Partner: Joe Mays
Date of Birth: 28.10.66Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7050 102 713
Email: jem@maysbrown.com
Joe is one of the founding partners of Mays Brown.
He studied law at University College London and then, after Law School, joined Richards Butler as a Trainee Solicitor in 1989. He qualified into their shipping department in 1991 and, after 4 years, accepted an invitation to join More Fisher Brown in the summer of 1995.
Joe was made a partner at More Fisher Brown in 2000 and then left in order to set up Mays Brown in the summer of 2003.
In almost 20 years of practice as a shipping lawyer, Joe has specialised in disputes relating mainly to Charterparties, Bills of Lading, ship sale and purchases as well as substantial FFA disputes.
Joe acts for major P&I Clubs as well as Owners and operators worldwide handling everything from multi-million dollar disputes to isolated day to day queries.
His case load has covered matters such as:
- Issues arising from bankruptcy of contracting parties, including the re-negotiation of contracts and coordinating worldwide actions to secure claims.
- Safe port disputes/groundings.
- Piracy
- Crane collapses/breakdowns.
- Liquifaction of cargoes.
- Cargo damage/shortage/mis-delivery claims.
- Substantial disputes under FFA Contracts.
- Numerous off hire and demurrage disputes.
- He has conducted substantial London arbitrations, High Court actions and also handled several successful mediations.
Joe also regularly gives lectures and conducts workshops on shipping related issues.
Partner: Tony Brown
Date of Birth: 03.10.55Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7774 415 287
Email: adb@maysbrown.com
Tony is a founding partner of Mays Brown, together with Joe Mays.
General
After graduating in modern languages (French and German) and law from Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, Tony has worked as a shipping solicitor since 1981 (almost 30 years). In 1988 he was one of 5 partners who set up More Fisher Brown, having gained considerable experience before then at Richards Butler (now Reed Smith).
Areas of expertise
Commercial Shipping: handling and advising on disputes of all sizes, principally in charterparty, bill of lading and MOA matters;
Proceedings in London, Hong Kong and Singapore Arbitrations; recent cases include: LMAA, London – several claims arising from early redelivery under time charters, including the calculation of damages; substantial case involving non-performance by intermediate time chartered owner in chain arising from initial refusal to proceed to St Lawrence Seaway in winter; claim by owners arising from allegedly off-specification bunkers supplied to vessel; deductions from hire due to alleged crane deficiency; stoppage of work due to exercise of lien on cargo; Hong Kong – alleged shortage of cargo in China due to inaccurate draft readings, with Master signing under duress; Singapore – failure by owners to deliver vessel into time charter on rising market, substantial damages recovery on the basis of anticipated profit.
Proceedings in the High Court of Justice in London - recently involved in Gulf Agri Trade v. Aston Agro (GAFTA Appeal) [2008] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 67, The Bremen Max (LOI’s for delivery of cargo without bills of lading) [2009] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 81, The TS Singapore (off-hire/cancellation) [2009] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 54;
Extensive experience of negotiating settlement where required, whether direct or in mediation, including a 3 day settlement negotiation in Tianjin, PRC, with cargo interests on behalf of owners/their P&I Club;
Multi-jurisdictional disputes: working closely with overseas lawyers and assisting in substantive proceedings, as well as seeking to secure or enforce claims proceeding in London by means of arrest or asset attachment.
Other information
- Listed in Who’s Who Legal 2009.
- Listed in Legal Experts 2009.
- Formerly featured in Chambers UK.
- “Tony Brown is one of the founding partners of Mays Brown Solicitors and emerges from our research with nothing but praise.” (Who’s Who Legal 2008)
- Fluent French and German Speaker.
- Frequent lecturer and speaker on shipping and related matters in the UK, Germany, the Far East and North America, especially in-house with clients.
- Frequent writer of articles on recent cases considered to be of interest to shipowners and operators.
Partner: David Wartski
Date of Birth: 04.07.73Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7753 959 000
Email: dmw@maysbrown.com
Skype: davidwartski
David is dual qualified being admitted in both England and South Africa.
He started his career in shipping in 1997 at Deneys Reitz Inc in South Africa. In 2000 David emigrated to the UK and joined More Fisher Brown in London. Three years later he left that firm to set up Mays Brown as an assistant solicitor with Joe Mays and Tony Brown. In 2007 he became a partner at Mays Brown.
David specialises in shipping dispute resolution and litigation in Arbitration and the Commercial Court arising from charterparties, bills of lading, shipbuilding contracts, MOAs, and bunker supply contracts. He has also had considerable experience of cases involving distressed cargo and the ancillary issues involved.
Partner: Stephen Grainger
Date of Birth: 21.12.67Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7912 733 123
Email: sjg@maysbrown.com
Stephen studied law at the University of Wales and after travelling the world qualified as a solicitor in the shipping department of Norton Rose in 1993. Later that year Stephen joined the UK P&I and Defence Clubs where he spent six years handling P&I and FD&D claims primarily for the Club’s Greek and Turkish owner membership.
In 1999 Stephen returned to private practice as a shipping lawyer handling contentious and non-contentious shipping matters before joining the Charterers P&I Club in 2004 where he spent four years handling P&I and FD&D claims for the Club’s worldwide charterer membership.
In 2008 Stephen joined Mays Brown, becoming a partner in 2009.
With over 15 years experience as a solicitor and senior claims handler Stephen has dealt with a vast array of disputes for owners and charterers and dealt with hundreds of day to day queries and operational problems. Stephen has particular expertise in dealing with disputes arising under charterparties and bills of lading and in the conduct of London arbitrations.
Stephen acts for P&I Clubs and other P&I providers as well as owners, charterers, operators and traders worldwide. Stephen travels extensively and regularly presents papers on shipping related issues.
Laura Cashman
Date of Birth: 18.04.80Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7785 278 204
Email: lc@maysbrown.com
Laura studied law at Southampton University, graduating in 2002. She joined Steamship Mutual P&I Club in 2002, where she became a senior claims handler dealing with both P&I and FD&D claims for both Owners and Charterers.
She has dealt with the following types of matters:
- Cargo claims under Bs/L
- Cargo indemnity claims
- Off-hire and demurrage disputes
- Bunker quality disputes
- Fixed and floating object claims
- Contract review, with particular emphasis on identifying risks outside of the International Group Pooling Agreement.
Peter Gulvanessian
Date of Birth: 02.07.77Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7802 544 468
Email: pg@maysbrown.com
Peter qualified as a solicitor in January 2009.
Peter graduated from Newcastle University with a 2.1 in Combined Arts (ancient history and classical civilisation) in 1998. In September 1999, he completed an MA in International Studies at Durham University, which focused on public international law and international relations.
Following his completion of the CPE, with a commendation, and the LPC at the College of Law, London, Peter worked for 5 years at a law firm in the City of London in its litigation and business restructuring and insolvency departments. He has experience in major litigation, international arbitrations and litigation with a foreign law element.
Peter trained at a commercial litigation and shipping law firm. During his training contract he was exposed to, among other things, major Commercial Court litigation.
Peter acts for P&I Clubs, owners and operators. He has advised upon issues relating to cargo contamination, off-hire provisions, early delivery claims, claims against defendants in corporate rescue proceedings, demurrage claims and liaising with overseas lawyers in respect of securing ship arrests and obtaining security.
Ryan Sheward
Date of Birth: 25.05.82Mobile Telephone: +44 (0)7528 320 741
Email: res@maysbrown.com
Ryan is dual qualified being admitted in both England and South Africa.
He obtained his law degree from the University of Natal, South Africa and went on to complete his Masters in Maritime Studies in 2005. He then completed his Training Contract in Durban, qualifying as a lawyer in South Africa in 2006.
Ryan sat the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test in 2007 and subsequently joined Mays Brown in the winter of 2008.
Ryan acts for P&I Clubs, owners and operators. His case load has included issues concerning speed and consumption claims, safe port disputes, off hire claims, crane breakdowns, cargo damage and shortage claims.
Mark Beare
Email: mab@maysbrown.comMark obtained an LLB (Hons) Solicitors Exempting Degree from Northumbria University and has an Officer of the Watch (unlimited) seagoing Certificate of Competency. He has a total of six years' sailing experience up to the rank of 2nd Navigational officer where he sailed on a wide range of vessels including Tankers, Bulk Carriers and Offshore Supply Vessels.
Prior to joining Mays Brown Mark gained experience at the London P&I Club as a Claims Handler and then at MISC Berhad as a Post-Fixture Executive.
Mark began his training contract with Mays Brown in August 2012.
Joe Mays
Tony Brown
David Wartski
Stephen Grainger
Laura Cashman
Peter Gulvanessian
Ryan Sheward
Mark Beare
