Chief Counsel News

The World Shipping Council (WSC), a trade association representing the international liner shipping industry, announced it has appointed Tamekia Flack as its new Director of U.S. Government Relations, effective immediately. Flack will lead WSC’s efforts to advance key safety, security and environmental priorities in the U.S.Flack brings a wealth of experience from her career in maritime transportation law and policy, having most recently served as the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) following a period as MARAD’s Chief Counsel.

HII announced Julie Jarrell Gresham has been named vice president and chief counsel of the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. She will succeed George Simmerman Jr. who will retire March 31, 2023, after 32 years with the company.Gresham, who previously served as deputy chief counsel and director of compliance and privacy, will report directly to Chad Boudreaux, HII’s executive vice president and chief legal officer, and indirectly to Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson.

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting.Del Wilkins, President of Illinois Marine Towing, Inc., was elected Chairman; Clark Todd, President & Chief Operating Officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected Vice Chairman; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc. was elected Treasurer. Wilkins succeeds outgoing Chairman Arthur F.

As of April 1, Ronald Suhlmann will become chief financial officer of Damen Shipyards Group. He succeeds Tom Touber, who held this position ad interim for two years.Suhlmann started his career at Ballast Nedam and moved to Damen in 2015, where the register controller was both financial director of the Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate's naval and yachting divisions. With his appointment as CFO, Suhlmann becomes a member of Damen's executive board.In addition, the areas of risk,…

Lucinda Lessley has been named Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the Biden Administration announced Thursday among a number of key appointments to its Department of Transportation (DOT) leadership team.Lessley will lead MARAD until an Administrator is nominated by the Biden Administration and confirmed by the Senate. She takes over from Doug Burnett, MARAD's Chief Counsel, who had been serving as Acting Administrator following Mark Buzby's resignation in the wake of the Capitol intrusion earlier this month.

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) said it will award $19.6 million in federal funding to support efficiency improvements and modernizations at America’s small shipyards.The investments awarded annually by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s MARAD through the Small Shipyard Grant Program help U.S. shipyards and their workers to reap the benefits of increased production capabilities, and boost yards’ competitiveness in the global marketplace.Since its inception in 2008…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Tuesday authorized the construction of two additional National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV), marking a key milestone for one of America's most high-profile shipbuilding programs.The new vessels will replace aging training ships at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine, and Texas A&M Maritime Academy in Galveston, Texas. MARAD previously authorized the construction of the first two NSMVs, destined for SUNY Maritime College in Bronx…

Mark Buzby, the Trump-appointed head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), has resigned following the violent intrusion of the U.S. Capitol by the President's supporters, the agency confirmed to MarineLink.“I no longer believe that I am able to serve as a member of the administration while remaining true to the values which have been the core of my service to the people of our nation,” said Buzby, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral.Buzby's resignation took effect Monday, January 11. He served as Maritime Administrator since August 2017.MARAD, part of the U.S.

Arthur F. Mead, Vice President and Chief Counsel at Crowley Maritime Corporation, has been elected Chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), succeeding outgoing Chairman Scott Merritt, former Chief Operating Officer with Foss Maritime Company, LLC.Members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected a new slate of leaders this week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting, which was held virtually due to COVID-19 precautionary measures that resulted in the meeting not taking place in Washington…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday Rear Adm. Melissa Bert has been invested as judge advocate general and chief counsel of the Coast Guard. Bert is the service’s first woman to hold that office.Bert was most recently the director of Governmental and Public Affairs for the Coast Guard, where she was responsible for external engagement with Congress, the media and other inter-governmental entities.As judge advocate general and chief counsel, Bert will lead a group of legal professionals who are responsible for the delivery of all legal services in support of the Coast Guard's missions…

New Jersey's Governor Phil Murphy has signed an executive order to establish a Council for the Wind Innovation and New Development (WIND) Institute.The institute will develop and implement a plan to create a regional hub for New Jersey’s offshore wind industry and will build upon the Murphy Administration’s commitment to making the state a national leader in offshore wind.“From job creation to workforce development to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, the WIND Institute and the council tasked with its development make good on our commitment to building a New Jersey economy fit for the 21st century,” said Governor Murphy.“Centralizing…

Port Everglades' largest tenant is urging the Florida Board of Pilot Commissioners to reject a proposed fee increase for harbor pilot services that it says would unfairly raise average pilotage costs more than 100 percent for shipping lines that call frequently at the port.While the proposed fee structure would decrease fees for cruise ships, it would hike the costs for companies that operate frequent-call feeder vessels that sail in and out of Port Everglades, Crowley Maritime Corporation said in a statement.

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that Jon Arena has been named vice president and chief counsel of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. He will succeed Jim Gildea, who retired on April 1. Arena will be a key member of the law department’s leadership team, reporting directly to Kellye Walker, executive vice president and chief legal officer, and indirectly to Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin. In this role, he will be responsible for providing legal advice and counsel to senior management and overseeing and coordinating the provision of legal advice to Newport News. Arena comes to HII from Boeing, where he served as senior counsel, Boeing Global Services, since 2015. Prior to Boeing, he served as a senior attorney at NASA from 2002 to 2015.

Former FMC counsel David Tubman has served in FMC Commissioner Doyle's office as counsel since 2013 at U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. After being cleared by the White House and U.S. Department of Transportation late last week, starting today (February 22, 2016), Mr. Tubman will be serving as Chief Counsel in U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD). William Doyle, U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner, said in a statement, "David and I have been working together since the beginning of 2002. I know that David will succeed in his new role.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) informs that two members of its legal team received Patriot Awards from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for their support of employees who are active in the National Guard or National Reserve. Jim Gildea, vice president and chief counsel of the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division, and Charles Neff, HII's senior staff counsel, were nominated by Leila Garcia, a Newport News Shipbuilding paralegal who serves in the Virginia Air National Guard. Employees serving in the National Guard or Reserve can nominate their supervisors for the Patriot Award to recognize efforts that support employees' military service. Support can include flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, and granting leaves of absence if needed.

The United States effectively treats foreign seafarers more harshly than any other group that enters the country without breaking the law. The general rule is that all persons who are not U.S. nationals or permanent residents must have a visa to enter the United States. Persons desiring to become U.S. citizens or permanent residents must obtain an immigrant visa. Most other persons desiring to enter the United States for a limited period of time must obtain a nonimmigrant visa. To obtain a nonimmigrant visa, one must have a valid passport and complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 and submit it and a photograph (head shot) to the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on Tuesday he has tapped former state Attorney General John Degnan to chair the board of the embattled Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The board's former chairman, David Samson, resigned in March amid reports that federal prosecutors in Manhattan were looking into a potential conflict of interest between Samson's role as chairman and his private law firm. The bi-state authority has come under intense scrutiny since the so-called Bridgegate scandal erupted early this year…

Denise Rucker Krepp, former Maritime Administration Chief Counsel who currently advocates on behalf of the U.S. domestic ship recycling industry, issued a statement at the Coast Guard Shipping Coordinating Committee Meeting March 12, 2014, in Preparation for the April 2014 Maritime Environment Protection Committee Meeting. Below are her comments. Good morning. My name is Denise Krepp and I am representing EMR-Southern Recycling. As I mentioned last year, EMR-Southern Recycling is the premier metal recycling operation in the U.S.

The U.S. Maritime Administration this morning had no official comment on information received by Marinelink from well placed sources that Marad Chief Counsel Denise Krepp had departed her post within the DOT's maritime modal arm. If true, Krepp would be just one more in a string of high level officials to leave the embattled department in recent months. Krepp was officially sworn in as the Chief Counsel of the Maritime Administration on September 28, 2009. According to the U.S. Maritime Administration's WEB site, the MarAd Office of the Chief Counsel is under the direction and supervision of the Chief Counsel, who reports to the Maritime Administrator. The Chief Counsel is appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, with approval of the President.

U.S. Anti-corruption enforcement is on the rise in the United States and worldwide. International traders, as well as transportation and logistics companies, have been hit hard by enforcement actions. The speakers at the FTA seminar will discuss measures that companies can take to comply with these legal requirements and how to mitigate the risks associated with anti-corruption enforcement actions. The significance of Panalpina and associated cases and the UK Bribery Act will be discussed. Williams Mullen International partner, Trade Attorney Evelyn Suarez will speak on 'Mitigating Risk' and she states: "Prudent companies involved in international trade…

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites the public, officials and other Marine Transportation System stakeholders to participate in a national maritime strategy symposium from January 14-16, 2014. This purpose of this forum is to solicit public views and gather information, insights and experiences to  assist in the development of a National Maritime Strategy. To allow for a more detailed discussion, this initial meeting will focus on the opportunities and challenges for growing the  U.S.-flagged international fleet. Information on registering for the symposium is below. The public meeting will also be broadcast live via web streaming and a listen-only telephone line. MARAD will make a link to the live stream available at http://marad.dot.gov.

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) board of directors has elected Stephen D. Yslas, 61, corporate vice president and general counsel effective Jan. 1, 2009. Yslas succeeds W. Burks Terry who is retiring Dec. 31, 2008. In his new role, Yslas will be responsible for oversight of all of the company's legal matters. He will report to Ronald D. Sugar, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, and become a member of the company's Corporate Policy Council. The board also elected Joseph F.

President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate David T. Matsuda, Administrator, Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation. David T. Matsuda has been serving as Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator of the United States Maritime Administration since July 2009. He is a transportation professional with more than a decade of experience in federal transportation policy, programs and oversight. Prior to his current position, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), where he served as a chief policy advisor and focused on issues including surface transportation reauthorization…