About Me | My Website

I was born in England in 1950. After an education at Barking Abbey Grammar School, I joined Bennett & Co in the City of London as a trainee average adjuster.

In 1972 Bennett & Co was taken over by the long established firm of average adjusters, Wm. Elmslie & Son, I was fortunate to be seconded to Stevens Elmslie & Co in Hong Kong for a period during 1972. I was equally fortunate to be invited to take the very stringent examinations of the Association of Average Adjusters and thus became a qualified average adjuster and was admitted into the partnership of Wm. Elmslie & Son in 1978.

During the 1970s, I and a colleague were responsible for developing adjusting and claim consultancy services in relation to the oil & gas industry and its insurers.

Further details of my career are presented below.

Interests outside marine claims include astronomy, restoring agricultural machinery and model railways.

Career History

Sept. 1998 / Present: Harvey Ashby Limited - Director
Involved in the adjustment of marine and offshore oil & gas claims and providing advice to clients concerning claims and insurance policy wordings.

Aug. 1990 / Aug. 1998: INDECS Limited - Director
Responsible for establishing and developing INDECS' average adjusting portfolio and advising clients with regard to claims and policy wordings in the oil & gas and marine sectors.

Jan. 1988 / Aug. 1990: Elmslie Toplis - CEO
Responsible for the marine adjusting and surveying activities of the Toplis & Harding Group as well as adjusting marine and offshore oil & gas claims.

May 1978 / Jan. 1988: Wm. Elmslie $ Son - Partner
Involved in the adjustment of all varieties of marine claims and playing a prominent role in the development of claims consultancy services to clients in the oil & gas and petrochemical industries.

Feb. 1972 / May 1978: Wm. Elmslie & Son - Adjuster (May/October 1972 seconded to Stevens Elmslie & Co, Hong Kong)
Involved in the adjustment of all varieties of marine insurance claims and general average.

Feb. 1969 / Feb. 1972: Bennett & Co - Adjuster
Involved in the adjustment of hall and machinery claims, cargo claims and general average.

Professional Achievements

Fellow of the Association of Average Adjusters since 1978 - Served as Chairman 2004/05.
Member of Association Mondiale de Dispacheurs (AMD - The International Association of Average Adjusters) - Served as President 2013/15.
Member of the CMI International Working Group on General Average.
Co-Author with Geoffrey Hudson of The York-Antwerp Rules - The Principals and Practice of General Average Adjustment (3rd & 4th Editions - 2010 & 2018).
Served on the Joint Hull Committee sub-committee tasked with drafting the International Hull Clauses 2002 & 2003.
Chairman of the IMCC committee to develop Claims Handling Guidelines - 2005/09.
Member of the Advisory and Dispute Resolution Panel of the Association of Average Adjusters.
Papers include:

"A tale of blocked pipes, fly tipping, acid, Degas and an alcoholic beverage" - Delivered at the general meeting of the Association of Average adjusters, May 2005.
"Communication is the Key" - Delivered at the International Marine Claims Conference, September 2004.

Conferences / Presentations

Speaker at RIMS (US) Conferences in 1980 & 1982.
Tutor for Norwegian Shipowners Association in 1982.
Speaker at Canadian RIMS Conferences in 1986 & 1988.
Speaker at Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand Dinner in 2001.
Speaker at IMCC (International marine Claims Conference), Dublin 2004.
Speaker at Lloyd's Maritime Academy General Average Seminar - 2015 & 2016.
Speaker Salvage & Wreck Conference Tutorial Day - London 2015.
Webinars for IUMI on the practical aspects of General Average - 2017.
Seminar on insurance principals and the energy Welcar wording - UAE 2018.

Harvey Ashby Limited

St Andrew’s Castle, 33 St Andrew’s Street South, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3PH, UK
Telephone: +44 1206 689500 Mobile: +44 7801 232937 Email: mharvey@harvey-ashby.co.uk