Jones Walker’s Admiralty & Maritime Practice Group represents clients engaged in domestic and international shipping and offshore drilling and production activities. We act as principal counsel for inland barge lines, towboat companies, ocean-going shipping lines, terminal operators, stevedores, major oil and gas exploration, production, transmission, and service related companies, offshore construction companies, builders of inland and ocean vessels, offshore platforms, barges, rigs, and pipelines, together with their hull, cargo, P & I, and general liability insurers. Because our clients’ issues may arise around the clock, any day of the year, we maintain a weekend duty roster; members of our group are always on call.

Our diverse experience enables us to represent clients in complex, multi-district litigation, arbitration, and mediation, as well as transactional matters, as described below.

Areas of Concentration

Personal Injury, Death And Property Litigation

We have extensive litigation experience in matters involving personal injury, death and property damage claims, aviation casualties, claims of Jones Act seamen, general maritime law claims, indemnity and contribution actions, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Act, offshore drilling rig activities, offshore derrick barge activities, offshore production platform activities, and products liability litigation.

Collisions And Environmental Matters

Our group routinely handles vessel collisions, including investigations and Coast Guard proceedings, limitation of liability actions, oil pollution response and liability, environmental damage claims, and salvage and wreck removal.

Cargo

Additionally, we counsel clients concerning bills of lading and matters arising therefrom, including cargo damage claims, dispatch and demurrage, hazardous cargo, stevedoring operations, and terminal operations. 

Insurance

Jones Walker’s Admiralty & Maritime Insurance Practice includes broker’s and agent’s liability, cargo liability, charterer’s legal liability, employer’s liability, excess liability, insurance fraud, hull and machinery insurance, pollution liability, protection and indemnity insurance, tower’s legal liability, and wharfinger’s liability, among other insurance coverages.

Regulatory

In addition to Coast Guard proceedings, we engage in regulatory and administrative matters involving, among other things, Army Corps of Engineers permit applications, Customs seizures and classification disputes, and analysis of conventions and treaties.

Marine Contracts

With respect to marine contracts, we have extensive experience in negotiating and drafting of charter parties, contracts of affreightment, transportation agreements, terminal tariffs, berth applications, letters of credit, shipyard construction and repair contracts, naval architect contracts, and international sales contracts.

Maritime Finance

In the maritime finance area, we are frequently called on to counsel clients in complex ocean and inland domestic and international vessel acquisitions, financings, and flagging of vessels. We are very experienced in maritime lien enforcement, foreclosures, ship seizures, and maritime bankruptcies.

News

• Johnsen Elected to the Board of Directors for the American Maritime Congress
• Jones Walker Announces Thirteen New Associates
• Jones Walker Joins with Miller Hamilton
• Hebert Reelected to Serve on MVTTC Board

Events

• River and Marine Industry Seminar
• "Recent Updates Under Longshore Certificate"
• Tulane Admiralty Law Institute
• "An Overview of CEMS – Crew Edurance Management Systems"

Publications

• "Overview of General Maritime Law Including the Jones Act"
  Jefferson R. Tillery August 2008
• Jones Walker Overview of 2008 Louisiana State Legislature Regular and Extraordinary Sessions
  July 3, 2008
• "Allocation of Marine Risks: An Overview of the Marine Insurance Package"
  Robert Lemon, II
  81 Tulane Law Review 1467, 2007
• Case Book Admiralty: Personal Injury and Death
  Robert Bailey Acomb, Jr.
  Tulane Press, 4th ed., 2007