Jones Walker LLP
Jones Walker LLP
AEU Advisory Services, The American Equity Underwriters, Inc.
Gallagher Sharp LLP
Farrell Smith O'Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP
Farrell Smith O'Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP
Jones Walker LLP
Jones Walker LLP
AEU Advisory Services, The American Equity Underwriters, Inc.
Gallagher Sharp LLP
Farrell Smith O'Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP
Farrell Smith O'Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP
Program Details
2026-07-29 12:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-07-29 12:00:00
4h CLE Credits
Intermediate
4
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ESTState-court practitioners learn to classify maritime workers using the Chandris seaman-status test, LHWCA status and situs and the § 905(b) third-party claim, OCSLA offshore coverage, the state-compensation boundary, and removal and remand in maritime jurisdiction disputes.
Christopher M. HannanSara B. Kuebel 1:10 pm - 2:10 pm ESTThis examines how Longshore coverage and exposure are determined, the Longshore–Jones Act divide and seaman status, concurrent jurisdiction where Longshore and state compensation overlap, and General Maritime Law remedies and their interaction with statutory compensation.
John A. Martone 2:20 pm - 3:20 pm ESTAttorneys apply the Grubart two-part location-and-connection test to vessel casualties and the maritime liability presumptions, recreational boating, personal-watercraft, marina and property disputes, and the savings-to-suitors clause and the state-court strategy it permits.
Markus E. Apelis 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm ESTThis addresses application of state tort reform laws in a maritime tort case, evidence of medical expenses and joint and several liability, crafting pleadings and arguments in multi-jurisdictional practice, and recent case law implicating the conflict-of-law issue.
Jason R. HarrisMarissa A. DunsmoreChris Hannan is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group at Jones Walker LLP and a member of the firm’s maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He represents clients across the maritime, insurance, and energy sectors in high-stakes litigation and complex regulatory and contractual matters, both domestically and internationally. A nationally recognized maritime and offshore energy counselor with deep experience in admiralty law, marine insurance, and offshore energy matters, his practice spans both the blue and brown water industries as well as offshore infrastructure and operations. He has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile cases involving the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), vessel collisions and allisions (commercial and recreational), oyster bed and other environmental damage claims, cargo and ocean shipping disputes (including before the Federal Maritime Commission), marine insurance coverage, and limitation of liability actions. His practice also includes advising on indemnity, insurance, and risk allocation in maritime contracts and representing clients in commercial disputes involving shipbuilding, coastwise trade issues, maritime liens, vessel arrests, and anti-indemnity statutes. He has represented clients in multidistrict litigation, arbitrations before various tribunals, proceedings before multiple regulatory bodies (including the US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, and the US Department of the Interior’s Interior Board of Land Appeals), and appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. His work has led to precedent-setting decisions in maritime law, including successful wrongful arrest in rem claims and constitutional challenges in foreign jurisdictions. Before joining Jones Walker, Chris completed a two-month secondment as a claims handler with a Lloyd’s of London insurance syndicate and a fixed-premium protection and indemnity insurer, where he managed a wide range of claims involving vessel operations and general marine matters. Beyond his legal practice, Chris is also a published poet whose work has appeared in numerous journals and magazines; he was selected as the runner-up in the 2010 Faulkner-Wisdom Poetry Contest for his poem Epithalamion and as the grand prize winner in the 2011 Tennessee Williams Festival Poetry Contest for his five-part poem The Nephilim, and his first book-length selection of poems, Alluvial Cities, was published by Texas Review Press in July 2015 after its selection as winner of the 2014 Southern Breakthrough Prize for best unpublished manuscript.
Sara B. Kuebel is a partner in the Jones Walker Maritime Practice Group. She advises clients in a broad range of disputes, with a concentration in maritime litigation, including allisions and collisions and claims under General Maritime Law, the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. She has experience litigating various matters, having assisted with numerous bench and jury trials in both federal and state court, as well as multiple arbitral hearings, and has handled multiple appeals to Louisiana appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, including assisting in the drafting of amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. She also advises clients on commercial matters such as the drafting of charter party agreements, master service agreements, and other transportation-related contracts.
John A. “Jack” Martone serves as Senior Vice President, AEU Advisory Services, at The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. (AEU), which he joined in 2006. He has decades of experience working in all aspects of the Longshore Act and leads AEU Advisory Services. Prior to AEU, Jack served for 27 years in the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, as Chief, Branch of Insurance, Financial Management, and Assessments and as Acting Director, Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation. He is a contributor to and moderator of the AEU Longshore Insider Blog, where he addresses the Longshore Act terms and conditions that matter most in practice for maritime employers, brokers, and claims professionals.
Markus E. Apelis is a Partner at Gallagher Sharp LLP and head of the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime practice group. He maintains a diverse commercial transportation practice focused on the maritime and rail industries. In the marine industry, he represents vessel owners and operators in serious marine casualties, including crew injury or death, collisions, allisions, groundings, and fires, and his admiralty and maritime practice extends to personal injury or property damage matters arising out of the use of personal watercraft. An important component of his practice is providing emergency response and investigative services with respect to maritime and rail emergencies and other catastrophic events.
Jason R. Harris is a Partner at Farrell Smith O’Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP, where he represents and advises clients in a variety of admiralty and maritime law matters as well as general litigation, transportation, and construction matters. He frequently represents clients and insurers in the defense and prosecution of serious bodily injuries, fatalities, casualties, marine salvage, wreck removal, catastrophic property damage events, and construction disputes, and has extensive experience providing counsel on corporate and risk management issues. Before joining FSO, Jason practiced as a partner in other firms in Southeastern North Carolina, with offices in Wilmington (New Hanover County) and Jacksonville (Onslow County). He also took a hiatus from private practice to serve as General Counsel, Director of Legal, and Corporate Secretary for an international marine salvage, wreck removal, decommissioning, and underwater services company headquartered in Houston, Texas, with operational headquarters in Holland.
Marissa Amy Dunsmore is an Associate at Farrell Smith O’Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP, where she practices in admiralty and maritime law and personal injury. She approaches her work with a client-focused, outcome-driven perspective, emphasizing clear communication, careful analysis, and practical solutions tailored to each client’s objectives. A southeastern North Carolina native from Leland, she enjoys the coastal lifestyle and is an avid beach volleyball player.
Chris Hannan is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group at Jones Walker LLP and a member of the firm’s maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He represents clients across the maritime, insurance, and energy sectors in high-stakes litigation and complex regulatory and contractual matters, both domestically and internationally. A nationally recognized maritime and offshore energy counselor with deep experience in admiralty law, marine insurance, and offshore energy matters, his practice spans both the blue and brown water industries as well as offshore infrastructure and operations. He has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile cases involving the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), vessel collisions and allisions (commercial and recreational), oyster bed and other environmental damage claims, cargo and ocean shipping disputes (including before the Federal Maritime Commission), marine insurance coverage, and limitation of liability actions. His practice also includes advising on indemnity, insurance, and risk allocation in maritime contracts and representing clients in commercial disputes involving shipbuilding, coastwise trade issues, maritime liens, vessel arrests, and anti-indemnity statutes. He has represented clients in multidistrict litigation, arbitrations before various tribunals, proceedings before multiple regulatory bodies (including the US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, and the US Department of the Interior’s Interior Board of Land Appeals), and appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. His work has led to precedent-setting decisions in maritime law, including successful wrongful arrest in rem claims and constitutional challenges in foreign jurisdictions. Before joining Jones Walker, Chris completed a two-month secondment as a claims handler with a Lloyd’s of London insurance syndicate and a fixed-premium protection and indemnity insurer, where he managed a wide range of claims involving vessel operations and general marine matters. Beyond his legal practice, Chris is also a published poet whose work has appeared in numerous journals and magazines; he was selected as the runner-up in the 2010 Faulkner-Wisdom Poetry Contest for his poem Epithalamion and as the grand prize winner in the 2011 Tennessee Williams Festival Poetry Contest for his five-part poem The Nephilim, and his first book-length selection of poems, Alluvial Cities, was published by Texas Review Press in July 2015 after its selection as winner of the 2014 Southern Breakthrough Prize for best unpublished manuscript.
Sara B. Kuebel is a partner in the Jones Walker Maritime Practice Group. She advises clients in a broad range of disputes, with a concentration in maritime litigation, including allisions and collisions and claims under General Maritime Law, the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. She has experience litigating various matters, having assisted with numerous bench and jury trials in both federal and state court, as well as multiple arbitral hearings, and has handled multiple appeals to Louisiana appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, including assisting in the drafting of amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. She also advises clients on commercial matters such as the drafting of charter party agreements, master service agreements, and other transportation-related contracts.
John A. “Jack” Martone serves as Senior Vice President, AEU Advisory Services, at The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. (AEU), which he joined in 2006. He has decades of experience working in all aspects of the Longshore Act and leads AEU Advisory Services. Prior to AEU, Jack served for 27 years in the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, as Chief, Branch of Insurance, Financial Management, and Assessments and as Acting Director, Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation. He is a contributor to and moderator of the AEU Longshore Insider Blog, where he addresses the Longshore Act terms and conditions that matter most in practice for maritime employers, brokers, and claims professionals.
Markus E. Apelis is a Partner at Gallagher Sharp LLP and head of the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime practice group. He maintains a diverse commercial transportation practice focused on the maritime and rail industries. In the marine industry, he represents vessel owners and operators in serious marine casualties, including crew injury or death, collisions, allisions, groundings, and fires, and his admiralty and maritime practice extends to personal injury or property damage matters arising out of the use of personal watercraft. An important component of his practice is providing emergency response and investigative services with respect to maritime and rail emergencies and other catastrophic events.
Jason R. Harris is a Partner at Farrell Smith O’Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP, where he represents and advises clients in a variety of admiralty and maritime law matters as well as general litigation, transportation, and construction matters. He frequently represents clients and insurers in the defense and prosecution of serious bodily injuries, fatalities, casualties, marine salvage, wreck removal, catastrophic property damage events, and construction disputes, and has extensive experience providing counsel on corporate and risk management issues. Before joining FSO, Jason practiced as a partner in other firms in Southeastern North Carolina, with offices in Wilmington (New Hanover County) and Jacksonville (Onslow County). He also took a hiatus from private practice to serve as General Counsel, Director of Legal, and Corporate Secretary for an international marine salvage, wreck removal, decommissioning, and underwater services company headquartered in Houston, Texas, with operational headquarters in Holland.
Marissa Amy Dunsmore is an Associate at Farrell Smith O’Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP, where she practices in admiralty and maritime law and personal injury. She approaches her work with a client-focused, outcome-driven perspective, emphasizing clear communication, careful analysis, and practical solutions tailored to each client’s objectives. A southeastern North Carolina native from Leland, she enjoys the coastal lifestyle and is an avid beach volleyball player.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
