Quentin Bargate

Spear’s Review

With a background in maritime law and commercial shipping work, Quentin Bargate’s focus on superyachts developed naturally.

‘What led me into doing superyacht-related work were my clients – they bought superyachts and I followed,’ says Bargate, who founded luxury asset law firm Bargate Murray in 2004. 

He explains that the emergence of the superyacht industry coincided with ‘the arrival of HNW and UHNW individuals as a group in their own right’.

As superyachts are complicated vessels, Bargate advises clients on potential legal issues. His work is mostly transactional, but also includes resolving complex disputes. He advises on purchases and construction agreements (such as a recent $200 million new-build contract) as well as taxation and cross-border issues, from crewing agreements and insurance coverage to flagging.

Adviser Profile

Quentin Bargate qualified as a solicitor in 1981 and has since spent his entire career in top City of London law firms, including running his own highly regarded firm, Bargate Murray, where he is head of the firm’s Superyacht and Dispute Resolution Groups as well as being the firm’s CEO. 

With over 45 years of experience, Bargate is an influential and highly respected figure in the industry. A trusted adviser to UHNW individuals, family offices and international corporations, he advises on all aspects of ownership, acquisition and disposal of luxury assets. His niche specialism stemmed from a background in maritime law and commercial shipping work.

Bargate has a wide range of expertise, from construction of new build yachts to their sale and purchase, as well as in the prevention and resolution of disputes. He has achieved considerable success acting for clients in arbitrations and commercial disputes. Many of these disputes leverage Bargate’s litigation experience as an arbitrator, party representative and advocate.

Bargate is a member of the Baltic Exchange and the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands yacht advisory committee. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), reflecting his background as a leader in dispute resolution. He is a member of the LMAA, the Nautical Institute and the Royal Thames Yacht Club, and is a Freeman of the City of London. One of the defining features of Bargate Murray’s practice is its utmost discretion for clients. This, combined with its range of expertise, explains the success that the Firm has enjoyed retaining clients for many years. Bargate says: ‘The long-term interests of every client are always at the forefront of the minds of every member of the firm.’