Best Lawyers in America for Admiralty and Maritime Law
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Senior Counsel Georges Legrand is one of the founding members of MBLB. He has more than 44 years of experience as a litigator. As a leader of the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime law practice, he has been part of forging a team of attorneys who have developed a depth of expertise that rivals larger firms. His practice focuses on defense of maritime personal injury and property damage claims on the river and offshore, as well as insurance, transportation, and contractual matters. His experi...
Christopher Raleigh is a member of Cozen O'Connor's New York office and practices in the Transportation & Logistics Department. Christopher has more than 25 years of experience in the litigation and arbitration of complex commercial disputes involving UCC and international sales, aviation, admiralty and interstate transit. Christopher has represented foreign and domestic corporations in litigations involving: breach of contract and warranty arising out of the international sale of defecti...
Carol L. Finklehoffe is a partner at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman , P.A. in Miami, Florida. She has practiced law for more than 30 years in state and federal courts throughout Florida, California, and Massachusetts. Ms. Finklehoffe is AV-rated and board certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law . Her practice focuses on Admiralty and Maritime Law, complex personal injury claims, wrongful death, resort liability , sexual assault cases , and medical malpractice matters . Ms. Finklehoffe repr...
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...
Scott Armstrong is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Scott, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Scott is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Neil is a partner in Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen, LLP (CWL), a regional law firm serving the Western U.S. and Pacific Rim. He practices maritime and transportation law. He’s been designated a Southern California "Super Lawyer" for 2012-2024 and been recognized by Best Lawyers in America since 2021. He represents domestic and foreign insurers in first and third-party cases, and local maritime and transportation companies in business litigation. Neil has been featured in the L...
David Sipple is a partner in the Savannah office and practices in the areas of admiralty law and insurance law. David is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Georgia. He is a member of the Savannah Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the State Bar of Georgia. David also belongs to the Maritime Law Association of the United States, in which he se...
John Schwambach focuses his practice on the trial and appeal of complex commercial disputes. Mr. Schwambach handles complex civil matters in both state and federal courts. He has briefed and argued many appeals and original proceedings in mandamus before Texas appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court and the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals. Mr. Schwambach has also briefed and argued numerous pre-trial motions in...
Richard D. Rusak is a partner in the Miami office of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A and Board Certified in Marine/Admiralty Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Education and Specialization since 2010. He is an accomplished trial lawyer with two decades of litigation and appellate experience in federal and state courts and primarily represents major insurance companies, ship owners and marinas in marine/admiralty defense cases. Mr. Rusak also practices in the areas of hospitality defense, tr...
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...
Ryan is the 2024 President of the Virginia Bar Association. He handles high-stakes litigation with a focus on complex business disputes, construction law, and maritime law. He also serves as local counsel in the Eastern District of Virginia in patent and other cases. He was managing partner from 2012 to 2020. Ryan’s experience includes state and federal jury trials, mediations, panel arbitrations, and appeals. His cases involve business conspiracies, technology disputes, government cont...
Allen D. Hemphill is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Allen D., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Allen D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kelly M. Haas is a partner in the Houston office. Her practice is focused on the areas of admiralty and maritime law and energy-related litigation matters in both state and federal courts. Her practice consists of defending vessel owners and operators, as well as offshore companies, from claims arising from collisions, property damage, personal injury, maritime pollution, environmental issues, cargo matters and contract disputes, and it regularly includes matters involving the Jones Act, the ...
Geoffrey serves as the office managing partner of the New York office and is vice chair of the firm's Transportation & Trade Practice. He focuses on U.S. and non-U.S. flag shipping matters, and all aspects of asset-based lending, including ship and aircraft finance and equipment leasing. He routinely advises vessel owners and operators, as well as financial institutions in connection with U.S., Marshall Island, Liberian and Vanuatu maritime and corporate laws. He also provides maritime ad...
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.