Transportation

Maritime

Thompson Coburn LLP (Thompson Coburn) knows the shipping industry. The Firm has the depth and diversity of disciplines necessary to handle virtually any matter affecting the shipping industry today. Our attorneys represent vessel owners, operators, charterers and lenders. We help our clients achieve their business goals and aim to do so in an efficient and cost-effective manner. We advise clients on structuring strong relationships with their business partners and customers.

Thompson Coburn understands the global market and the forces affecting the shipping industry. In this climate of globalization and increasing security concerns, we assist clients in complying with ever-changing requirements affecting the shipping industry.

Our attorneys have excellent relationships with the various United States government agencies that regulate shipping as well as all of the major international maritime organizations and registries, such as Panama, Liberia and the Marshall Islands.

Transactional
Thompson Coburn has handled virtually every transactional aspect of the shipping industry. We represent clients building, buying and selling vessels. Our attorneys routinely negotiate and draft all forms of bareboat/demise and time charters. We assist clients in formalizing their shipping relationships by drafting slot charters and pooling arrangements, contracts of affreightment as well as management and crewing agreements.

Maritime Finance
The Firm represents both borrowers, lenders, lessor, lessees, investment bankers and related parties in all types of maritime finance transactions. We have extensive experience in structuring and negotiating direct loans, single investor leases, mortgages, conditional sales agreements, pledges, multiple-layered debt financings and government supported financings (including the Title XI program).

Tax
Our Firm assists clients in establishing ownership structures that work within the complex maze of taxes affecting the shipping industry. Thompson Coburn attorneys successfully lobbied Congress in connection with the long-awaited reform of Subpart F relating to the taxation of foreign-based company shipping income.

Environmental
Thompson Coburn has represented shipping clients, including energy companies, in connection with a variety of environmental issues including OPA’90, drafting response plans and assisting clients comply with incident reporting requirements.

Regulatory
Thompson Coburn represents clients before all regulatory agencies affecting the shipping industry, including the Federal Maritime Commission (“FMC”), the U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard. Our attorneys successfully represented a client before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case challenging the FMC’s jurisdiction over state ports authorities.

Admiralty Litigation
Our admiralty litigation group regularly handles admiralty collision, property damage and contract disputes as well as injury and death cases. Due to the potential for large casualties, the trial group routinely handles emergency representations in maritime investigations involving everything from single drownings to multiple deaths, explosions and large scale incidents.