Prindle, Decker & Amaro's maritime practice covers everything from ship finance and transactional work to litigation, both commercial and casualty. It includes marine insurance, maritime personal injury, marine casualties (sinking, strandings, collisions, dock damage, oil spills, hazmat releases, etc.). It also has a significant regulatory aspect, dealing with agencies such as the Federal Maritime Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. EPA as well as various state and county agencies.

Maritime Law also includes criminal defense - A member of the Prindle, Decker & Amaro team recently won acquittals of a shipowner and ship master changed criminally following an oil spill in a World Heritage marine reserve. This is believed to be the world's first (and so far, only) acquittal under the "damage to vessel defense" provisions of MARPOL (the oil pollution treaty of which the U.S. and most of the world's shipping nations are members). The decision, published in America and Europe, resulted in "clarifying legislation". One of the team members represented the shipowner in the complex commercial litigation, in federal and various state courts, arising from the largest oil spill in California in the last 30 years.

With its pre-eminent position in some of the nation's largest ports, Prindle, Decker & Amaro has developed an advanced expertise in maritime law. Its attorneys over 50 years combined experience in handling a wide variety of maritime issues.

The newest member of the Prindle, Decker & Amaro team qualified as a Proctor in Admiralty in 1988, and has served on both the Marine Ecology and Marine Insurance committees of the Maritime Law Association of the United States. His maritime practice has included the litigation and arbitration of disputes involving vessel interests and counseling shipowners and their underwriters on issues of international trade. In addition to his work in the Untied States, he has practiced maritime law in Australia, and Asia.

Publications:

· Marine Insurance Coverage: Special Report of the Maritime Law Association, Maritime Law Association of the United States, 2001. Co-author of Part 4 (Collisions), Part 5 (Damage to Other Vessels) and Part 6 (Damage to Docks, Piers etc.). The Report will also be published by the American Bar Association and can be found on the website of the Maritime Law Association (www.mlaus.org).

· Navigation; Collisions and Liability; Marine Inquiries, in Australasian Maritime Law, (Michael White QC ed.) The Federated Press 2000.

· International Dispute Resolution in the New Economy, in China IT Policy & Legislation, Vol. 2, (J.T.H. Chang, Isabelle Wan and Philip Qu, eds.) TransAsia Publishing Ltd., 2001.

· Legislative Trends: International Law and the Internet in China, in China's IT Policy & Legislation, Vol. 1, (J.T.H. Chang, ed.) TransAsia Publishing Ltd., 1999.

Maritime Litigation and Trade experience:

· Obtained Superior Court judgment of $400 million for Japanese bank in action to enforce foreign judgments against a Japanese property developer holding assets in California.

· Advised oil company regarding farm-out agreement and division of royalty payments for offshore production facility. Dispute involved several hundred million dollars.

· Represented California-based manufacturer of hardware and software telecommunications products in dispute with Beijing-based distributor in China. Presently in arbitration before the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), with Beijing venue.

· Represented European shipowner in charterparty dispute involving the laying of submarine gas pipelines. Presently in arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), with New York venue.

· Represented claimant in a dispute between Chinese and Japanese commodity traders over a contract for the purchase of petroleum products. This was an ICC arbitration, with Chinese venue and English choice of law.

· Represented broker in commission claim against oil company. Proved conspiracy and fraud. Obtained District Court judgment verdict for full contract claim, plus costs.

· Represented foreign oil exploration company in ad hoc arbitration against American oil producer arising from the hostile takeover. Claimants were successful in all claims, resulting in a large recovery.

· Represented defense interests in ship collision and resulting loss of ship and release of toxic chemicals (23,000 tons of powdered copper concentrate) and heavy fuel oil. Representation included District Court litigation and Coast Guard Marine Board of Inquiry.

· Represented shipowner in criminal prosecution for oil spill in World Heritage Marine Park. Obtained what is believed to be the world's first (and only) successful defense under the "accidental discharge" provisions of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL Convention). The prosecution was used as a test case by the London insurance market, has been reported internationally and resulted in "corrective" legislation.

· Represented clients in various transportation casualties, including dealings with Federal (USCG, DOJ, FBI), State (California Fish & Game, Attorney General) and county (district attorney and police).

· Represented Japanese transportation corporation in accidental release of hazardous materials (pesticides) at California port. Responsibilities included liaison with state and county environmental agencies. Prosecuted claim for clean up expenses against pesticide manufacturer and obtained judgment in Taiwan for full clean up costs and disruption to operations.

Insurance Experience:

· Represented London underwriters in claims resulting from the contamination of aviation fuel leading to the grounding of over 4000 general aviation aircraft.

· Represented, at trial and on appeal, marine underwriters defending claimed constructive total loss of a commercial vessel. The decision established law on the issue of multiple-causation in marine insurance.

· Represented London underwriters in coverage dispute involving catastrophic destruction of agricultural product valued at $30 million.

· Represented international airline and its underwriters in claim for destruction of pharmaceuticals.

· Represented European manufacturer of heavy-equipment in coverage dispute involving $17 million in stock and business interruption losses resulting from factory fire.

· Advised foreign oil company regarding restrictions under the Trading With The Enemy Act. Environmental Experience:

· Represented primary defendant in one of the largest oil spills in California's recent history (400,000 gallons of crude oil). Representation, extending over seven years, included multiple litigations (state and federal courts) and arbitration (domestic and international). Defended class action claims of for damage to business interests. Defended state and federal environmental damages claims under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment provisions (NRDA) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Counseled and represented client in dealings with federal, state, county and city authorities.

· Represented manufacturer in complex toxic tort litigation alleging contamination to groundwater at Los Angeles Superfund sites.

· Represented environmental consulting firm in CERCLA costs recovery claims for release of arsenic in large residential development. Obtained summary judgment in claim for more than $100 Million.

· Counseled privately held and publicly listed corporations on environmental compliance issues, including the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA 90), Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act (TAPA), Federal Water Pollution Control Act; California Clean Water Act; and CERCLA.

· White-collar criminal defense of several oil pollution or other environmental release prosecutions.

· Designated lead outside attorney on emergency oil spill response team for major oil company. Participated in response planning and emergency drills.

· Represented privately-held oil company in relation to the environmental consequences of the catastrophic failure of an offshore oil exploration rig resulting in the release of massive quantities of oil and natural gas. Negotiated dismissal of all criminal charges and the relief from the requirement (costing tens of millions of dollars) to cap the well.