Best Lawyers in America for Admiralty and Maritime Law
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State
Conte Cicala is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Conte, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Conte is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Stewart focuses on bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights; admiralty and maritime; marine finance and vessel documentation; asset-based finance; litigation, corporate and commercial law; and oil and gas. Stewart has been practicing law in New Orleans for more than 38 years. He is a 1974 graduate of Kenyon College, magna cum laude , where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated top in his class in 1977 from Tulane Law School where he was elected to the Order of the Coif...
Neal J. Kling, a Member of the firm, received his undergraduate degree in Business and Public Administration from Louisiana State University and his law degree from Louisiana State University Law Center where he graduated Order of the Coif and was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. He represents clients in the areas of secured financing transactions, real estate transactions, real property and personal property leasing, maritime construction and finance and other commercial transactions. M...
Katharine R. Colletta is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law, Oil and Gas Law and Railroad Law. Katharine R., who practices law in Mobile, Alabama, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katharine R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Thomas J. Smith represents clients in complex civil litigation with a focus on insurance defense, personal injury, and construction matters. He brings strategic insight to each case, guiding clients through litigation with precision and responsiveness from pre-suit through appeal. See how Tommy protects client interests in high-stakes matters: gallowaylawfirm.com
Kenneth Engerrand is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Kenneth, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kenneth is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jim Wright is a partner in the Maritime and Litigation practice groups. He represents clients in a broad range of commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, and criminal cases. Jim has more than four decades of experience as a trial attorney in civil and criminal jury and judge trials in federal and state courts. His areas of practice include maritime, white collar crime, oil and gas regulatory enforcement, environmental, customs, gaming regulatory enforcement, commercial litigation, pro...
Kevin LaVie practices in the area of admiralty and tort. He has a very broad-based practice involving nearly all aspects of maritime law including personal injury and death claims; cargo damage claims; dock damage and collision claims; Limitation of Liability matters; charter party and related commercial disputes (including ship arrests and Rule B attachments); insurance coverage disputes; oilfield indemnity actions; pollution matters; and various Coast Guard and immigration matters. His prac...
Luis Llamas is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation, admiralty disputes, trade secret and non-compete disputes, and international law. Luis co-leads the firm's Latin America working group and is the head of the firm’s Miami office. Luis is a highly respected litigator. Luis has handled cases across the United States involving marine casualties, trade secret and non-compete agreements, breach of contract, unfair trade pra...
Carol L. Finklehoffe is a partner at Lipcon, Margulies and Winkleman, P.A. who has been practicing for 30 years in both the state and federal courts throughout Florida, California and Massachusetts. Ms. Finklehoffe is an “AV” rated trial attorney who is a certified specialist in Maritime and Admiralty law. The main concentration of her practice relates to complex personal injury, resort law, wrongful death, sexual assault and medical malpractice. Ms. Finklehoffe is also a skilled ...
Michael R.C. Riess is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law, Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Michael R.C., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael R.C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jim is Chairman of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. His primary practice areas include admiralty, business, cybersecurity, data privacy, railroad/transit, and unmanned systems. Jim has tried over 100 cases to jury verdicts for clients involving a broad range of legal disputes. Jim advises governing boards and senior leadership regarding risks and resolution strategies in high-profile cases. His service as general counsel to companies, and as a director and officer of several non-pr...
Miles Clements is a recognized trial attorney having tried 100 cases to judgment. He practices at the trial and appellate levels in both state and federal court as well as in specialized jurisdictions throughout the country. His reputation spans from the marine and energy sector to defending the business and commercial needs of privately held and publicly traded companies. Miles is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the highest distinction of trial lawyers in the United States...
Marc Matthews practices in the areas of admiralty and tort litigation with a special emphasis in defending vessel owners and operators from claims arising under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as well as from claims arising from vessel collisions and cargo damage. He has extensive experience in the arrest and seizure of vessels in the federal courts, both from the standpoint of arresting vessels and from the s...
John Young is a Seattle-based attorney who focuses on business counseling and commercial law. He advises startups and established companies on legal and capital structures, transactions, and business operations. John’s practice includes matters involving property, creditor and debtor relations, and dispute resolution. He also has significant experience structuring international transactions and has represented clients in negotiations across Asia, Central and South America, and the Middl...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.