Maritime & Admiralty

The dynamic business and litigation law firm, Vandeventer Black LLP, was recently listed in the top position of the Virginia maritime law firm’s list for 2019 by Virginia Business Magazine. With an seasoned team of maritime attorneys, including 15 members of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the firm’s expertise extends to all aspects of maritime law including claims for cargo damage, pollution, ...
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During the last several years, many industries have fallen victim to cyber-attacks, and the maritime industry is not immune.  Consider the following recent news reports:  In 2017, the largest container shipping company in the world, A.P. MØller-Maersk, fell victim to NotPetya, a type of destructive malware, that required the installation of 4,000 new servers, 45,000 new PCs and 2,500 applications, costing the organization between $250 ...
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Since the 1970s, courts have generally recognized the choice of law and forum provisions contained in contracts between international parties.  In some contexts, however, a party will challenge a choice of law provision as unenforceable for reasons of fairness, or because to enforce the clause would conflict with existing law.  Recently, the issue has been raised in a number of cases in the context of ...
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Federal rulemakers consider a rulemaking petition on demurrage and detention charges The Federal Maritime Commission has undertaken a process to consider how international shipping companies and marine terminals assess demurrage, detention, and delay damage that may lead to significant changes in the shipping marketplace.  A significant number of shipping and maritime interests have provided public comments supporting and opposing the potential Commission action.                 On ...
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Ballast water management has attracted the attention of regulators both in the United States and internationally recently.  If not properly managed, ballast water may introduce invasive species into an ecosystem.  This danger occurs when a vessel collects ballast water, including the organisms in that water, into its tanks in one port and then releases that ballast water and those organisms into a different ecosystem when ...
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Vandeventer Black LLP is pleased to announce the addition of W. Thomas Chappell to the firm’s Maritime & Admiralty Law department as an associate attorney. Chappell will focus on maritime-related services, contracts and matters. He will work principally in the firm’s Norfolk office. “Thomas is a great addition to the firm, and we are pleased he chose to continue his career at Vandeventer Black,” said ...
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THE SEARCH BEGINS: THE IMPACT OF PRIOR LEGISLATION, LEGAL DECISIONS AND DOL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE ACT The Impact of Prior Legislation, Legal Decisions and DOL Interpretations of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act Presented by F. Nash Bilisoly of Vandeventer Black, LLP Personal injury recovery in maritime law is inseparably linked to the status of the plaintiff and the defendant--the relationship between the injured party ...
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Authored by attorney Lisa L. Thatch The Defense Base Act is a federal law that extends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) to apply to certain categories of employees working overseas. There are three general divisions of covered employees: (1) those working on military bases acquired from a foreign government after 1940, (2) employees of contractors and subcontractors engaged in public work projects for the U.S ...
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Authored by attorney Daniel R. Weckstein, Esq. Last week, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) offered an amendment to the already controversial Keystone Pipeline Bill.  His amendment would repeal the Jones Act and its protections for the American shipbuilding and maritime industry.  Under the Jones Act, vessels used for coastwise trade in the United States must be constructed and repaired in American shipyards.  If the Jones Act ...
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