Maritime, Shipping + Logistics

Core service areas include:

Commercial Maritime Litigation

The firm’s maritime lawyers are experienced in handling maritime commercial disputes and related matters in the trade, logistics, and supply chain regime, and have represented banks, suppliers, shippers, ship owners, and charterers in charter party, bill of lading, government contracts, and other contractual disputes, including vessel arrests and attachments, as well as Jones Act counsel and litigation.

Maritime Transactional Work

Our maritime lawyers frequently advise clients and assist in the negotiation of vessel charters, offshore wind project-related contracts, vessel purchases, contracts of affreightment, ship mortgages, and other maritime corporate and commercial transactions.

Maritime Casualties

Troutman Pepper Locke maritime lawyers have significant experience in handling major maritime casualties. Over the years, our team has tried several large cases, including an allision of an integrated tug/barge unit with a sunken offshore production platform that resulted in the sinking of the barge and tens of millions of dollars of costs arising from the resultant pollution and various aspects pertaining to the dropping of the Petronius South Deck Module by a heavy lift installation crane. Our experience includes aspects of the Macondo Oil Spill Incident, offshore construction failures, major ship collisions, offshore blowouts, and similar maritime disasters. We have acted as counsel in numerous commercial disputes arising from offshore exploration projects, including Atlantis, Thunderhorse, Petronius, Typhoon, Mad Dog, West Delta, and the Cook Inlet. We have also represented international insurers with recovery actions involving significant property damage losses.

Maritime Insolvency, Restructuring and Collections

Our team represents major worldwide corporate interests in connection with all aspects of insolvency matters and business and contract restructurings related to marine companies and maritime-related projects, liens, and collection matters. We have extensive involvement in representing various creditor interests in marine company bankruptcies and restructurings, including related to Friede Goldman Halter, Superior Offshore, Deep Marine, Torch, Inc., the Macondo Oil Spill Incident, GoodCrane Inc., MPF Inc., and ODS International Inc.

Marine Insurance

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we were selected by the world insurance market to advise and coordinate the handling of the immense removal of wreck claims arising from those disasters. The firm has particular strength and experience in the area of offshore energy insurance coverage as well as admiralty and maritime insurance matters in general for worldwide insurers.

Maritime Personal Injury

Troutman Pepper Locke lawyers have deep experience in maritime personal injury claims arising out of offshore oil, Great Lakes and traditional “blue water” operations, and have represented vessel owners and charterers, cargo carriers, drilling contractors, oil companies, boat companies, and other service contractors. We have also handled a variety of toxic tort claims arising out of maritime activities, including asbestos, silicosis, and benzene exposure cases.