I recently had coffee with an acquaintance who works in real estate. He was aware that our law practice has a focus on shipping and presumed we were very busy because of the events taking place in the Strait of Hormuz. What was most interesting about his presumption and the conversation that followed, was the awareness that geopolitical events that affect shipping cause significant disruption to global economic stability. He discussed the increased costs associated with managing buildings, in part due to rising fuel costs leading to increased prices for products and services. In addition to the economic implications, I explained to him about the increased pressures placed on owners, managers, insurers, and crew to keep ships moving safely and efficiently. This month’s issue touches on several issues related to the Iran War, including disruptions to navigation and legal risk, and also includes a primer on the Jones Act waiver related to the transportation of oil, natural gas, and other products between U.S. ports.
At the end of our coffee, I felt like I had given a class on the basics of global shipping to an eager pupil who was ready to learn about how the international shipping industry affects our daily lives. It is hard to imagine the chaos and destruction that would ensue if shipping came to a worldwide halt. We would quickly revert to the Dark Ages. In short, international shipping is vital to supporting the global supply chain and ensuring stable economies, and governments must allow for free navigation.
Blank Rome Recognized in China Business Law Journal’s 2025 Deals of the Year
Blank Rome has been recognized in China Business Law Journal’s 2025 Deals of the Year in the International Trade Investigations category. The firm was honored for its work advising on U.S. sanctions de‑listing matters. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury formally and unconditionally removed the vessel MV Xuan Ning, owned by Jinghan Shipping, from the Specially Designated Nationals list. The Blank Rome team was led by partners Matthew J. Thomas and Victoria Ortega. Read More >>
Chambers Global 2026 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices
Chambers Global 2026 recognized Blank Rome as a global leader in Shipping: Litigation. Senior counsel John D. Kimball was also recognized in Shipping: Litigation for his industry knowledge and leading practices. Read More >>
SWERT is an interdisciplinary group of Blank Rome attorneys and government relations professionals with decades of experience helping companies and individuals recover from severe weather events, including hurricanes, wildfires, mudslides, snowstorms, earthquakes, and tornadoes. We are ready to assist those in the path of storms and other severe weather events.
I recently spent four days on a commercial vessel while it transited from port to port delivering cargo. As a former mariner I really enjoyed being back out at sea, but I quickly realized how much has changed for the life of a mariner.
While an old sailor may think that STCW work hour restrictions and modern technology, i.e., global telecom and computerization, have made life at sea a tad less taxing mentally and physically, they would be wrong. While the mariner 35+ years ago worked without hour restrictions and did not have an iPhone to stay in touch with family or friends, shore leave was easier and work contracts were shorter.
Today, the fast pace of in-port cargo operations and visa restrictions make port leave a thing of the past for most mariners. On top of that, contract lengths are now generally six months for officers and nine months for ratings.
In short, life at sea is hard. One mariner said to me during the transit, “it would be nice to get a call every so often asking me how I’m doing.”
I know there are many organizations that support seafarers and hats off to them. More can be done by other stakeholders. If you are sitting at your desk and you have the phone number of a mariner, call them up this New Year and ask how they are doing. You will be surprised how much that small gesture means to them.
Blank Rome Maritime Group Named 2025 Transport – Shipping Firm of the Year in Annual Lexology Index Awards
Blank Rome has been named the Transport – Shipping Firm of the Year in the 2025 Lexology Index Awards. Lexology presents the Index Awards to individuals and firms that demonstrate exceptional performance based on the publication’s independent research. Only one firm is honored in each featured practice area. Read More >>>
Blank Rome Highly Ranked in Best Lawyers® 2026 Edition of “Best Law Firms”
Blank Rome was ranked nationally in 28 practice areas and regionally in 100 practice areas in the 2026 edition of “Best Law Firms” by Best Lawyers®. The firm was ranked Tier 1 nationally in Admiralty and Maritime Law, as well as Tier One regionally in Houston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Read More »
Keith B. Letourneau Named Maritime Attorney of the Year by Texas Lawyer
Partner Keith B. Letourneau has been named Maritime Attorney of the Year by Texas Lawyer and Law.com as part of the 2025 Texas Legal Awards. The Texas Legal Awards honor individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the legal profession and to the state of Texas. The Maritime Attorney of the Year award recognizes a legal professional who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and achieved significant success in maritime law over the past year. Read More »
Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Best Lawyers in America®
Blank Rome was recognized in the 2026 Best Lawyers in America survey, which ranked 235 firm attorneys in the annual categories of “Lawyers of the Year,” “Ones to Watch,” and “Best Lawyers” in 60 practice groups across 14 regions. Partners Keith B. Letourneau and Thomas H. Belknap, Jr., were recognized in the “Lawyers of the Year” category for Admiralty and Maritime Law in Houston and New York City, respectively. Additionally, 14 Maritime attorneys were recognized as “Best Lawyers.” Read More »
Chambers USA 2025 Honors Blank Rome Maritime Attorneys and Practices
Chambers USA 2025 nationally ranked Blank Rome’s Maritime practice and attorneys in the following areas:
Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Finance
Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (New York) – #1 ranking
Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York) – #1 ranking
The firm’s ranked Maritime attorneys include: Thomas H. Belknap, Michael Bell, William R. Bennett, Jeanne Grasso, John D. Kimball, Keith B. Letourneau, Richard Singleton, Anthony Salgado, Douglas Shoemaker, Matthew J. Thomas, and Jonathan K. Waldron. Read More »
Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices Highly Ranked in The Legal 500 United States 2025
Blank Rome’s Maritime group and attorneys have been highly ranked and recommended in The Legal 500 United States 2025. Researchers at The Legal 500 conduct annual, in-depth market research and gather information from individual law firms as well as feedback from peers and clients to form an objective analysis and prepare comprehensive rankings and editorial of the U.S. legal market.Read More »
Trump Administration Resource Hub
We invite you to visit our Trump Administration Resource Hub to explore our thought leadership provided by a team of attorneys dedicated to providing comprehensive analysis and actionable insights to help navigate the complexities and opportunities presented by the administration’s executive orders, policies, and regulatory changes.
Appellate Insights: Winning on Appeal
We are excited to introduce a new issue of Blank Rome Appellate Insights: Winning on Appeal, a monthly digital newsletter dedicated to appellate law. This publication highlights significant appellate court decisions, as well as trends and developments shaping litigation strategy across the country. In each issue, readers will find timely analysis, case spotlights, and commentary from our experienced Appellate Litigation team. To read the latest edition of Appellate Insights: Winning on Appeal, please click here.
The BR International Trade Report
The January 2026 issue of The BR International Trade Report, Blank Rome’s monthly digital newsletter, highlights international trade, sanctions, cross-border investment, geopolitical risk issues, trends, and laws impacting businesses domestically and abroad. Click here to read it.
The BR Privacy & Security Download
We invite you to read our January 2026 edition of The BR Privacy & Security Download, the monthly digital newsletter of Blank Rome’s Privacy, Security & Data Protection practice, which covers current trends and updates in the areas of state, local, and federal laws and regulations, U.S. litigation and enforcement, and international laws and regulations, as well as the group’s recent events and webinars, media activity, and news. To view the latest edition of The BR Privacy & Security Download, please click here.
SWERT is an interdisciplinary group of Blank Rome attorneys and government relations professionals with decades of experience helping companies and individuals recover from severe weather events, including hurricanes, wildfires, mudslides, snowstorms, earthquakes, and tornadoes. We are ready to assist those in the path of storms and other severe weather events.
The seafarers of today’s global fleet are the lifeblood of our industry, working tirelessly to keep ships operating safely from port to port. “Perseverance” may not be the first word that comes to mind when asked to describe a mariner. Yet, it may be the most accurate when taking into account the time most mariners spend at sea, working away from family and friends for months on end, through heavy storms and rough seas. Working at sea is a grind. And there are no vacation days to recalibrate or take a deep breath.
It is my belief that it is up to us: the onshore maritime community that benefits from those who go to sea, to support our seafarers whenever we can. One way to help is to donate your time or money to an association that directly helps mariners. This year, the Seamen’s Church Institute (“SCI”) will hosted its Mountain Challenge from September 25 to 28 at Sunday River Resort in Maine. More than 50 teams of three maritime industry professionals will compete in challenges that involve hiking more than 30 miles of rugged terrain, mastering obstacles, and canoeing the Androscoggin River. Perseverance is a must to complete the course.
The goal is not to win, but to raise funds to benefit SCI and its noble mission of compassionately serving mariners and seafarers. If you wish to support an SCI Mountain Challenge team, more details and information on how to donate are available here: scimountainchallenge.org.
