Best Lawyers in America for Admiralty and Maritime Law
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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...
Michael D. Williams is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law and Litigation - Insurance. Michael D., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Named “Female Business Leader of the Year” by the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, Sandra L. Knapp is a member of the Business Department at Gawthrop Greenwood and practices in the fields of Business Law, Commercial Transactions, Admiralty/Maritime Law, Real Estate Law, and Banking and Finance. She represents clients in a broad range of transactional and general corporate matters, including asset-based lending transactions, mergers and acquisitions, marine finance ...
Kip Brar is an attorney with Suits & Boots Injury Lawyers in Houston, Texas. His practice includes Litigation and Labor and Employment matters, along with representing individuals who have been injured due to negligence. Kip brings more than 15 years of legal experience handling complex disputes and courtroom matters. Earlier in his career, Kip represented Fortune 500 companies and large businesses in high‑stakes litigation and corporate matters. His work involved navigating large financi...
Kurt Arnold is a relentless advocate for his clients, having obtained billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. One of the nation’s most accomplished trial lawyers, Kurt prepares every case for trial. Of course, many cases resolve before trial, but defendants and insurance companies only pay the largest settlements when he gives them no alternative. Kurt finds helping individuals defeat companies that have continuously denied his clients justice to be one of the most rewarding pa...
Richard J. Serpe is a Virginia personal injury and maritime attorney and founder of the Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC in Norfolk, Virginia. He has practiced law since 1986 and represents individuals and families injured by negligence throughout Hampton Roads and across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Serpe’s practice focuses on serious personal injury and wrongful death litigation involving car accidents , truck accidents , motorcycle crashes , dog bites , pedestrian and bicycle...
Nicholas Earles is a partner in SBSB’s Houston office and has been a knowledgeable resource in the maritime space for more than 20 years. While his practice focuses in admiralty, his experience also extends to general and premises liability, workers’ compensation, subrogation and transportation. Additionally, he has navigated difficult cases for energy companies and overseas defense contractors covered by the Defense Base Act. A member of SBSB’s original roster in February 2...
Etienne Balart is a partner in the Maritime and Litigation practice groups, in the Construction Industry Team, and co-leads the firm's Latin America working group. He provides transactional and litigation counsel to clients in the energy and maritime industries. Etienne helps clients identify and quantify financial, compliance, and other risks associated with disputes and litigated matters, negotiate, and, where necessary, bring to trial commercial and other disputes. Relying upon this deep e...
Michael J. Ecuyer is a member of the law firm of Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier, & Warshauer, L.L.C. Michael is engaged in a civil litigation practice. He practices with an emphasis on the representation of plaintiffs in medical malpractice claims, admiralty or maritime matters, mass torts, FELA claims and personal injury claims. A member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana Association for Justice (Executive Committee), and the Fede...
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...
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...
Arsima A. Muller is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Corporate Law, Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental and Water Law. Arsima A., who practices law in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Arsima A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Limor BenMaier is a founding member of SBSB and is one of the managing partners of the firm. An extensive career in law led her to help facilitate the creation of the firm in February 2015. While she has worked every job in a law firm, her time as a lawyer started as a Federal Court clerk. In that time, she assisted the Court in writing decisions for cases under Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Defense Base Act, consumer protection, and immigration visas. Amongst multiple...
Bill Riviere practices in the areas of collision, maritime personal injury, terminal/installation damage, pollution, fire, salvage, maritime lien matters, oilfield indemnity and insurance coverage disputes, and appellate matters. He represents maritime employers, vessel owners, energy interests and their underwriters in personal injury defense litigation, including Jones Act and Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act claims, and represents vessel owners, operators, dock and term...
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.