Bryant Gardner
Over his 25-year career as a maritime lawyer and proctor with Winston, Bryant has concentrated his practice on maritime transactions and litigation matters with an emphasis on regulated aspects of the industry. He has far-reaching experience representing shipowners and operators, banks and financing institutions, marine terminal operators, and overland linehaul operators.
Key Matters
Some of Bryant’s significant maritime matters include:
- Advised BP Shipping in the divestiture of Alaska Tanker Company and its fleet of Alaska-class tankers.
- Represented Maher Terminals in the prosecution and defense of numerous Shipping Act claims against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey before the Federal Maritime Commission.
- Advised Liberty Shipping Group in the acquisition of its dry bulk and roll-on / roll-off fleets.
- Represented PPG Industries in the defense of product liability claims arising out of two containership fires involving calcium hypochlorite.
- Conducted internal investigations and defended criminal claims brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against shipowners calling the United States arising out of alleged oily waste discharges and bypasses of oil pollution prevention equipment and related MARPOL allegations.
- Advised Liberty Global Logistics LLC in connection with its entry to the Maritime Security Program and related government cargo preference programs and contracts.
- Advised Bank of America in connection with the finance of American Seafoods Group and compliance with the American Fisheries Act.
- Represented the Puerto Rico Ports Authority in the prosecution and defense of marine terminal operator Shipping Act claims brought by numerous tenants of the Port of San Juan and vessel operators, before the Federal Maritime Commission.
- Obtained legislative exemptions for shipowners facing excessive regulation and claims by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Ocean Dumping Act.
- Represented Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. in defense of several hundred-million dollar class action claims brought against it for performance of U.S. Army Corps of Engineer contracts and the alleged effect of such performance on the failure of the New Orleans levee system during Hurricane Katrina.
- Advised Sempra LNG in connection with the certification and establishment of LNG terminals and related maritime and tug support arrangements.
- Represented Schuyler Line Navigation Company LLC in litigation challenging contract awards for the supply of the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.
- Advised Phillip66 toward development and regulatory approval of a deepwater port in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Represented Tropical Shipping & Construction Ltd. in connection with maritime regulatory compliance matters.