Maritime Law Litigation

Maritime Law (also known as Admiralty Law) is a separate body of law governing a variety of maritime-related disputes. Individuals working in the maritime industry are at a higher risk of injuries due to their scope of work, so following best maritime safety guidelines is key to staying safe in their role.

The Lanier Law Firm has represented a broad range of clients in numerous Jones Act (Seaman’s injury) cases; Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) cases; cargo carriage disputes; oil spills; water pollution claims; vessel financing, operation, construction and re-building disputes; maritime liens; commercial/contractual claims (including charter parties); and a variety of other maritime disputes.

The maritime lawyers at The Lanier Law Firm have a broad wealth of knowledge concerning this area of law, including advanced degrees and specialized maritime law designations.

Call 800-723-3216 now to see if our law firm can pursue compensation for you and your family. Consultations are free.

Our lawyers have achieved substantial resolutions on behalf of hundreds of clients in maritime disputes, including:

  • A ship’s captain who had been wrongfully fired by the vessel’s owners and denied his wages and completions bonus;
  • Disabling personal injuries sustained by crew members on both ocean-going and “brown water” vessels;
  • Numerous personal injury claims of crew members and dock workers related to loading and unloading ships, hazardous conditions on deck and in shipboard compartments, and numerous unseaworthy conditions aboard ship;
  • A ship owner whose ship was sunk and totally lost with all cargo still aboard as a result of negligent loading and securing of the cargo;
  • Pollution claims resulting from oil escaping a sunken vessel;
  • Vessel hull, defective design, poor workmanship and related claims resulting in loss of vessels, both commercial and recreational;
  • The widow and family of a commercial seaman who drowned when the ship he was working on capsized and sank, as well as a mariner / passenger who was injured in the same accident during a negligent rescue attempt;
  • Inland rivers crew members injured while working on pushboats; and
  • Numerous seamen working on vessels doing offshore oilfield-related work.
  • The Lanier Law Firm filed one of the first class action lawsuits on behalf of Louisiana residents and workers affected by the highly publicized BP oil spill that was caused by the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

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Lawrence P. Wilson
Senior Attorney

Lawrence P. Wilson specializes in personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and certain maritime matters. He recently settled a $17.5 million personal injury case and secured a favorable verdict in Schwab v. Ford Motor Company. Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (2012-2021) and named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers.

Headshot of Lawrence P. Wilson, Lanier Law Firm Senior Attorney in personal injury and product liability.
Lawrence P. Wilson

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Senior Attorney
Lawrence P. Wilson specializes in personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and certain maritime matters. He recently settled a $17.5 million personal injury case and secured a favorable verdict in Schwab v. Ford Motor Company. Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (2012-2021) and named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers.

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Alex Abston

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Attorney
Alex Abston specializes in pharmaceutical liability, product liability, and mass torts. She was part of the trial team that obtained one of the first federal jury verdicts in MDL 2804, In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation. Honors include Lawdragon 500 Next Generation (2024) and Texas’ Top 40 Under 40 (2021-2024), among others.

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Alex Brown

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Managing Attorney, Business Litigation
Alex Brown specializes in business litigation, handling complex disputes in federal, state, and international forums. He led trial teams to secure a $9 billion jury award in the Actos case. Recent honors include Best Lawyers (2024-2025) and Lawdragon 500 (2025), among others.

Headshot of attorney Benjamin T. Major from the Lanier Law Firm's Issues and Appeals legal team.
Benjamin T. Major

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Attorney
Benjamin T. Major specializes in issues and appeals, helping preserve multi-billion dollar judgments and secure favorable settlements. Notable achievements include preserving a tort judgment for ovarian cancer victims and defeating motions in antitrust and false claims litigation. Recognized as a Texas Rising Star (2018-2020), among others.

Headshot of Lanier Law Firm Senior attorney Case A. Dam, part of the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure practice.
Case A. Dam

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Senior Attorney
Case A. Dam specializes in asbestos exposure, representing clients with mesothelioma, asbestosis, and related cancers. He has served veterans, automotive mechanics, and workers in various industries. Recognized in the 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, among others.

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Darron E. Berquist

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Managing Attorney, Asbestos Litigation
Darron E. Berquist specializes in asbestos exposure and product liability. He was part of the team that secured a $4.69 billion jury verdict in Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson, linking asbestos in talcum powder to ovarian cancer. Recognized by Best Lawyers for Mass Tort and Product Liability Litigation (2024-2025).

Headshot of David L. Rosenband, Senior Attorney practicing Personal Injury and Pharmaceutical and Product Liability.
David L. Rosenband

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Senior Attorney
David L. Rosenband specializes in pharmaceutical liability, personal injury, and product liability. He served as Liaison Counsel in the New York Bextra/Celebrex litigation and helped secure a $9 million verdict in the NJ Accutane case. Recognized for his work in MDLs and state court litigations.

Headshot of Evan M. Janush, Managing Attorney, New York, for Personal Injury, Pharmaceutical Liability, and Product Liability.
Evan M. Janush

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Managing Attorney, New York
Evan M. Janush oversees the firm’s pharmaceutical and product liability mass tort litigation in New York. He served on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in MDL 2804 and was part of the trial team in the Vioxx cases. Recognized by Best Lawyers for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions (2024-2025) and Lawdragon 500 (2020).

Headshot of Judson A. Waltman is a Lanier Law Firm Managing Attorney for product liability, personal injury and maritime law.
Judson A. Waltman

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Judson A. Waltman specializes in personal injury, product liability, and maritime law. He secured one of the largest verdicts in Ward County, Texas, for an injured oilfield worker and a $2 million verdict for a Central Texas worker. Recognized by Best Lawyers for Personal Injury and Product Liability Litigation (2024-2025).

Headshot of Kevin LaMarca, Senior Attorney in the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure, Personal Injury, and Product Liability practice.
Kevin LaMarca

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Senior Attorney
Kevin LaMarca specializes in asbestos exposure, personal injury, and product liability. He secured multiple seven-figure settlements, including $2.25 million for a deceased papermill worker’s family. Recognized as a National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, Kevin represents clients across the country in both state and federal courts.

Headshot of Manny Cabrera, Lanier Law Firm Senior Attorney for the asbestos exposure and mesothelioma practice.
Manny Cabrera

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Senior Attorney
Manny Cabrera specializes in asbestos exposure and catastrophic injury cases. He has represented clients in asbestos-related matters and personal injury, as well as trucking and premises liability cases. Honored as a National Trial Lawyers Civil Plaintiff Top 40 Under 40.

Headshot of Maura Kolb, Managing Attorney, Asbestos Resolution in the mesothelioma and pharmaceutical liability practice.
Maura Kolb

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Managing Attorney, Asbestos Resolution
Maura Kolb leads the Asbestos Resolution Team, securing millions for clients annually. She was part of the team that won a $258 million Vioxx verdict and has coordinated BP Gulf Oil Spill settlements. Recognized by Lawdragon 500 (2024), Maura serves on several national asbestos trust advisory committees.

Headshot of Megan Waida, Senior Attorney in the Lanier Law Firm's Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure practice.
Megan Waida

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Senior Attorney
Megan Waida specializes in asbestos exposure and appellate cases. Named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2018-2021), Megan advocates for asbestos victims and has a strong background in complex litigation.

Headshot of Michael A. Akselrud, Senior Attorney in our Business Litigation, Personal Injury, and Product Liability practice.
Michael A. Akselrud

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Senior Attorney
Michael A. Akselrud specializes in personal injury, business litigation, and product liability. He was part of the trial team that secured a $4.69 billion verdict in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder case. Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star (2016) and named to LawDragon 500 (2020).

Headshot of Michelle Greene, Senior Attorney in our Pharmaceutical Liability and Product Liability practice.
Michelle Greene

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Senior Attorney
Michelle Greene specializes in pharmaceutical and product liability, with a focus on toxic torts. She represented clients in AFFF and PFAS contamination cases. Recognized by Best Lawyers as “”Ones to Watch”” (2024-2025) and listed in Lawdragon’s Next Generation (2025) for Plaintiff Litigation.

Headshot of Patrice McKinney, Lanier Law Firm Senior Attorney in personal injury, product liability, and FELA.
Patrice McKinney

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Senior Attorney
Patrice McKinney specializes in personal injury, product liability, and FELA cases, with a focus on railroad workers injured on the job, car and trucking collisions, and oilfield injuries. Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (2017-2024) and Best Lawyers (2024-2025) for Personal Injury.

Headshot of Rachel Lanier, Managing Attorney, Los Angeles, Product Liability and Pharmaceutical Liability
Rachel Lanier

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Managing Attorney, Los Angeles
Rachel Lanier specializes in pharmaceutical and product liability, helping secure the $4.6 billion verdict in Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson. Recognized by Best Lawyers (2024-2025) for Mass Tort and Personal Injury, Rachel leads the firm’s social media addiction lawsuits and represents clients in high-profile MDLs.

Headshot of Rebecca Phillips, The Lanier Law Firm's Mass Torts Director.
Rebecca Phillips

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Mass Torts Director
Rebecca Phillips specializes in pharmaceutical liability, business litigation, and appeals. Co-lead counsel in the Bard Implant litigation, she also helped secure billions in opioid recovery for Texas. Recent honors include Super Lawyers Rising Star and Lawdragon 500 (2024-2025), among others.

Headshot of Sam E. Taylor, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Lanier Law Firm Personal Injury practice.
Sam E. Taylor

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Senior Litigation Counsel
Sam E. Taylor is board-certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law, with over 30 years of experience. He has tried over 50 civil jury trials, including mesothelioma and wrongful death cases. Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer since 2008, Sam holds an AV Preeminent Rating for 25+ years.

Headshot of Zeke DeRose, Lanier Law Firm Senior Attorney, Business Litigation
Zeke DeRose

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Senior Attorney
Zeke DeRose specializes in business litigation, antitrust, and product liability. He is part of the legal team in an antitrust case against Google and represents the State of Arkansas in litigation against Meta. Recognized by Lawdragon 500 (2025) and Best Lawyers (2025), Zeke is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100.

Headshot of Lanier Law Firm Senior attorney Catherine Heacox, part of the Personal Injury, Pharmaceutical and Product Liability practice.
Catherine Heacox

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Senior Attorney
Catherine Heacox specializes in pharmaceutical liability, personal injury, and product liability. Recognized by Super Lawyers as New York Metro Super Lawyer since 2013, Catherine has extensive experience in MDL and mass tort litigation.

Headshot of attorney Richard D. Meadow who serves as Of Counsel for the Lanier Law Firm.
Richard Meadow

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Of Counsel
Richard Meadow’s broad legal experience spans multiple practice areas and jurisdictions. He is recognized in Best Lawyers 2025 for his work in Mass Tort Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation. With over three decades of experience, Richard has dedicated his career to championing the rights of injured individuals.