Skip to Main Content
Maritime Litigation

Overview

The biggest challenges for your vessel frequently arise at unpredictable times and can come from all quarters. Any number of commercial or recreational marine issues—including collisions, allisions and other on-board incidents; property loss; personal injury, wrongful death and products liability claims; cargo and freight disputes; insurance coverage disputes; transactions and contractual disputes; and pollution and environmental claims—can leave you vulnerable to significant financial and reputational damage. Further, maritime disputes are hugely complex and often involve numerous parties, detailed contracts, unclear jurisdictions and extensive potential liabilities. In such critical matters, it is vital that you have a team you can trust manning the tiller to help you mitigate liability, navigate regulatory compliance, and minimize reputational and operational impact. 

With decades of experience successfully litigating high-stakes maritime and marine casualty claims, MG+M attorneys are skilled in navigating the complexities of admiralty law, including both commercial and recreational marine matters. Our specific and extensive backgrounds in marine, civil and criminal law, including working in prosecutors’ offices and as public defenders, makes us uniquely qualified to represent companies and other organizations in the maritime industry, as well as individual vessel owners, facing civil liability and criminal defense matters. We also consult on issues surrounding mariner liability insurance—including licensing, coverage disputes, depositions, court proceedings, witness statements and responses to letters of warning notices—and help clients navigate and avoid USCG administrative hearings involving license suspension or revocation. 

MG+M attorneys are published thought leaders and professors of marine insurance law, Proctors of Admiralty certified by the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and members of respected organizations and trade groups focused on the maritime industry. This breadth of involvement gives us a keen understanding of industry currents, unique insight into the constantly changing maritime laws and regulations, and the technical knowledge required to analyze and resolve maritime claims effectively.

Our seasoned crew has successfully represented clients throughout the industry, including shipping conglomerates and container shipping lines, charterers, operators, cruise lines, boat and marine equipment manufacturers, insurers, shipyards, boat dealerships, yacht clubs and marinas, and vessel owners. In and out of the courtroom, we chart a strategic course custom-fit to the unique needs and interests of each client. Operating from 14 offices in major US markets, we have achieved favorable results for our clients in jurisdictions throughout the continental United States, Canada, Hawaii, the Caribbean and South America. Our team is prepared to offer you skilled legal representation from coast-to-coast and everywhere in between.

Experience

  • Secured a summary judgment in favor of a large peer-to-peer boat rental company in a wrongful death case. The court found our client not liable for the death of a young woman who was thrown from a boat rented through the platform, given federal immunity afforded under Section 230 and the lack of definition of a livery under the 2021 Florida Livery Statute. 

  • Successfully defended a boat manufacturer in a two-week maritime products liability and personal injury jury trial in federal court in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multiple plaintiffs were seriously injured, but the evidence and presentation of same convinced a jury that the manufacturer was not at fault. At close, plaintiffs’ counsel asked for an award of more than $125 million, but the jury returned a verdict for the defense.

  • Obtained a defense verdict for a national boat manufacturing company in a three-week products liability and personal injury jury trial involving five personal injury plaintiffs and an insurance company seeking millions of dollars in damages. The cross examination of the plaintiffs’ liability expert, together with the carefully developed testimony of the defense expert, provided all that the jury needed to return a defense verdict. The facts, the science used to undermine plaintiff theories while supporting defense theories and various entertaining snippets of the trial garnered interest by the media. The verdict was featured in the South Florida Daily Business Review.

  • Settled an eight-figure case in which we developed new science via our experts on the effectiveness of an engine cut-off switch and lanyard during a first pass strike. The case—which involved a propeller strike to the plaintiff’s head resulting in nearly catastrophic injuries—occurred upon ejection from a boat and posed very unique and complex challenges. Engine cut-off switches were designed to prevent injuries when a vessel circles back and strikes the ejected operator. There were no studies on their effectiveness for contact immediately after ejection. MG+M identified novel scientific theories to study this scenario, specific to the particulars of the matter, while also developing the evidence to support how the plaintiff caused the accident, as opposed to a failure in the vessel’s steering system. Together with our experts, we developed the tests to prove the theories that ultimately undermined the plaintiff’s experts work and postured the matter for resolution at a reasonable figure. Our cross-examination of the plaintiff’s experts proved fatal to the plaintiff’s case. 

  • Successfully defended a multi–million dollar coverage dispute in a federal court trial arising from property damage incurred during Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Florida. After hearing a week’s worth of testimony from all parties and their experts, the court returned a verdict in favor of the insurance carrier.

News + Insights

Speaking Engagements

Complex Claims & Litigation Forum, PropertyCasualty360
Introduction to Marine License Insurance & Captain's Liability, 360 Coverage Pros, Berkley Offshore, MG+M The Law Firm