U.S. Offshore Wind Restart Underscores Legal Risk in Project Logistics

Maritime attorney Sean Pribyl was quoted in a Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International article on the contractual and logistical issues that offshore wind developers, freight forwarders and carriers faced after stop-work orders temporarily halted U.S. offshore wind projects under construction. Although all five affected projects later secured preliminary stays allowing work to resume, disruptions created immediate questions about how parties should manage delays, diversions and related costs for cargo already in transit. Mr. Pribyl said the starting point is the governing contract and when the language is unclear, parties must look at the governing jurisdiction, in particular local regulatory determinations and case law.

"COVID drove new considerations for force majeure, and now we are seeing that again," he said. "What happens to the cargo when it can't be delivered to the site or marshalling port?"

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