Practice Areas & Industries: Lane Powell PC

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Lane Powell offers one of the largest and most diverse maritime and admiralty law practices on the West Coast. The Firm specializes in defending claims against ship owners and charterers in the blue water shipping, coastwise, tug barge and fishing industries on behalf of shipping interests, P&I clubs and international marine underwriters. Typical claims include:

• Collision
• Cargo damage and bills of lading
• Defense of seamen’s personal injury and death
• Ship repairer liability
• Oil and hazardous substance spills
• Wreck removal and salvage
• Maritime liens and vessel arrest
• Charter parties and towage contracts
• Marine insurance coverage
• Maritime products liability
• Vessel finance

Lane Powell’s admiralty and maritime attorneys themselves have backgrounds in the merchant marine and fisheries industries as law clerks for admiralty judges and as officers in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, as examples. Based upon the knowledge and experience of its maritime attorneys, Lane Powell has the experience to serve international maritime interests in their legal, litigation and business needs in the U.S. Pacific Coast.

Representative Matters

• Glacier Bay Oil Spill (Cook Inlet, Alaska), United States District Court, Western District of Washington. Served as counsel for London Underwriters in a declaratory judgment action concerning rights and duties under primary and excess layers of insurance.
• Represented world’s largest zinc and lead producer in negotiating 20-year contracts of carriage with both a tug and barge line and ocean carriers for shipment of ore concentrates from the Red Dog Mine in Alaska.
• PACCAR v. Kennedy Jenks Consultants and Underground Detection Services, Western District of Washington. Brought subrogation action on behalf of London Underwriters to recover over $400,000 paid to repair flood damage to Fortune 500 truck manufacturing company.
• Eastern Ship Supply, Inc. v. Merit Steamship Agency, Inc., United States District Court, Western District of Washington. Served as lead counsel for Merit Steamship Agency, Inc., in ship supply case. Dismissed with prejudice on motion for summary judgment.
• Columbia Transport v. Hapag Lloyd (America), Inc. Defended ocean carrier in cargo dispute in claim of overland carrier and freight for warder. Dismissed with prejudice in favor of Hapag Lloyd.
• In the Matter of the F/V PACESETTER, United States District Court, Western District of Washington. Pursue limitation of liability action on behalf of vessel owner.
• In the Matter of the F/V NOWITNA, United States District Court, Western District of Washington. Pursue limitation of liability action on behalf of vessel owner.
• Lesure v. ASCW, United States District Court, Western District of Washington. Defend personal injury cancer claim of customer service representative assigned to work aboard cruise ship. Judgment at trial in favor of shipowner.
• Represented United States Mining Company regarding documentation of foreign barge and regulatory issues with Customs Department for international transportation of mining cargo.

Lane Powell has the proven advantage of bringing the full range of the Firm’s experience to its maritime and admiralty practice, including business acquisitions, international transactions, liens, insurance regulations, consumer protection, liaison with governmental and administrative agencies, corporate formation, tax, real estate, land use, labor and employment problems, antitrust, finance and potential white collar criminal defense and regulatory compliance issues.