Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is a Bristol-based independent insurance broker that arranges professional indemnity (PI) insurance for firms throughout the United Kingdom, including those based in Southampton and across the Solent region. We do not maintain an office in Southampton. Our service model uses telephone, video, email and secure document exchange, which means Southampton-based clients work directly with the broker handling their account rather than through a regional branch.
We work with professional firms whose income depends on advice, designs, calculations, valuations, surveys or technical reports issued to clients. Many Southampton clients are drawn from the maritime, marine engineering and wider port-related economy, but we also support more traditional professional firms — accountants, surveyors, architects and consultancies — operating along the south coast. Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), firm reference 724952.
If you would prefer to speak to a broker rather than complete an online form, you can call us on 0117 325 0027 or email info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk. Initial conversations are free, and we will explain what information we need before approaching the market on your behalf.
Southampton's professional services sector
Southampton's economy is shaped by the water. Associated British Ports owns and operates the Port of Southampton, which is one of the United Kingdom's principal commercial deep-water ports and the country's busiest cruise terminal. Carnival UK is headquartered in the city, supporting a deep pool of cruise operations, technical, regulatory and crewing professionals. The Port itself underpins logistics, customs, agency, surveying and marine consultancy businesses based throughout the city and the wider Solent.
Maritime engineering and marine assurance have a long history in Southampton. Lloyd's Register has a presence in the city, and the marine and offshore engineering consultancy community draws on naval architects, marine surveyors, marine warranty surveyors and master mariners working on commercial shipping, superyachts, defence and offshore renewables. The University of Southampton is a research-intensive institution with notable strength in engineering, computer science, electronics and ocean and earth science. The National Oceanography Centre, co-located with the University, anchors significant oceanographic and marine science work, which in turn supports specialist environmental and marine consultancies in the surrounding area.
Southampton also has a notable aerospace heritage — historically through Supermarine and the wider Vickers group — which continues today through aerospace and defence engineering consultancies linked to the broader Solent and south coast defence cluster. Adanac Park is home to Ordnance Survey's national headquarters, providing a strong cluster of geospatial, surveying and data professionals. Naval shipbuilding, although now concentrated at BAE Systems' Portsmouth operations rather than Southampton itself, draws additional consultancy and supply-chain activity into the Solent area.
Outside the maritime economy, Southampton has a healthy population of chartered accountants, tax advisers, independent financial advisers, solicitors and chartered surveyors serving owner-managed businesses, the residential property market and the commercial real estate around the city and along the M27 corridor. All of these disciplines carry the kinds of PI exposure that benefit from broker-led placement rather than templated cover.
PI insurance for Southampton-based professional firms
A naval architect signing off on a yacht structural design, a marine warranty surveyor attending a heavy-lift load-out and a chartered accountant signing audit accounts have very different PI profiles. We work with each client to identify exposures that actually matter, including:
- Marine engineering and naval architect PI, including cover for design, supervision and survey work on commercial shipping, superyachts and offshore assets
- Marine warranty survey and master mariner consultancy PI, with attention to towage, heavy-lift and project cargo work
- Port, logistics and customs consultancy PI, including freight forwarding and supply-chain advisory
- Surveyor PI for chartered surveyors active on commercial port estate, mixed-use redevelopment and the Solent residential market
- Architect and engineering PI for consultancies working on Solent waterfront and city-centre projects
- Accountancy and tax PI, including cover for audit work, R&D tax advice and HMRC enquiry handling
- Technology errors and omissions for software and electronics consultancies linked to the maritime, defence and geospatial economy
For marine and maritime professionals in particular, contract terms imposed by ship owners, charterers, P&I clubs and large yard operators can sit some way outside a standard PI wording. We review the wording of liability, indemnity and limitation clauses before placement, and we explain where a clause is unusual or potentially uninsurable.
How Apex serves Southampton firms
Because our office is in Bristol rather than Southampton, the resources we would otherwise spend on a branch network go into the people and systems supporting client accounts. In practice, Southampton-based clients typically experience the following:
- A single named broker handles your account from quotation through renewal and any mid-term adjustments
- Initial discussions are usually held by video, which most clients prefer to a round trip across the south of England
- Where an in-person meeting is useful, we travel to your office; we do not charge for travel within mainland Great Britain
- Proposal forms, market presentations and policy documents are handled electronically through secure channels
- Claims notifications are passed to insurers immediately, and we stay involved throughout the life of the claim
Apex is independent and is not tied to any single insurer. We approach the UK PI market on your behalf, including Lloyd's syndicates and company markets that write marine, engineering, construction and financial professional risks. Where a risk is harder to place — for example, a marine consultancy with US contract exposure or a defence-adjacent firm with security-sensitive work — we will explain the position openly rather than turning away the enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Southampton?
No. Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is based at 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ, and we do not operate a Southampton office. We serve Southampton and Solent clients remotely by telephone, email and video, and we travel to client premises where an in-person meeting adds value.
Are you authorised to advise Southampton firms?
Yes. We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference 724952. The FCA's permissions apply across the United Kingdom, so we can advise firms based in Southampton and throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Do you understand marine and maritime PI requirements?
Yes. Naval architect PI, marine engineering consultancy errors and omissions, and marine warranty survey PI are part of our placement work. We are familiar with the contract language used by ship owners, charterers, P&I clubs and large yard operators, and we work with insurers that understand these exposures.
Can you place cover for Southampton marine consultancies and port-related firms?
Yes. We work with naval architects, marine surveyors, marine warranty surveyors, port and logistics consultancies, master mariner consultancies and marine engineering practices. We also support land-based professional firms — surveyors, architects, accountants and IFAs — across the Solent.
How are claims handled if we are in Southampton?
A claim or circumstance is notified to insurers as soon as you tell us about it, by phone or by email. We deal with the insurer's claims team on your behalf, share correspondence with you electronically, and explain each step in plain English. Being based in Bristol does not delay any part of the process.
Can you advise on PI requirements in marine and port contracts?
Yes. Before placement we review PI, indemnity and limitation clauses in your standard customer contracts, including required limits and basis of cover. We do not provide legal advice, but we will identify clauses that are unusual or that may not align with what your PI policy will respond to.
What information do you need to start a quote for a Southampton firm?
For most professional firms we need a description of the services you provide, an estimate of your fee income and its geographical split, details of any subcontractors, your claims history, and your current policy schedule if you have one. We will tell you up front if a particular sector — for example marine warranty survey — needs additional information.
Speak to Apex about your PI cover
If you are a Southampton-based firm reviewing your professional indemnity cover, or buying it for the first time, we are happy to talk through your options without obligation.
- Telephone: 0117 325 0027
- Email: info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk
- Office: 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ
About Apex Insurance Brokers — Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House 07014570. Registered office: 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ. Last reviewed: May 2026.