Best Lawyers in America for Admiralty and Maritime Law
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Richard Cozad is a partner in SBSB’s New Orleans office with more than 45 years of experience in private law practice. A member of the firm since August 2018, he has focused his years of practice primarily on admiralty, marine insurance and environmental law. Richard received his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University before going on to earn his law degree from Tulane University. Following graduation, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Nauman Scott, former Chief Judge of...
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...
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...
Mark R. “Tiger” Pharr III has represented clients for more than 35 years in a wide range of matters, including construction defect, premises liability, insurance defense, personal injury, professional liability, and trucking. Tiger’s litigation practice includes jury trials, bench trials, mediations, and arbitrations, and he has handled appeals before state and federal courts. His experience also includes acting as a mediator and arbitrator in civil cases. Explore Tiger&rsqu...
George J. Fowler, III, is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group, where he focuses on litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution. George Fowler is an internationally recognized trial lawyer known for his successful record trying hundreds of cases to juries and judges, including numerous high-profile matters, complex litigation, and cases of national concern. George has written and lectured extensively on private international law and world trade and is active in promoting trade and inv...
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...
Mr. Force practices in the areas of commercial litigation, admiralty, and complex insurance defense and coverage law and has represented clients at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Force is admitted to practice in Louisiana, Texas, and California and has practiced with law firms in each of those states. Mr. Force is an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, having served on its Board of Directors and as Chair of the MLA's Practice and Procedure and Young L...
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...
In these complex cases, Jeremy complements his arguments with logical structure and prudent strategy to gain advantages over the opposition. He regularly appears in state and federal courts, and he has litigated and handled appeals involving: Contract and other commercial disputes Business torts Products liability and toxic tort cases Insurance matters Vessel seizures/arrests and other maritime casualty matters Jeremy is also a regular contributor to legal publications and has written numerou...
Charles R. Lipcon earned his J.D. from the University of Miami in 1971 and has spent decades representing individuals and families in Admiralty and Maritime Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs matters. Based in Miami, Florida, Mr. Lipcon is a founding partner of Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman PA , where his practice includes claims involving cruise ship incidents, maritime injuries, wrongful death cases , and other serious personal injury matters. Throughout his career, Mr. Lip...
G. Byron Sims is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law and Commercial Litigation. G. Byron, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which G. Byron is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.