Ray combines years of real-world maritime experience in the United States Navy, a deep, technical knowledge of admiralty and maritime law, and a passion for helping his clients. Here’s a list of selected matters that Ray has handled:
Litigation and Government Investigations
- Represented a vessel owner as part of a global litigation team defending claims of $336 million arising from a collision in Chinese territorial waters.
- Represented a ship owner in a Jones Act personal injury case involving a plaintiff who was severely burned in a diesel engine explosion. Recovered several million dollars from third-party defendants after a 12-day state court jury trial and increased the recovery on appeal.
- Represented a pipeline owner in a vessel allision involving a constructive total loss of the vessel, a wrongful death, and multiple injury claims.
- Represented a Jones Act employer in a commercial diver personal injury case where the plaintiff claimed traumatic brain injury. Obtained a favorable settlement at the conclusion of the first day of federal trial.
- Represented an owner of a spud barge against hull underwriters who wrongfully denied a constructive total loss claim after the vessel was severely damaged by a storm in Alaska. Underwriters’ wrongful denial of insurance coverage caused their insured to miss a gold mining season. Obtained a favorable resolution allowing the vessel owner to return to work and eventually be featured on the Discovery Channel’s Bering Sea Gold television show.
- Represented a major international common carrier in claim against its subcontractor arising from an inland river transportation incident resulting in containers being lost over the side. Asserted contractual and additional assured claims against subcontractor and its insurers to resolve cargo and container damage claims.
- Represented underwriters in litigation of a $30 million builders’ risk insurance coverage claim arising from cost overruns on construction of an oil tanker.
- Represented foreign shipowners in several criminal pollution (MARPOL) investigations and prosecutions.
- Represented an offshore services company in asserting a salvage claim against a jack-up rig that was drifting in the Bay of Campeche during a tropical storm.
- Represented a vessel owner in a U.S. Coast Guard and NTSB hearing regarding the capsizing of a loaded car carrier offshore of Georgia. The casualty was the largest insurance claim in the world in 2019.
- Represented a vessel owner in a U.S. Coast Guard and NTSB hearing regarding an allision with a bridge span on the Mississippi River.
Transactions and Regulatory Advice
- Lead outside counsel in negotiating feeder barge contract for installation of the first commercial scale offshore wind project in United States history.
- Served on retainer to a large vessel operating company for over five years, providing direct support to senior members of its commercial team in 11 offices and 9 states.
- Lead outside counsel for major sea lift project to transport oil and gas infrastructure from Texas to the North Slope, Alaska, including negotiation of customer contract and chartering-in of tugs and barges.
- Handled the chartering-out and chartering-in of tugs and barges for a large-scale marine transportation project providing aid to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
- Negotiated and drafted purchase and sale agreements for over 24 domestic and foreign-flagged vessels, including complicated transactions involving seller-financing and the foreign scrapping of U.S. flag vessels, for both sellers and purchasers.
- Negotiated and drafted vessel construction contracts for both shipyards and vessel owners.
- Negotiated and drafted over 250 charter parties, master service agreements, towage contracts, and other maritime contracts.
