The Legal 500

5TH FLOOR, 20-22 CURTAIN ROAD, LONDON, EC2A 3NF, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7375 1393
Fax:
Fax 020 7392 9529
Web:
www.bargatemurray.com
Email:

This central London firm has a strong reputation for commercial litigation, notably complex and high-value cases including cross-border matters. A range of company and commercial services are provided, from employment to shipping, with niche expertise in superyachts.

The firm: Bargate Murray has always been an exclusively business and commercial practice since it was founded in 2004 by Quentin Bargate. It has expanded to three partners and two associates, and benefits from a reputation for technical competence combined with the highest standards of professional service and client care. More than 75% of its work by value is currently carried out for overseas clients and languages spoken at the firm include Armenian, Creole, French, German, Russian and Ukrainian.

Clients include multinationals in the UK, North America and Europe, as well as entrepreneurs, investors, SMEs and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The partners are recognised as leading experts in their fields and are regularly quoted in the national and international media.

Types of work undertaken: The firm specialises in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Members include an accredited mediator. Where litigation is required, Bargate Murray provides expertise across all levels of the court system including injunctions and other urgent action, company and shareholder disputes, contract disputes, trade, insurance and shipping matters, property issues, international cross-border litigation, defamation and libel, banking, employment, financial litigation and debt collection.

The firm is one of the world’s foremost superyacht specialists, with a reputation for confidentiality established over many years. Through drafting, negotiation and analysis, Bargate Murray facilitates the sale, maintenance, purchase and construction of large luxury yachts, assisting high-net-worth individuals, as well as yards. Experience includes yacht construction agreements, conversion and repair agreements, crew agreements, contracts with professionals such as architects and designers, bank and other finance arrangements, performance guarantees, project management agreements, choice of flag and registration, corporate issues and ownership structures and dispute resolution.

Commercial services include all types of complex national and international trade agreements including: international sale of goods sold on FOB, CIF and C&F. Letters of credit and other financial instruments. Corporate expertise includes all aspects of setting up businesses, sale and purchase of companies, businesses and assets, partnerships, limited partnerships and LLPs, venture capital transactions (including finance), agreements between shareholders, subscribers for shares and other investors, joint ventures, terms and conditions of business, corporate governance and management, and relationships.

General shipping expertise includes charterparty, bill of lading disputes and cargo claims, arrest of ships internationally and claims arising, international sale of goods contracts, ship sale and purchase, including mortgaging, cargo shortlanding and damage claims. Flagging and registration, joint ownership agreements, bulk and containerised cargos, marine insurance and oil and its transportation.

Employment is a notable specialism, both contentious and non-contentious, including HR support services for SMEs and multinationals, Employment Tribunal advice (with notable expertise in Employment Appeal Tribunal work), work place mediation, in-house employment law training, employment contracts, service agreements, consultancy agreements, injunctions, enforcement of restrictive covenants, exit arrangements for senior executives, religious discrimination and redundancy advice. Employment matters are handled particularly in the construction, charity, engineering, fashion, financial services, legal, media, recruitment and technology sectors.

Banking expertise includes asset finance, asset sales and purchases, trade finance techniques, capital markets and securitisation, as well as plain-vanilla banking.

Bargate Murray expects to strengthen its teams in dispute resolution, litigation and employment to meet growing demand for its services.

Breakdown of work %
Commercial litigation/dispute resolution 35
Superyachts 25
Company/commercial 15
Employment 15
Shipping (excluding yachts) 10

Number of UK partners 3
Number of other UK fee-earners 5

Above material supplied by Bargate Murray.

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW
  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW
  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW
  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.