Thank you.
Everyone appreciates acknowledgement for hard work and a job well done. It’s human nature. An occasional pat on the back makes us feel good about what we are doing, and it makes us strive harder to earn the recognition we receive.
There are two recent bits of recognition that we were particularly gratified to earn. The first is from the 2016 editions of Chambers Global and Chambers USA, which once again recognized our maritime practice and many of our partners and associates as being among the very best, particularly in the areas of dispute resolution and regulatory matters. As a firm, Blank Rome was also recognized in the areas of bankruptcy, government contracts, insurance, labor and employment, and corporate/M&A, among others. These are all practice groups with which we regularly interact on client matters, and our Maritime Industry Team brings all of these practices together to provide a full range of legal services for the maritime industry. The Chambers ratings are also particularly gratifying because they are based on feedback from our clients and peers. (See page 11 for Blank Rome Maritime’s Chambers USA 2016 rankings, or visit www.blankrome.com/ chambersusa2016.)
The second is from Lloyd’s List, which awarded Blank Rome its 2016 North American Maritime Award for “Maritime Services – Legal” for the second year in a row. This award is “for exceptional achievement or contribution to any service sector of the North American maritime industry by a company, individual or organisation.” (See page 10 for more information.)
Like any actor winning an Oscar, we know we have many people to thank: our partners for supporting our practice in all the ways that they do; our associates for always striving to give us their best work; and our paralegals, assistants, and professional staff for always striving to make our work product look its very best. But mostly, we thank you, our clients, for giving us the opportunity to help you get the job done in a challenging, complicated, and sometimes confounding business environment.
We literally could not do it without you.