About Us

Worldwide Services:
Recognized as one of the United States’ foremost marine consulting firms, Martin & Ottaway is accustomed to providing engineering and surveying services on short notice all over the world.

Appraisals, Surveys, and Engineering and Claims Formulation and Presentation:
The firm engages in many types of work, including consulting, construction and conversion supervision, cargo and damage surveys, inspections and investigations, environmental evaluations proposal evaluations and appraisals.

Additionally, the members of the company are often called upon by clients to formulate their insurance claims and make the presentation to the underwriters.

Litigation/ Arbitration Support:
Martin & Ottaway is well known throughout the world for its members’ expertise as forensic engineers and expert witnesses, supporting attorneys, solicitors, and barristers in matters of maritime litigation.

Over 100 Clients Per Year:
Clientele include the world’s most prominent ship owners, underwriters, attorneys, investors, financial institutions and governmental agencies, both U.S. and foreign.

Each year the firm’s consultants provide services in over 30 countries while representing over 100 clients. The total value of damages and repairs surveyed, supervised and investigated by the company exceeds $100,000,000 per year and is often many multiples of that amount.

Full Facilities and Resources:
The firm maintains a computerized appraisal database and an extensive engineering library with historical publications dating back to the early 1800’s.

The firm is active in, and has deep access to, many technical and industry organizations and runs an extensive outreach program.

In addition, the firm assists in the development and maintains rules and regulations promulgated by the United States Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration and other national administrations, the major Classification Societies, IACS, Intertanko, BIMCO, IMO, FCC, OSHA, United States Public Health Service and the NFPA.

Martin & Ottaway Policy on Ethics and DEI:
Martin & Ottaway will have been in continuous operation for 150 years in 2025. The firm has witnessed many changes in those years but also has had a continuous record of ethical behavior with regard to interactions with all cultures, ethnicities, religions, organizations, races, and genders.

As an engineering company, it operates according to the Professional Engineers Code of Ethics. In addition to the Professional Engineers Code of Ethics, it also operates according to the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Code of Ethics. The latter code more strongly stresses environmental responsibility and sustainability which is considered to be a prime driver in the firm’s activities as part of an engineer’s duty to serve the public interest first.

In human interactions, ethical questions and issues can occur at any time and will be dealt with by the earliest possible disclosure to parties of interest and with the firm’s honest and active participation in the resolution of those issues.

As a maritime company that supports international trade, it focuses heavily on fairness and the greater common good. This is a particular trait in maritime that is suffused with fairness concepts such as General Average, Utmost Good Faith, and Mutual Support in Emergencies, and well-established simple and balanced contracting practices.

In this context, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are inherently native concepts, and the firm endeavors to actively increase DEI wherever it can.

Within its economic capabilities, the firm has supported, and will continue to support, programs and organizations that enhance DEI and the common good. The firm cannot support organizations that engage in political activities where viewpoints on issues are traded based on political opportunities. Politics are a necessary component in societies, but are not part of the firm’s purpose and mission.

Within the firm, there will undoubtedly be different political viewpoints, and support of political viewpoints will occur on a personal level outside the firm.

In its pronouncements and actions, the firm will use engineering analysis to determine where the greatest level of clarity, fairness, and common good can be found and base its pronouncement on those analyses. The firm will be open to review, re-analysis, suggestions, and criticism on those pronouncements and actions and make corrections as needed based on the above evaluation principles.

 

Since 1875

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

NEW ORLEANS

PHILADELPHIA

LONDON

ROTTERDAM

PIRAEUS

SINGAPORE

MARTIN, OTTAWAY, VAN HEMMEN & DOLAN, INC.
620 SHREWSBURY AVE.
TINTON FALLS, NJ 07701
(732) 224-1133
EMERGENCY: +1 888 224-1133