future-focused

Practices

Assistant

Deneen Stevenson

504.299.6105

Overview

Ben Allums practices admiralty and maritime law, including collision, marine pollution, personal injury and death, and regulatory matters. His career has spanned both private practice and the judiciary, and his experience ranges from simple, two-party disputes to incredibly complex multidistrict litigation involving thousands of parties.  

Notable Experience

  • Law clerk to the Honorable W. Eugene Davis at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2021-2022.
  • Multidistrict Litigation No. 2179, Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon. During his ten years, 2011-2021, as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, Ben worked on nearly all aspects of the largest maritime casualty and litigation in U.S. history.
  • Maritime lien dispute. Successfully defended status and priority of preferred ship mortgage against competing maritime liens.

Involvement

  • Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law

Credentials

Education

  • Tulane University Law School (magna cum laude, 2007)
    • Order of the Coif
    • Tulane Law Review, Senior Associate Editor 
    • Charles Kohlmeyer, Jr. Award (Outstanding Graduate in Maritime Law) 
    • Maritime Law Certificate 
    • Research & Writing Senior Fellow 
    • Civil Law Society 
  • Louisiana State University (B.S. in Psychology, cum laude, 2002)
    • Upper Division Honors 
    • Phi Beta Kappa Honor Fraternity 

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana, 2007

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Louisiana, 2009
  • U.S. District Court, Western District, Louisiana, 2009

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk to the Hon. W. Eugene Davis, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2021-2022
  • Law Clerk to the Hon. Carl J. Barbier, District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 2011-2021
  • Law Clerk to the Hon. Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., Chief Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court, 2007-2009

Presentations

  • “Vessel Seizures, Limitation of Liability, & Temporary Restraining Orders,” – Presentation at the Eastern District of Louisiana’s Law Clerk Orientation Program, October 14, 2022 (also presented in 2014-2020)
  • “Sanchez v. Smart Fabricators of Texas, the Fifth Circuit’s New Test for Seaman Status.” – Guest lecturer for Maritime Practice and Procedure course at Loyola Univ. College of Law, New Orleans, August 31, 2022
  • “Recent Developments in Maritime Law” – CLE presentation with Hon. Carl J. Barbier, New Orleans, August 19, 2022
  • “Shipowner's Limitation of Liability under International and US. Law” – Loyola Maritime Law Journal Symposium, New Orleans, February 18, 2022
  • “Limitation of Liability and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” – Loyola Maritime Law Journal Symposium (with Hon. Carl J. Barbier), New Orleans, February 18, 2022
  • “Carrier's Defenses Under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA)” – Guest lecturer for Admiralty: COGSA course at Tulane Univ. Law School, New Orleans, February 4 and 11, 2021
  • “Seaman Status, Sanchez, and Second Chances,” CLE presentation, New Orleans, August 21, 2020
  • “Recent Developments in Admiralty,” - CLE presentation with Dean Sutherland, New Orleans, December 14, 2018
  • “Overview of MDL 2179; Standing under the Death on the High Seas Act” – Guest lecturer for Admiralty II course at Loyola Univ. College of Law, New Orleans, May 14, 2018

Publications

  • Selected Issues Encountered in MDL No. 2179, In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, 61 ADVOCATE (TEX.) 47 (2012) (Co-Author with Hon. Carl J. Barbier)  
  • Learning to Live in the New Republic: How the Supreme Court Jettisoned the Res from Admiralty In Rem Procedure, 81 TUL. L. REV. 1637 (2007) (Student Comment) *Robert E. Friedman Law Review Award for Best Comment, Vol. 81 
  • Stewart v. Dutra Construction Co.: De.fining a Vessel in the Wake of the SUPER SCOOP, 80 TUL. L. REV. 1467 (2006) (Student Case Note) *Gertler Law Review Award for Best Case Note, Vol. 80 

After Hours

Ben is an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where he teaches Comparative Maritime Law.