Practice Areas

Brad has represented clients for over 40 years in civil litigation and arbitration matters, with a primary focus on admiralty and maritime law. His clients have included oil, technology and insurance companies, marine classification societies, vessel owners and charterers, cargo interests, marine construction and dredging companies, and salvage companies.

Experience

Brad represented the petitioner in Exxon Corp. v. Central Gulf Lines, Inc., 500 U.S. 603 (1991), in which the United States Supreme Court overruled its own 135-year-old precedent and expanded federal admiralty jurisdiction in favor of his client. Brad also has substantial experience defending marine classification societies in major malpractice cases.  These have  included the $1 billion suit brought by the Kingdom of Spain against the American Bureau of Shipping concerning the massive oil spill from the M/T PRESTIGE off the coast of Spain, and another brought by cargo interests against Bureau Veritas concerning the catastrophic failure and sinking of the M/V STAR OF ALEXANDRIA.  Brad obtained the first federal maritime decision to clearly hold that, under the Federal Arbitration Act, to be enforceable, an arbitration provision in an international commercial agreement must be in a writing signed by the parties, or evidenced by an exchange of correspondence.

In addition to his litigation work, Brad assists clients in concluding various types of maritime transactions, including the purchase and sale of vessels and charter parties. He has also advised clients concerning the coastwise trading provisions of the Jones Act, and federal and state marine environmental law.

Education

• Suffolk University Law School, J.D., 1983

• University of Connecticut, B.A., 1978
  

Representative Matters

• Defended manufacturers and retailers in maritime products liability cases

• Defended vessel owners in personal injury and death cases brought by Jones Act seamen, and in recreational boating cases

• Defended vessel owners in cargo and charter party disputes

• Acted as Of Counsel to the United States in defending the commercial operator of a U.S. Navy ship in a seaman’s personal injury case

• Represented U.S. and English insurers in insurance coverage litigation

• Represented Moroccan cargo interests in suits for damage to cargo

• Represented a salvor in securing rights to a shipwreck

• Represented a Greek joint venture in a major maritime bankruptcy

• Defended a German manufacturing company in products liability cases

• Represented a Boston Harbor property owner in wreck removal litigation

• Represented native Alaskan interests in the EXXON VALDEZ oil spill litigation

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts

• New York

• Louisiana (inactive)

Other Court Admissions

• U.S District Courts for:

  • District of Massachusetts

  • Southern District of New York

  • Eastern District of New York

  • Northern District of California

  • Eastern District of Louisiana

  • Middle District of Louisiana

  • Western District of Louisiana

• U.S. Courts of Appeals for:

  • First Circuit

  • Second Circuit

• The Supreme Court of the United States