Forty years is a considerable amount of time in any case, but for the marine pollution liability industry, it’s an entire lifetime. WQIS, which essentially founded the industry in 1971, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2011 with signature moments taking place throughout the year. The anchor event was a cocktail party at The Public House in New York’s midtown. Attended by close to 300 industry professionals, it was a veritable who’s-who of the marine industry. “We wanted an event that was simple and elegant, but that really said ‘thank you’ to all of those in attendance, as they’re the ones who have helped us reach this milestone,” said Richard Hobbie, President of WQIS. “This is a big deal for us,” said Russ Brown, Executive Vice President of WQIS.