Mainbrace
To read the full text of the articles in the June 2013 edition of Mainbrace, please download the attached PDF.
When Rule B Attachment Will Not Help
by William R. Bennett III
Since 2008, the shipping market (in particular, the bulker market) has been badly affected by a decreased demand for shipping, largely due to the global financial crisis. To date, the shipping market is struggling, and claims for unpaid charter hire continue to surface along with the traditional assortment of other claims that arise between contracting parties. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
Queen Sonja Receives Nora Award
On April 25, 2013, the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce ("NACC") presented Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway with the Nora Award for Women of Achievement. The newly created award, named after the strong-willed character, Nora, in Henrik Ibsen's play, A Doll's House, honors women who have reached high levels of achievement in their chosen fields and whose efforts have promoted the bonds between the United States and Norway. Queen Sonja received the award in recognition of her deep involvement in a number of important social causes, as well as her tireless support and promotion of Norwegian art and culture. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
The Budget Outlook for Maritime Programs for FY2014
by Joan M. Bondareff and Abigail Goldstein Jagoda
We are halfway through Fiscal Year 2013 ("FY2013") and some of the budget details and spending plans for federal maritime agencies are still unresolved. In the meantime, the President has submitted his budget request for FY2014 and Congress is debating its outcome. Sequester cuts and fights over whether the sequester should continue into 2014 are continuing. The outlook for a grand bargain over the budget between the President and Congress does not look positive at the time of this writing. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
Chambers 2013 Honors Blank Rome Maritime Attorneys
Chambers 2013 says: Blank Rome is recognized for its strong lobbying and legislative talents and its authoritative regulatory advice in the shipping arena. Interviewees speak of the group's impressive maritime background and breadth of practice. It advised oil and gas company Furie Operating Alaska on a judicial review of a $15 million penalty under the Jones Act following the movement of a drilling rig from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska. Key clients include Carnival Corporation and Marine Spill Response Corporation. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
Are You Prepared for the Phase II Vessel General Permit Regime?
by Jonathan K. Waldron
On April 12, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") published its formal Notice of Final Permit Issuance in the Federal Register announcing that the Vessel General Permit ("VGP") currently in force ("2008 VGP"), which regulates discharges incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels, will be replaced by a Phase II VGP Regime ("2013 VGP") effective on December 19, 2013. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
Is Your Oil Spill Response Contractor Classified by the USCG? Does It Matter?
by Alan M. Weigel
In response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Congress enacted the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 ("OPA90"). OPA90 imposed various requirements to prevent and respond to future disastrous oil spills. Among those requirements is the preparation and submission of oil spill response plans for all tank vessels and for certain oil-handling facilities. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
The Obama Administration Releases Its Ocean Policy Implementation Plan—Some Highlights
by Joan M. Bondareff
On April 16, 2013, Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, and John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chairs of the President's National Ocean Council, released the Administration's action plan (the "Plan") for implementing the National Ocean Policy established under E.O. 13547. (View PDF to read the rest of this article)
Notice: The purpose of this newsletter is to identify select developments that may be of interest to readers. The information contained herein is abridged and summarized from various sources, the accuracy and completeness of which cannot be assured. The Advisory should not be construed as legal advice or opinion, and is not a substitute for the advice of counsel.