Keates Ferris

Keates Ferris is a specialist law firm with a long history of advising on maritime, marine insurance, and international trade law. Our lawyers have a wealth of experience in their field, with three of our partners having seagoing experience. We take a personal approach to understanding our clients' needs and goals, providing tailored legal services that meet their specific requirements.

Our Services

Our services encompass a wide range of maritime and marine insurance law matters, including:

Dry Shipping Dispute Resolution

We provide dispute resolution services for disputes related to dry shipping, including charterparty disputes, cargo claims, and non-delivery claims.

Marine Insurance

Our expertise includes provision of insurance services for shipowners, charterers, and cargo owners, as well as handling claims for marine insurance companies and their insured.

Admiralty Law

We offer expert advice on admiralty law, including collision claims, salvage, and unsafe port claims, making us a preferred choice for clients seeking guidance in these complex areas of law.

Commodity Trading

Our lawyers are knowledgeable regarding commodity trading, including advising on export and import transactions, and providing guidance on commodities such as oil, gas, and minerals.

Yachts

We provide specialist advice on yachts and superyachts, including newbuilding, sale and purchase, registration, supply of services and goods, and refit and repair.

Our lawyers have significant experience in the yachting industry, having acted for many different entities dealing with both contentious and non-contentious aspects of yacht ownership.

Team

Our lawyers are highly qualified and have a wealth of experience in their specialist areas of law. Meet our team:

Andrew Keates

Andrew is a solicitor with over 40 years of experience in shipping litigation, particularly charterparty and cargo claims. He holds a degree in law and has seagoing experience.

Mike Stevens

Mike is a solicitor and master mariner with 12 years of experience at sea and over 30 years of experience in maritime law. He has handled many collision, salvage, and unsafe port claims for owners, P&I Clubs, and hull underwriters.

Jonathan Kemp

Jonathan is a solicitor and former navigating officer in the Royal Navy. He specialises in maritime dispute resolution, particularly in relation to bulk and food products, and also shipbuilding and other maritime commercial contracts.

Patrick Rodier

Patrick is a consultant to Keates Ferris, bringing significant expertise in corporate organisation, mergers and acquisitions, project finance, and management structures and agreements. He is fluent in French and has worked extensively with international clients.

Our Offices

We have offices in the City of London and Newcastle upon Tyne. Our lawyers are experienced in navigating the complexities of maritime and international trade law and are committed to providing exceptional legal services to our clients.