2024 Speakers
Rob Collins
Preston Turnbull LLP
Mr. Collins is a Partner at Preston Turnbull LLP, with 5 of his 17 years in the marine industry at an International Group P&I Club. Mr. Collins brings a commercial, practical approach to shipping and trading disputes in both court and arbitration. He has acted for a range of shipowners, charterers and insurers in relation to a variety of wet and dry matters, often involving complex, multi-jurisdictional issues and direct action claims against insurers.
Aksana M. Coone
The Law Offices of Aksana M. Coone
Ms. Coone is California Certified Admiralty and Maritime Law Specialist practicing in Los Angeles with a focus on personal injury and wrongful death claims of cruise ship passengers and crew. She is a graduate of UCLA (cum laude) and Southwestern University School of Law (magna cum laude) and is admitted to practice in California as well as the District Courts of California and the Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Coone is a member of the Maritime Law Association, and the current Chair of the American Association for Justice, Admiralty Section. She formerly represented all the major cruise lines in various personal injury litigation cases and appeals and advised CLIA (Cruise Line International Association), cruise lines and tour operators on legal and regulatory issues, policies and procedures and international maritime conventions.
Hon. Jeremy Fogel
Berkeley Judicial Institute
Judge Fogel is the first Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, a center at Berkeley Law School whose mission is to build bridges between judges and academics and to promote an ethical, resilient and independent judiciary. Prior to his appointment at Berkeley, he served as Director of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC (2011-2018), as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of California (1998-2011), and as a judge of the Santa Clara County Superior (1986-1998) and Municipal (1981-1986) Courts. He was the founding Directing Attorney of the Mental Health Advocacy Project from 1978 to 1981.
Michael I. Goldman
The Goldman Maritime Law Group
Mr. Goldman was counsel of record in the case of Great Lakes Ins. SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty Co., LLC, 601 U.S. 65; 144 S. Ct. 637, 641 (2024). Since he graduated from law school in 2008, Mr. Goldman’s practice at The Goldman Maritime Law Group has been devoted exclusively to the representation of marine insurers and underwriters in coverage disputes with insureds. Acting through local counsel, he has litigated in multiple states beyond those to which he is admitted, including Florida, Michigan, California, Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio. He holds degrees from Boston College Law School (Class of 2008) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Class of 2004). Mr. Goldman lectures frequently to underwriters and claims personnel in the marine insurance industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. Most recently, he was a featured speaker at the 2024 Tulane Admiralty Law Institute.
John Giffin
Keesal Young & Logan
Mr. Giffin has been an attorney with Keesal Young & Logan since 1979 and a shareholder in the Firm since 1984. He opened the Firm’s San Franciso office in April, 1984. John is the senior maritime shareholder in the firm and supervises marine work throughout the firm’s five offices. Keesal Young & Logan routinely represents vessel interests in legal matters involving the operation and management of ships of all types and sizes. This includes representing vessel owners, managers and charterers in personal injury claims, cargo claims, and casualties, including groundings, collisions, and oil spills.
Jason R. Harris
Farrell Smith O’Connell
Mr. Harris has practiced maritime and admiralty law in North Carolina for more than 23 years. He frequently represents clients and insurers concerning serious bodily injuries, fatalities, casualties, marine salvage, wreck removal, catastrophic property damage events, construction disputes and coverage matters. In addition, Jason has extensive experience providing counsel to clients on corporate and risk management issues. Jason has served as General Counsel, Director of Legal and Corporate Secretary for an international marine salvage, wreck removal, decommissioning, and underwater services company. Jason is proud to have had the opportunity to serve in the Alabama and North Carolina Army National Guard as a military policeman and a Judge Advocate General Legal Assistant. He knows how to work hard to offer clients efficient and effective results and business-minded solutions.
John F. Karpousis
Freehill Hogan & Mahar
Mr. Karpousis has been practicing law for over two decades, joining Freehill Hogan & Mahar in 1996, where he has been a Partner since January 2002 and currently heads the firm’s Workers’ Compensation defense practice. He graduated with a B.A. from Rutgers University in 1990, and received his Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law in 1993.
Jarod A. Krissman
Krissman & Silver LLP
Mr. Krissman is a Partner at Krissman & Silver LLP. He has dedicated himself to seeking justice on behalf of workers, consumers, and injured persons. Mr. Krissman is routinely recognized by his peers and Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in plaintiff’s personal injury litigation. The Courtroom View Network featured his Trial advocacy as Essential Viewing for other attorneys and consumers. The Daily Journal and Jury Verdict Alert have also featured his verdicts and settlements on multiple occasions.
Neil S. Lerner
Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen LLP
Mr. Lerner is a partner at Cox Wootton Lerner where he practices maritime and admiralty law with an emphasis on marine insurance. He has litigated numerous marine insurance cases in state and federal court. He is a Southern California Super Lawyer for maritime law for the past 13 years and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for 2025.
Todd D. Lochner
Lochner Law Firm PC
Mr. Lochner graduated Cum Laude from the Tulane Law School, with a Maritime Law Certificate from the Tulane Maritime Law Center and a Certificate of Advanced Study and Training in Arbitration. Prior to starting his own law firm in 1999, Mr. Lochner worked at a maritime law firm located in the Port of Baltimore and for the general counsel of Airbus (the North American office). Mr. Lochner keeps abreast of changes in the maritime law as a member of the Maritime Law Association and by attending education programs sponsored by the Admiralty Law Institute. He served in the leadership of the Recreational Boating Committee of the United States Maritime Law Association for nearly 20 years, as well as being a member of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland, and serves on the board of directors of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.
Marker E. Lovell
Gibson Robb & Lindh LLP
Mr. Lovell is a Partner at Gibson Robb & Lindh LLP, where he focuses on the defense of maritime and landside personal injury and death actions, sports and recreation litigation and product liability defense, with an emphasis on the defense of maritime employers in Jones Act and LHWCA 905(b) actions, vessel owners, recreational marine providers, marinas, and marine and landside product manufacturers. Mr. Lovell also has substantial experience in the areas of insurance fraud, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, and subrogation.
Marilyn Luong
Translation Expert
In elementary school, a lifelong passion began for Marilyn Luong; she was already translating and interpreting for family. And it was then she knew she wanted to devote her life to connecting people through language. After graduating from UC Davis as the student commencement speaker, she attained her Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation (Chinese/English) from the world-renowned Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
For the past quarter century, Marilyn has been providing the highest level of professional translation and interpretation services, specializing in the legal sector. Marilyn has witnessed the impact of translations—both accurate and inaccurate—and she has devoted her life and career to defending a translation’s right to accuracy. Beyond translation services, she also provides services as a Chinese Translation Expert; she provides consultation to attorneys on translation issues, monitors deposition interpreters, and also gives her testimony as an expert witness in deposition, court, and through written declaration.
Marilyn is uniquely qualified to be a Chinese Translation Expert, with among the highest credentials in the US.
- In the US, there are currently 38 US District Court Professionally Qualified Mandarin Chinese interpreters. Marilyn is one of the 38.
- In the state of California, there are currently 15 interpreters who are Court-Certified in both Mandarin and in Cantonese. Marilyn is one of the 15.
Among both highly qualified groups, very few hold Master’s degrees in Translation. Marilyn is one of those few.
Eric Matheson
Freehill Hogan & Mahar
Mr. Matheson is a Partner at Freehill Hogan & Mahar. He is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Operations and Technology, a marine transportation program enhanced with marine engineering studies. He served in the U.S. Navy on a guided missile frigate as both a deck and engineering officer. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited Third Mate’s License.
Mr. Matheson has been named a Rising Star in the field of maritime law from 2015 through 2019 by New York Super Lawyers, and in 2018 was listed as a recommended attorney by The Legal 500. In 2019 – 2024, The Legal 500 named him as a “Next Generation Partner.”
Mark Meredith
Roose+Partners
Mr. Meredith is a partner with the London law firm Roose+Partners having joined there in the summer of 2019. Heis one of the partners responsible for the marine casualty team at Roose+Partners and is widely involved in a number of high profile casualty cases such as the EVER GIVEN and the MAERSK FRANKFURT. Roose+Partners was set up in 2012 by four lawyers who previously were at Clyde & Co and whose predominant practice was representing cargo insurers, brokers and their Assureds in relation to a wide variety of claims and counter-claims to include Lloyds’ Open Form salvage claims and General Average claims. Prior to joining Roose+Partners, Mr. Meredith worked for a number of years with a well established City of London law firm and before that, worked in London, Singapore and New York with a well know marine transit consultancy. Interestingly, Mr. Meredith started his career at Clyde & Co and therefore the wheel has come full circle as it were.
Michael J. Nakano
Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen LLP
Mr. Nakano is a Partner in the Honolulu Office of Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen LLP. With a focus on business defense litigation, admiralty/maritime law, trust and estate litigation, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), administrative law, general commercial litigation, and personal injury defense, Mr. Nakano brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to each case. Mr. Nakano has been recognized by Super Lawyers from 2011 to 2024 and listed in Best Lawyers from 2021 to 2024.
Carlos F. Llinás Negret
Nelson & Fraenkel LLP
Mr. Llinás is a partner at Nelson & Fraenkel LLP. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Admiralty and Maritime Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Llinas’ practice focuses on complex commercial vessel litigation against the world’s largest cruise operators. Some of his notable representations include: seafarers’ rights and Jones Act cases, cruise ship passenger personal injury and wrongful death, recreational boating and jet-ski accidents, wage claims, limitation of liability actions, shipboard sexual assaults, seaplane casualties, Rule B attachments, vessel arrests, United States Coast Guard negligence, and shipboard medical malpractice. A distinguished promoter of seafarers’ rights, Mr. Llinás was featured in the investigative series, Dispatches, for the British public service network, Channel 4. Entitled Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck, the documentary went undercover to reveal what life is really like for the crew that lives below deck of some of today’s most luxurious ocean liners. Seen by an international audience, the documentary received worldwide attention as it exposed disparate pay and horrific work conditions.
André M. Picciurro
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP
Mr. Picciurro is a Partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP in the firm’s Maritime and Environmental/Toxic Tort practice groups. He enjoys defending the firm’s clients against myriad personal injury and property damage claims involving groundwater contamination, exposure to benzene, lead, asbestos, diacetyl, chlorine dioxide, and other chemicals, food poisoning, gastrointestinal illness outbreaks, and defective products. Similarly, he regularly defends premises owners and landlords in suits brought by guests and tenants claiming exposure to mold, rodents, pests, and other substandard conditions.
The son of a maritime claims adjuster in Miami, Florida, the “Cruise Capital of the World,” André Picciurro attended the University of Miami School of Law, during which time he clerked for a maritime defense firm that hired him out of law school. André was immediately submerged in the defense of cruise lines and other vessel owners in personal injury actions brought by crew and passengers. Now, as a maritime attorney for over two decades, André has piloted his clients through the defense of personal injury claims, domestic and international arbitration of crew member employment disputes and consumer claims, vessel arrests, attachments, cargo claims, oil spill response, limitation of liability actions, and general average claims. As former outside general counsel for the world’s largest cruise line trade association, André provided general corporate advice, drafted internal corporate policies and governance documents, handled labor disputes, reviewed and negotiated contracts, prepared environmental and safety policies, advised on compliance with national and international laws governing advertising, antitrust, and disability issues, and directed outside litigation. André has drafted two amicus curiae briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court and is often asked to draft appellate-level briefs in various jurisdictions.
Nigel Stacey
Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC
Mr. Stacey is a partner at the firm Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC, where he specializes in Jones Act personal injury litigation. Nigel has handled hundreds of Jones Act cases, including claims by fishermen, crabbers, tug workers, and ferry workers, working at both the trial court and appellate court levels. He is proud to fight for injured maritime workers and their families to achieve justice and fairness.
Michael F. Sturley
University of Texas Law School
Prof. Sturley holds the Fannie Coplin Regents Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School, where he teaches inter alia maritime law and commercial law courses and codirects the Supreme Court Clinic. He received his undergraduate education at Yale and has law degrees from Yale and Oxford.
Prof. Sturley is a Titulary Member of the Comite Maritime International (where he served as the Rapporteur for the International Sub-Committee on Issues of Transport Law); a proctor member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States (where he is active on several committees); and a life member of the American Law Institute. He was the Senior Advisor on the U.S. Delegation to Working Group III (Transport Law) of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and a member of the UNCITRAL
Experts' Group on Transport Law. In 2008, American Maritime Cases dedicated its Seventeenth Five-Year Digest to him.
Prof. Sturley has written extensively on maritime subjects, particularly on the carriage of goods by sea. He has lectured on maritime subjects at law schools and conferences in the United States and around the world. He has also been consulted in maritime cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, in many of the lower federal courts, and in state and foreign courts.
Matthew P. Vafidis
Holland & Knight LLP
Mr. Vafidis is a Partner at Holland & Knight LLP, whose practice focuses principally on representing and counseling commercial clients, particularly in the maritime and transportation industry. Mr. Vafidis has an active pro bono practice and he has served as a mediator, including for the U.S. District Court Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, for more than 30 years. Mr. Vafidis is an author of legal articles on dispute resolution, law practice and other topics.
Eduardo Welter
World Class Interpreting Services
Mr. Welter is the founding member of World Class Interpreting Services. He is fluent in Spanish, Italian and English, holding federal and California certified interpretation and translation qualifications. He has been involved in many interpretative environments, ranging from civil litigation, maritime cases as well as forensic crime scenes (among others). He has traveled the world to conduct interpretations, including simultaneous translations.
Caroline Wilson
Collier Walsh Nakazawa LLP
Mr. Wilson is an Associate at Collier Walsh Nakazawa LLP in Long Beach, California, where she focuses on a broad spectrum of maritime-related issues. Her practice encompasses cargo damage and loss, enforcement of lien rights, charter party disputes, environmental matters, and personal injury claims. Caroline handles responses to maritime incidents, including seaman and longshoreman claims, as well as pollution matters. She also has experience in representing clients in public hearings before the California Coastal Commission and Regional Water Quality Control Board relating to environmental matters.
Ms. WIlson earned her J.D. from Tulane University Law School, graduating magna cum laude. While in law school she was an active member of both the Maritime Law Society and Civil Law Society. Prior to law school, Caroline graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.A. in Geography.