delay, liquidated damages, termination rights, quality standards, inspection, tests, trials, acceptance and warranty obligations.
Variations: A workable procedure for owner changes and yard changes, including price, programme and specification consequences and appropriate credits for time or cost savings.
Project team contracts: Appointment of the project manager, naval architect, designer, build captain, technical consultants, outfitters and major suppliers, with aligned duties, deliverables, intellectual property rights and confidentiality obligations.
Ownership finance and registration: Coordination of the owning entity, funding and security arrangements, flag and registration, VAT and customs advice and operational planning with specialist advisers where required.
Delivery and operation: Closing arrangements, acceptance documentation, registration, transfer of title, insurance, crew and management arrangements and post-delivery warranty support.
Issues and disputes: Early advice on delay, payment, variation, workmanship, specification and technical disagreements, together with mediation, arbitration or litigation where necessary.

Example Superyacht Services

• Sale and purchase agreements for yachts, tenders and support vessels.
• Major refit, extension, conversion and repair agreements.
• Bank and private finance, security and collateral arrangements.
• Flagging, registration, regulatory compliance and Maritime Labour Convention advice.
• Yacht management, charter, crew and seafarer employment agreements.
• Insurance, tax and customs matters, coordinated with specialist advisers where appropriate.

International Coordination
Bargate Murray has an established international network of lawyers and specialist advisers. The firm remains responsible for the English law work and overall legal coordination while obtaining focused local advice on matters such as yard jurisdiction, title and insolvency, corporate ownership, tax, customs, finance, flag and registration.

Dispute Resolution Strength
The Dispute Resolution Group is led by Quentin Bargate, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators who regularly sits in maritime arbitrations under LMAA Terms. The team acts in arbitration, mediation and English court proceedings and has particular experience of construction and technical disputes. This experience helps the transactional team identify weak points before signature and deal with issues promptly during the build.

Leadership
Quentin Bargate, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, heads the Superyacht and Dispute Resolution Groups. He qualified as a solicitor in 1981 and was formerly a partner and Head of the International Trade and Shipping Group at Simmons & Simmons. He remains personally involved in the principal legal and strategic decisions on major projects.

Independent Recognition
Chambers and Partners High Net Worth guide 2026 ranks Bargate Murray in Band 3 for Yachts and Superyachts globally. The firm has been ranked in the category for eleven years. Quentin Bargate is also ranked in Band 3 as Head of Yachts and Superyachts.

“Bargate Murray handle complex matters with clarity and steadiness.”
Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide 2026

“Their documentation is precise and workable in the real world.”
Chambers High Net Worth 2026