Admiralty and Maritime Law

Louisiana and Texas are major centers of waterborne commerce for the United States, Latin America, and the world. Our Admiralty and Maritime practice group provides legal services ranging from maritime business ventures, vessel finance, contracting and chartering, regulatory issues, negotiations, and alternative dispute resolution, to “real-time damage limitation” counseling in the face of a crisis or other quickly-developing events. Our practice ranges from the most traditional maritime situations to “cutting edge” issues associated with offshore wind-power development, and those arising out of oil and gas production operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

We represent a diverse group of clients, including liability and cargo insurers, underwriters and protection and indemnity clubs, terminals, stevedores, fleet operators, tug and offshore vessel owners and operators, shipyards, repair facilities, banks and other financial institutions, as well as smaller businesses and individuals. The practice group consists of firm members with years of experience handling maritime matters for both the public and private sectors. 

The needs of our clients in this group often reach into areas that are not traditionally viewed as maritime. Attorneys draw on many of the firm's other practice areas, such as business litigation, personal injury and products liability, for “crossover” benefits, including access to experts, contacts, and broad experience on a vast number of issues. Our connections in the maritime community enable us to engage the most highly qualified expert witnesses and consultants.

King & Jurgens provides a full range of services, including: 

• Jones Act and maritime personal injury and wrongful death defense
• Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensations Act claims
• Collision and allision
• Drafting charter agreements and master service agreements
• Towage
• Marine insurance disputes
• Maritime liens and vessel arrests
• Cargo claims and defense
• Charter party, master service agreement and other maritime contract disputes
• Ship foreclosure actions
• Ship construction disputes
• Vessel sales and construction contracts
• Vessel construction disputes
• Vessel financing
• Mergers and acquisitions of maritime companies
• Shipping and port regulation
• Cabotage/Jones Act and regulatory compliance
• Salvage
• Administration proceedings before the United States Coast Guard and other agencies