William P. Byrne practices primarily in the areas of ocean and intermodal (multimodal) transportation, with extensive experience in road, rail and ocean transportation, including federal/state compliance issues, charter parties, motor carrier, and broker, truckload, less than truckload, and intermodal (multimodal) agreements, equipment management, i.e., chassis, container, railcar and trailer leasing, acquisition, interchange (AAR and UIIA) and M & R agreements. Mr. Byrne has represented buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions and restructuring transactions including the sale and/or lease of rail lines for and on behalf of all classes of rail carriers.
Mr. Byrne practiced maritime and admiralty law in New York, New York from 1980 to 1989. In 1989, he assumed the office of CEO of a New York based company that acted as the exclusive U.S. representative of a major Brazilian ship-owning and chemical group. As such, he acquired extensive experience in business transactions in Brazil and conversational fluency in Portuguese. He has also served as in-house counsel to a U.S.-based holding company whose subsidiaries or affiliates produce salt and other sodium-based products in the United States and Europe.
Mr. Byrne has served as an arbitrator in a number of maritime arbitrations in New York.
In May 1999, Mr. Byrne was invited by the Florida Supreme Court to speak on behalf of the candidates at the ceremony for induction of candidates for admission to The Florida Bar at the Florida Supreme Court.