Liskow is proud to announce that Shareholder David Reisman has been named the 2026 New Orleans Bar Association (NOBA) Distinguished Maritime Lawyer. The award honors attorneys who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to NOBA’s Maritime & International Law Committee, earned the respect of their peers, and made significant contributions to the local admiralty bar.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, David has built a practice that touches nearly every facet of admiralty law, from high-stakes litigation and marine casualty response to regulatory work and industry leadership. From 2007 to 2017, he served as general counsel for one of the world’s leading marine salvage and wreck removal contractors before returning to Liskow’s maritime section, giving him a distinctive, firsthand understanding of marine casualties, salvage, Coast Guard regulatory matters, and emergency response. Today, he represents vessel owners and P&I clubs in major marine casualties throughout the Americas; blue water, brown water, and inland towing vessel owners in collision/allision, personal injury, and pipeline and cable damage matters; and vessel owners and operators in U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings. He also advises clients on Jones Act cabotage, Coast Guard regulations, maritime contracts, insurance, vessel registry, and international maritime matters.
Most recently, David served as lead trial counsel for the State of Maryland following the M/V DALI’s March 26, 2024, allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, marking the largest single maritime property damage claim and settlement in U.S. history. The settlement arose from a claim brought by the State of Maryland against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. in federal court in Baltimore, Maryland, seeking recovery for the loss of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, and lost revenue. The owners and operators of the M/V DALI sought to limit their liability for the March 26, 2024 allision to $43.6 million. Following the completion of fact and expert discovery, David negotiated a $2.25 billion settlement of Maryland’s claims.
David also served as lead counsel for the owners and operators of the GOLDEN RAY, the car carrier that capsized while departing the Port of Brunswick, Georgia, in September 2019 with more than 4,000 vehicles aboard. He drafted and negotiated the contracts for the largest marine salvage and wreck removal operation in U.S. history, represented the vessel interests in the Coast Guard and NTSB investigation and public hearing, and defended them in related federal litigation.
David’s work has earned consistent recognition. Chambers USA has ranked him nationally in Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York) since 2022, and he has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Admiralty and Maritime Law since 2019. A frequent speaker and author on maritime contracts, Coast Guard regulations, the Jones Act, and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, he also mentors the next generation of Liskow’s maritime lawyers.
“David is one of those rare maritime lawyers whose experience reaches nearly every corner of admiralty practice, and his clients have trusted him with some of the most consequential maritime matters in the country,” said Liskow President Mark Latham. “Just as important, he has invested in our maritime bar and in the attorneys he mentors. We are proud to see his peers recognize him with this well-deserved honor.”