James T. Shirley, Jr. practices in the Litigation Section. His areas of practice primarily involve maritime casualties. Mr. Shirley has participated in a wide range of matters concerning marine casualties and pollution response, both in the U.S. and abroad, and has assisted attorneys in foreign jurisdictions with similar matters in their courts. He has also handled and tried personal injury matters arising out of vessel casualties.
Mr. Shirley holds an unlimited U.S. master’s license and has sailed in the U.S. Merchant Marine in all deck officer ratings, including master. He is a marine salvage master and a U.S. Navy trained deep sea diver. Prior to becoming a lawyer he participated on-scene in more than one hundred marine salvage and wreck removal operations.
Mr. Shirley has lectured to numerous industry groups and military units on marine salvage and harbor clearance work. Mr. Shirley has also delivered legal papers on ocean and coastal towing, marine salvage, ship casualties, the 1989 International Salvage Convention, the Lloyds Standard Form of Salvage Agreement and other salvage contracts, the U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990, Liability Salvage, Salvage Posture in the United States, U.S. Coast Guard Involvement in Salvage, Offshore Environmental Challenges, Treasure Salvage, Salvage Arbitration, Deep Ocean Search and Recovery, Marine Insurance and Claims Handling, Salvage in the Era of OPA ’90, Responder Immunity for Salvors, Maritime Criminal Compliance Programs for shipowners and salvors, and LNG Vessel Casualty Response. He participated in drafting the Salvage Arbitration Rules of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators and the U.S. Open Form Salvage Contact.
Representative Engagements