As CMA Shipping 2018 convenes, we are more than a year into the Trump administration and it is fair to say that the U.S. regulatory framework for the shipping industry has seen some changes. In this issue of Mainbrace, we drill down on relevant developments in “Trump and the Maritime Industry: A Look Back and Forward.” Additionally, we offer an update on the Jones Act, an important subject that continues to be a focal point for our industry, as well as offer a report on developments concerning the vexing topic of ballast water management.
In our law practice, we have continued our long-term focus on maritime environmental matters and regularly advise our clients on compliance measures. Avoiding problems is a sure way to achieve profits and value, which is the key theme of this year’s CMA conference. Along those lines, this issue of Mainbrace includes suggested tools to strengthen environmental compliance. We also continue to encounter distressing matters involving cybersecurity, and offer a cautionary tale for the shipping industry that we hope our readers will take time to consider, as well as provide a thoughtful analysis on recent varying decisions and approaches from New York bankruptcy courts regarding territorial limits of U.S. Bankruptcy Code avoidance powers.
Lastly, technology continues to develop in the shipping industry and we provide a look ahead to developments in the areas of Smart Ships, drones, and innovative collaboration. I expect we will be focusing on these topics for some years to come.
We hope you enjoy this issue of Mainbrace and always welcome your feedback and suggestions for future articles.
It has been about 15 months since the U.S. Coast Guard (“USCG”) type-approved the first three ballast water management systems (“BWMSs”) in December 2016; three more BWMSs have been type approved since. Yet, ballast water management remains one of the most challenging and frustrating regulatory issues of the past decade because of inconsistencies in the international and domestic regimes. This is largely because the United States is not party to the International Maritime Organization’s Convention on the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (the “Convention”). Rather, the United States regulates ballast water unilaterally under the National Invasive Species Act, which differs in certain ways from the Convention, especially when it comes to approving equipment to meet the standards set forth in the Convention and the USCG’s implementing regulations. As such, ballast water compliance challenges remain far from resolved. In some cases, for example, especially with respect to USCG compliance date extensions, the policies continue to evolve on an ad hoc basis, often causing confusion. 
Keith Letourneau Named Co-Chair of Blank Rome’s Maritime and International Trade Practice Group
Once upon a time, a shipping company in a land far, far away fell victim to a sophisticated, yet common, e-mail scam that resulted in the loss of more than a million dollars. Due to a slight manipulation to a legitimate e-mail address, in the stroke of a key this company transferred millions of dollars into the account of a cyber-criminal. The story you are about to read is true, and should serve as a cautionary tale to all players in the maritime industry who rely on e-mail communications to conduct business and transfer funds on a regular basis.
Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that the Firm’s maritime practice was highly ranked both nationally and regionally in the U.S. News & World Report—Best Lawyers® 2018 “Best Law Firms” survey.
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