Jonathan Waldron is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).
Jonathan Waldron is the former chair of Blank Rome’s Maritime practice group and concentrates his practice in maritime, international, and environmental law. Jon counsels clients, both domestically and internationally, and focuses on:
- Offshore wind farm permitting and compliance
- Coastwise trade including the Jones Act and U.S.-related citizenship issues
- Environmental maritime compliance and pollution response
- Vessel/facility operations and legislative and regulatory affairs
- U.S. vessel Build and Rebuild requirements
- Outer Continental Shelf (“OCS”) energy issues including OCS crewing exemptions and mariner visas
- Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (”NTSB”) investigations
- Liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) licensing
- Customs compliance
- Fisheries industry compliance
Jon served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years, attaining the rank of commander, and was senior counsel to the Marine Spill Response Corporation, where he provided on-scene legal advice at major spill events.
He is ranked by Chambers USA as a leading attorney for shipping regulatory matters, with Chambers sources stating that he has a “deep knowledge of maritime and environmental laws” and is “iconic when it comes to D.C. regulatory matters.” Chambers has also noted that Jon is said to be the “top expert on the Jones Act” and is “known for his prominence in matters relating to the Coast Guard.” Sources say that he is “the ultimate professional,” “knowledgeable, wise, well known in the industry and a pleasure to work with,” and particularly appreciate that he is “very well connected within the Coast Guard.”
Outside the Firm
Jon is an active tennis player and traveler.