Tulane News

The owner, operator and charterer of the container ship that struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday are likely to face lawsuits over its collapse and the people killed or injured, but legal experts say U.S. maritime law could limit the companies’ liability.U.S. laws pertaining to open-water navigation and shipping, which are created through court decisions and by acts of Congress, could restrict the kinds of lawsuits filed against the registered owner of the Singapore-flagged ship…

Maritime Partners,a Louisiana-based provider of maritime financing solutions primarily focused on Jones Act vessels, announced the addition of Stephen J. Bordes and Greg Chase to its executive leadership team.Bordes joins Maritime Partners as its chief financial officer, and Chase as as the firm’s chief legal officer.Bordes brings to the company more than 20 years of experience in the fields of finance and fund management. Prior to joining Maritime Partners, he served as the CFO for New York-based American Industrial Partners…

American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group Inc. (ARC) added ARC Honor as the ninth American flag roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel to its fleet.“This tremendously capable and flexible U.S.-flag ship is crewed by American merchant mariners and now operates in ARC’s global network supporting America’s national defense and economic security through trade,” said Eric Ebeling, ARC President & CEO. The vessel is ARC’s fourth large car/truck carrier (LCTC) vessel.The former Tulane was re-flagged to American registry and re-named the ARC Honor on February 2, 2024.

The United States has bolstered its fleet of U.S.-flagged sustainment sealift vessels and product tankers to support the Department of Defense (DoD) during times of armed conflict or national emergency.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) in recent months has been building up fleets of commercial vessels under its Maritime Security Program (MSP) and Tanker Security Program (TSP), and on Tuesday it announced full enrollment in each.The newly selected MSP vessels Liberty Power and Tulane operate under Liberty Global Logistics, LLC of Lake Success, N.Y. and American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group Inc.'s (ARC) shipowning component Fidelio Limited Partnership of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., respectively.

Crowley has appointed James Fowler as senior vice president and general manager of its Crowley Shipping business unit that serves U.S. and international maritime and logistics sectors.Fowler most recently served as managing director of marine and stevedoring operations for Cooper Marine and executive vice president for Blakeley BoatWorks, both headquartered in Mobile, Ala.“As Crowley advances its next generation of maritime services, James Fowler is ideally suited to bring the vision and leadership to help our customers…

Boriana Farrar is a familiar face in maritime circles, the Vice President and Counsel and a Senior Claims Executive and Business Development Director for the Americas at the Ship Owners Claims Bureau, Inc. managers of the American P&I Club. We met with her in her NYC office to discuss her path from her native Bulgaria to a top maritime professional position.When Boriana Farrar moved from her native Bulgaria to the United States in 2001, she did so to be close to family, her mother and her sister who had already established a life in the U.S., some 5,000 miles from her homeland.

New Orleans-based offshore oil industry service provider Laborde Marine Management  announced that Ashton P. Laborde has been appointed as President of the Company effective January 1, 2019. Laborde joined the Company in 2007 and most recently served as Director of Marketing. Throughout his career at Laborde Marine, Ashton has held various positions of increasing importance in operations. The marine company which owns or operates a fleet of 25 vessels also annouced that  John Peter Laborde, III, has joined the Company as Director of Finance. John Peter recently received a Master’s in Accounting and a Master’s of Management in Energy from Tulane University.Additionally…

Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. said that Kyle Buese will be joining the company as Executive Vice President of Operations effective January 7, 2019.Buese is a graduate of Tulane University where he received his Master of Business Administration degree and a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans where he received his Bachelor of Business Degree. Buese is also an active CFA charterholder.Buese has worked at Kirby Corporation since 2006 where he has served in several key roles including General Manager, River Vessel Operations; General Manager, Vessel Operations; and Regional General Manager, Marine Systems Inc. In addition to Buese’s various roles within Kirby Corporation…

Eric Crooker has been promoted to vice president of contracts and pricing for Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division.Effective immediately, Crooker will have overall responsibility for contracts, estimating and pricing, and export/import licensing and compliance for the Ingalls shipyard and will report to Tom Stiehle, Ingalls’ vice president, business management, and chief financial officer.Crooker succeeds Don Perkins, who will retire from Ingalls on July 1.Crooker joined HII in 2012 and served as a senior counsel at Ingalls.

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Board of Directors has elected Kevin McEvoy as Chairman and Dave Welch as Vice Chairman for the upcoming 2016-2017 term. McEvoy and Welch assumed their positions at the NOIA Annual Meeting today in Washington, D.C. Since 2011, McEvoy has served as Chief Executive Officer of Oceaneering International, Inc., global provider of engineered services and products, primarily to the offshore oil and gas industry, with a focus on deepwater applications. He also serves on the company’s board of directors, and was the NOIA Vice Chairman for the 2015-2016 term. “I am honored for the opportunity to serve as Chairman of NOIA.

AKD says the lack of an unambiguous term to describe a ‘ship’ in several jurisdictions represents a potential threat to asset security for financiers, particularly in the offshore and renewable energy sectors. AKD partner Haco van der Houven van Oordt says, “In many jurisdictions, including the US and the UK, there appears to be no clear definition of a ship. A recent Tulane Maritime Law Journal study illustrated how a variety of floating objects which have no means of propulsion and/or ability to carry cargo or passengers cannot easily be registered as a ship.

Elliott Bay Design Group LLC (EBDG) says it has welcomed two new Marine Engineers to its team: William Summers (Bill) in its New Orleans office and Eileen Tausch in its Seattle office. Summers is a seasoned marine professional with more than three decades experience in the offshore and oilfield industry. His varied background encompasses the development and planning of marine engineering vessel modifications and new construction vessel operations. He holds a MBA from Tulane University and a BS in Marine Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Tausch graduated with a BS in Naval Architecture from the University of Michigan (U‐M) and minored in Electrical Engineering.

EBDG welcomes two new Marine Engineers to its team: William Summers (Bill) in its New Orleans office and Eileen Tausch in its Seattle office. Summers is a seasoned marine professional with more than three decades experience in the offshore and oilfield industry. His varied background encompasses the development and planning of marine engineering vessel modifications and new construction vessel operations. He holds a MBA from Tulane University and a BS in Marine Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Tausch graduated with a BS in Naval Architecture from the University of Michigan (U‐M) and minored in Electrical Engineering.

The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced its 2014 board of trustees. Consisting of 117members, the Coast Guard Foundation Board of Trustees and Directors oversees management of the organization and helps to provide resources to advance the Foundation’s mission to support the service of men and women in the United States Coast Guard. This year, the board welcomes three newly elected officers and four new members to its executive committee, as well as three new board members. Robert J.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has appointed Christopher Land to be its General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs. Land assumes his post on March 3. As general counsel, Land will provide advice, opinions and representation on all areas of law affecting the Institution. Among his duties will be engaging in Institution strategy and business development; providing counsel and advice concerning compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations affecting research and higher education organizations; and negotiating, drafting and reviewing contracts.

Alion Science and Technology, a global engineering, technology and operational solutions company, announced that Kevin Boyle has joined the company as General Counsel. Mr. Boyle’s expertise includes government contracts law and litigation, M&A, equity and debt financing, SEC compliance and intellectual property. He will support Alion’s worldwide growth strategy as well as corporate governance and ethics initiatives. Mr. Boyle was formerly General Counsel for MCR, LLC, where he established the company’s first legal department and corporate governance functions and helped navigate the company through several important legal and regulatory challenges.

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans has elected Daniel F. Packer chairman; also Gregory Rusovich as Vice Chairman, and Scott Cooper as Secretary-Treasurer. Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed Mr. Packer to the Board in January of 2010. He succeeds Mr. Joseph F. Toomy, whose term as chairman expired this month but will continue to serve as a commissioner. Mr. Packer, who will serve a nine-month term as chairman, is a native of Mobile, Ala. He earned a bachelor’s degree…

The Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), a member of the YCF Group of companies and exclusive administrator of the world’s largest quality ship register, has appointed Christian Mollitor to the position of vice president. This newly created role represents a return to LISCR for Mollitor. Having formerly held the position of Assistant Department Head of Seafarer Certification and Documentation, he left the registry in 2001 to further develop his career. This…

Baker, Lyman and Co., Inc. hired John Scarborough as senior consultant. He is an authorized agent for Germanischer Lloyd on the Corsair Towing Safety Management Systems (TSMS) Strategic Alliance for Subchapter M compliance software for the domestic towing industry. Scarborough holds a Maritime Law degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He previously sailed with Rene J. Cheramie & Sons in the Gulf of Mexico and aboard large commercial yachts world-wide. www.bakerlyman.com

Dean Taylor bid farewell to his post as Tidewater Inc.'s chief executive officer on May 31, following a prosperous, far-flung career of 34 years at the New Orleans-based company. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Platt, who has worked side by side with Taylor for fifteen years, took the helm. And Jeff Gorski was named the new COO. In his decade as chief, Taylor guided Tidewater's fleet expansion. The company has poured hundreds of millions of dollars yearly into an energetic building-and-acquisition effort.

Northrop Grumman names Teri G. Marconi Vice President & General Manager of Naval and Marine Systems Division. In her new position, Marconi will have executive responsibility for all naval and marine systems programs within Northrop Grumman's Baltimore-based Electronic Systems sector, including operations in Annapolis and Sykesville, Md.; Charlottesville, Va.; Sunnyvale, Calif.; Bethpage, N.Y.; Ocean Springs, Miss.; Harvey, La.; Kings Bay, Ga.; and New Malden, U.K. Marconi joined the company in 1985 and has held a variety of leadership positions in program management…

“The 2008 financial crash slowed  the luxury business, and the new class warfare coming out of Washington has made owning a large yacht out of favor. In the more than two years since its founding, Mississippi-based TY Offshore, the former Trinity Offshore, has invested in a new yard in Gulfport and repaired its storm-damaged New Orleans holdings. The company has doubled its capacity and racked up new orders, president and CEO John Dane III said. TY Offshore designs and builds offshore barges, tugs, oilfield-support vessels and spill-response and patrol vessels. The company's new name, adopted in late June, should make business simpler. “We decided to rebrand for two reasons,” Dane said.

In the more than two years since its founding, Mississippi-based TY Offshore, the former Trinity Offshore, has invested in a new yard in Gulfport and repaired its storm-damaged New Orleans holdings. The company has doubled its capacity and racked up new orders, president and CEO John Dane III said. TY Offshore designs and builds offshore barges, tugs, oilfield-support vessels and spill-response and patrol vessels. The company's new name, adopted in late June, should make business simpler. “We decided to rebrand for two reasons,” Dane said.