Nymar News

In March 1656, Andrew Kilvert brought suit against Jan Geraerdy in the Court of Burgemeesters of the colony of New Netherland, demanding the release of his vessel, which had been arrested to obtain payment for the sale price of Kilvert’s ship. The practice of arbitration of maritime matters in New York, therefore, has its beginnings in Dutch law. Dutch rule in New Netherland (New Amsterdam) lasted less than 50 years. With the English takeover in 1664, most of the Dutch settlers elected to stay in what its new rulers named New York. In 1766, a statute concerning arbitration was enacted in the colony, and shortly after the founding of the New York Chamber of Commerce in 1768, the arbitral system became further embedded in New York.

On November 13, the newly formed New York Maritime Consortium, a coalition of leaders from New York Maritime Inc. (NYMAR), the Society of Maritime Arbitrators (SMA), the Maritime Law Association (MLA) and the Association of Shipbrokers and Agents (ASBA), will host an event entitled “New York and London: Perception and Reality”. According to the event’s organizers, key industry figures from the areas of finance, arbitration and law from both sides of the Atlantic have been invited to illustrate the strengths of each jurisdiction, and how the two relate to each other. Chief Judge Loretta Preska of the Southern District of New York Federal Court will moderate the event. The forum will be held from 2:30-6 p.m. at The Harvard Club.

NYMAR (New York Maritime Inc.) board members will visit the Nor-Shipping expo to promote the New York Maritime cluster. Leading the delegation is NYMAR’s newly anointed Chairman, Clay Maitland of the Marshall Islands Ship Registry. Joining him are Brian Devine, newly of Norton Rose,  Seward & Kissel partner Larry Rutkowski, AMA Capital Partners’ Kevin O’Hara, Kathy Haines of Heidmar, and Nordea’s Martin Lunder. “Nor-Shipping is an ideal opportunity for NYMAR to broadcast the attractiveness of New York as a business center”, stated delegation leader Maitland.

Clay Maitland to join Peter Shaerf as organization’s chief drivers. New York Maritime Inc. (NYMAR) Chairman, Peter Shaerf of AMA Capital Partners, has announced  that Clay Maitland will join him in heading this organization whose mission is to promote the New York maritime cluster effective immediately. NYMAR will be celebrating its tenth anniversary next year. Together they will serve as Co-Chairmen of the organization. “There are many strategic opportunities that are arising out of the current economic crises” stated Shaerf.

The Significant Economic Impact of the New York-New Jersey Port and Maritime Industry. More than 279,200 jobs generated by activity in the Port of New York and New Jersey, according to a study released today. The independent economic impact study of port operations, prepared by A. Strauss-Wieder Inc., of Westfield, New Jersey, showed that jobs directly associated with port activity increased by nearly 3.5 percent, despite turbulent economic conditions, since the last time a similar comprehensive economic impact analysis was conducted in 2008. The assessment also shows the significant economic value that the port and maritime industry has and continues to generate through investments in the Region’s maritime infrastructure and through the capital markets.

New York City – April 29, 2011 – Holland & Knight is pleased to announce that Brad L. Berman has joined the firm as Partner in the firm's New York City office. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Berman served as Executive Director of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the world's second largest ship registry and 60+ year old corporate registry, where he oversaw all aspects of the Liberian corporate and shipping program, including corporate and other entity formation, and ship registration and mortgaging.

April 22, 2011—Statue Cruise’s M/V Respect will be the venue for a joint Propeller Club and NYMAR 2011 New York Harbor Cruise. Passengers will embark from Battery Park at 6:00 on May 4th for a close up of the spectacular Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Manhattan views, dinner and drinks. Proceeds from the event will go to relief in Japan after the recent earthquake and tsunami. “After a long, cold winter, the maritime community is ready to come out of hibernation and get back on the water,” stated Propeller Club Chapter President Carleen Lyden-Kluss.

Maritime Reporter invited Carleen Lyden-Kluss, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association to provide an overview of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20, our maritime world changed. No matter how you slice it, everyone in the maritime industry feels the effects of the tragedy; the loss of 11 lives and injury to 17 others, the extensive environmental impact, the economic fallout and ongoing costs, the exposure of weaknesses in the response system, and the regulatory changes that will result from this. The details of the event are well known:  the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also called the BP Oil Spill/the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, is now considered the largest offshore spill in U.S. history.

On Monday, October 26th, Emery W. Harper passed away following complications from surgery, leaving his spouse/partner Louis (Luigi) Terruso and his daughter Caroline (Carrie). Harper practiced law for 45 years, representing the full spectrum of clients with major interests in the shipping industry. He founded the Maritime Finance Committee of the US Maritime Law Association, was Chair of the Admiralty Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the International Section of the American Bar Association.

Commandant Thad Allen, in a recently signed letter, announced that the United States will be the host of the 2009 World Maritime Day Parallel Event being held in New York City and around the country on October 16. The event will be marked in New York with a delegate conference, a “Green Ship” Exhibition, Student Science Fair and a reception. At the urging of Commandant Allen, activities with marine environmental protection themes will take place in ports around the nation marking the event. “We are honored to be the hosts of the 2009 International Maritime Organization (IMO) World Maritime Day Parallel Event. The Parallel Event is an opportunity for the maritime community to come together with the public to celebrate the contributions of the maritime industry…

On Friday, May 30, New York Maritime Inc. president Peter Shaerf (center) opened the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York City, highlighting the growing importance of the marine industry in the equity markets globally. On NASDAQ alone there are 40 maritime companies listed. Shaerf, flanked by about 50 colleagues from the New York metro area, noted the importance of the timing of the occasion, prior to the opening of the Posidonia exhibition in Athens, Greece.

Peter Shaerf, a Managing Director of investment house AMA Capital Partners LLC, was recently elected the new Chairman of the Board of NYMAR (New York Maritime Inc.). He takes over the reins from Bill Honan of Holland and Knight. In his first week in office, Peter has stated his intent to better market New York as “The Capital for Shipping”. Peter joined AMA in 2002. He started in the industry over 30 years ago and worked for many years as a shipbroker for container and dry cargo vessels. Peter is also a Director of General Maritime Corp (NYSE), Seaspan Corporation (NYSE), and TBS International (NASDAQ).

A forum entitled “New York Maritime Matters: Capital Markets: Today and Tomorrow” will be held on September 20th at the Lincoln Center Campus of Fordham University School of Law. Sponsored by New York Maritime (NYMAR) and the Fordham University School of Law, the seminar will be held from 4-6pm, followed by a wine reception. This forum will explore the recent volatility in the capital markets and the impact on shipping, as well as examine capital requirements for port infrastructure. Led by AMA Capital Partners’ Managing Director Peter Shaerf, a panel of shipping experts including Sophocles Zoullas (CEO, Eagle Bulk), John Wobensmith (CFO, Genco Shipping & Trading) and Omar Nokta (Analyst, Dahlman Rose) will discuss the recent volatility in the shipping capital markets.

New York Maritime Inc. (NYMAR) has elected new officers and three new directors. William J. Honan III, a partner in the New York office of law firm Holland & Knight, has been elected chairman, succeeding founding chairman Robert J. Gruendel. "This is an exciting time to be at the helm of NYMAR as we grow and promote the exceptional opportunities for the shipping industry in New York," Honan said. "The city’s creativity, energy and perseverance are unmatched anywhere else. Other officers elected at a board meeting on January 12 were Keith W. Heard, a partner in the law firm of Burke & Parsons, as vice-chairman; Lawrence Rutkowski, partner and head of the Transportation Finance group in the law firm of Seward & Kissel…