Download - 5/19/12 Meeting Minutes
-
7/31/2019 5/19/12 Meeting Minutes
1/4
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
TORTS AND INSURANCE PRACTICE SECTION
ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME LAW COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
May 19, 2012, 1:00 p.m.Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina
In attendance:
Christopher Nolan, Holland and Knight LLP, AMLC Chair
Laurie Sands, Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP, AMLC Chair-Elect
Jessica Martyn, Troutman Sanders LLP, AMLC Vice Chair
Olivia Palmer, Charleston Law School, AMLC Vice Chair and Law School Liaison
Ryan Tennet, Charleston Law School
Alan Swimmer, National Maritime Services, Inc.Marygrace Schaeffer, DecisionQuest
Brian Miller, Royston Rayzor
Business meeting:
Christopher Nolan opened the meeting with introductions of those in attendance and began the
business meeting with a discussion of the Law Student Writing Competition.
Writing Competition
Laurie Sands advised that the AMLC had received 16 high quality entries for this years
Competition - an increase over the approximately seven entries the AMLC received in the 2011
Competition. Sands attributed the increase in entries to the AMLCs outreach to local law
schools during ABA meetings and to individual AMLC member outreach to professors and law
schools in members geographic areas. Competition application information was distributed in
Fall 2011 and the entry deadline was April 6, 2012. Competition entrants were asked to submit
an approximately 20 page paper, footnoted, discussing a hot topic in admiralty and maritime
law. The winner will be selected prior to the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The winning
entry will be published in the AMLC Newsletter and the winner will receive $500.00 plus
$500.00 towards his or her attendance at an ABA meeting. The AMLC will also attempt to find a
forum for publishing the other higher quality Competition submissions.
Newsletter
The AMLC has established themes for individual Newsletters and published a special edition for
the anniversary of the Titanics sinking. The Newsletter has also adopted a section, Trade
Talk, featuring interviews with general counsel, discussing issues they encounter in the
-
7/31/2019 5/19/12 Meeting Minutes
2/4
maritime industry. Upcoming Newsletters will feature views on piracy and arguments for and
against armed security aboard ships and arguments regarding what liability shipowners should
bear for incidents arising from the use of armed security. The next newsletter will publish in July
right before the ABA Annual meeting.
Continuing Legal Education
The AMLC is working on presenting a joint CLE program with the Maritime Law Association
during the MLA fall meeting in New York, New York. The proposed CLE will feature a panel of
Protection and Indemnity Club representatives, discussing legal issues they encounter. The
AMLC and MLA, through the ABA/MLA liaison program, are working together to identify
synergies and establish a robust collaborative relationship.
The AMLC presented a webinar in November 2011 regarding North American Emissions
Control Areas and partnered with West to provide admiralty content for Wests legal education
website. In addition, the AMLC participated in the Safe Ports program at the ABA TIPS Fallmeeting in Seattle, WA and West videotaped that program.
The AMLC is considering a March 2013 Webinar CLE regarding maritime bankruptcy or Jones
Act (cabotage) issues.
Prospective focus for AMLC: Membership
The AMLC will designate Vice Chairs to run specific projects. Membership building is currently
a major focus for TIPS and the AMLC. To that end, the AMLC is focusing on increasing
member involvement through Vice Chair positions and designated member roles. Over the pastyear, the AMLC has added 32 members and lost eight members. The AMLC is ranked seventh
out of thirty-two TIPS committees in the number of members added. Christopher Nolan
attributed some of that increase to international content and international authors published in the
Newsletter. Such content may have contributed to the increase in membership among
international attorneys.
The AMLC supports its members adding content to the member page and contributing to the
AMLC LinkedIn page. The AMLC will survey the membership to gauge member interest in
certain events and CLE topics and will pursue partnerships with the ABA International Law
Section. The AMLC will continue its regional outreach in conjunction with ABA meetings to
improve the AMLC memberships geographic diversity. AMLC Vice Chair, Raymond Waid,
proposed that the AMLC identify a person of year to acknowledge the successes of committee
members. The AMLC is considering the logistics for putting this recognition in place.
AMLC events during ABA TIPS Charleston meeting
-
7/31/2019 5/19/12 Meeting Minutes
3/4
AMLC Vice Chair, Olivia Palmer, hosted a cocktail party for the AMLC and the Charleston
admiralty bar at her family home on the Battery overlooking Fort Sumter in Downtown
Charleston. It was very well attended by the local admiralty bar, ABA TIPS leadership, the
AMLC, and Charleston School of Law students. The AMLC thanks Olivia Palmer and her
family for their hospitality in hosting such an outstanding event.
The AMLC presented a panel discussion to Charleston Law School students regarding the
practice of admiralty and maritime law and a question and answer session to offer advice to law
students hoping to practice in that area of law.
Upcoming ABA/AMLC Meetings and Events
The AMLC will continue to seek out opportunities to host dynamic events in conjunction with
upcoming ABA meetings.
During the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago, August 2-6, 2012, the AMLC will not host a lawschool event because classes will not be in session. The AMLC will host an event with the
Chicago admiralty bar and has invited Gavin OHare of CED Investigative Technologies, Inc. to
address the AMLC during its business meeting on Saturday, August 4 at 7:30 am at the
Sheraton Hotel, the local TIPS hotel during the conference. Registration is now open at:
http://ambar.org/annual
The AMLCs Scope Statement will not be revised this year, but will be broadened next year.
Industry Presentations
Marygrace Schaeffer of DecisionQuest and Alan Swimmer of National Maritime Services, Inc.
each presented to the AMLC, describing the services their respective companies offer.
DecisionQuest is a TIPS sponsor that offers trial consulting and research services, legal graphics
and courtroom technology, ADR strategic consulting, jury testing, and online jury research tools.
Arbitration is a new key focus. Additional information is available at: http://
www.decisionquest.com
National Maritime Services, Inc. handles the seizure, recovery, arrest, and custody of commercial
and pleasure vessels and aircraft. NMSs affiliate, National Liquidators, has handled thousands of
pleasure vessel recoveries and liquidations of those assets. Additional information is available at:
http://www.vesselarrest.com/index.php
The AMLC thanks Ms. Schaeffer and Mr. Swimmer for joining us at our business meeting and
for their presentations to the Committee.
http://www.decisionquest.com/http://maestro.abanet.org/trk/click?ref=zpqri74vj_3-15ab6x31691dx119198&http://www.vesselarrest.com/index.phphttp://www.vesselarrest.com/index.phphttp://www.decisionquest.com/http://www.decisionquest.com/http://www.decisionquest.com/http://www.decisionquest.com/http://maestro.abanet.org/trk/click?ref=zpqri74vj_3-15ab6x31691dx119198&http://maestro.abanet.org/trk/click?ref=zpqri74vj_3-15ab6x31691dx119198& -
7/31/2019 5/19/12 Meeting Minutes
4/4
* * *
Special thanks to Vice Chair Jessica Martyn
for preparing these comprehensive minutes.