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33rd Annual David W. Robertson

Admiralty and Maritime Law Conference

Houston Jan 10, 2025 Vinson & Elkins LLP
Conference Concluded
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Related products: eConference Materials
PRESENTED BY
The University of Texas School of Law
Vinson & Elkins LLP
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Overview

UT Law CLE's 33rd Annual David W. Robertson Admiralty and Maritime Law Conference is the leading annual event that focuses on legal developments in the specialized areas of admiralty and maritime law. The conference offers a unique opportunity for practitioners to stay abreast of global and national developments affecting case law, contracts, and civil procedure. Join us in-person only in Houston.

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Event Schedule

Program is subject to change.
All times are Central Time Zone.

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Friday Morning, Jan. 10, 2025
    Presiding Officer:
    John J. Michael, Vinson & Elkins LLP - Houston, TX
  • 7:45 am
    Conference Room Opens
    Includes continental breakfast.

  • 8:20 am
    Welcoming Remarks

  • 8:30 am
    1.25 hrs
    Recent Developments in Admiralty and Maritime Law at the National Level and in the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits
    The twenty-fourth annual installment of the seminal paper surveys developments, identifies issues of genuine national importance, and discusses items of significant interest from the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits. 

    Matthew H. Ammerman, Law Office of Matthew H. Ammerman, P.C. - Houston, TX
    Michael F. Sturley, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 9:45 am
    15-Minute Break

  • 10:00 am
    1.00 hr
    Knowing the Ropes: Maritime Practice in a Post-Chevron World
    In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and the overturning of Chevron Deference, the maritime industry is facing a sea of change. From presenting cases under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (“LHWCA”), to challenging agency actions under OPA, CERCLA, and the Jones Act, to challenging Federal Maritime Commission and other agency promulgated regulations, the absence of Chevron Deference is already having a strong and lasting impact. The speakers discuss broad practice trends, individual case studies, and what the maritime industry looks like in a post-Chevron world.

    Carrol P. Hand, Holland & Knight LLP - Richmond, VA
    David Hornbeak, Holland & Knight LLP - Houston, TX
    Roger Levy, Levy Mediations - Tiburon, CA

  • 11:00 am
    0.50 hr
    Salty, Silent, but Not Surreptitious: Update on Maritime Liens
    This presentation compares and contrasts maritime liens from a global perspective with a focus on U.S. and U.K. law liens. It addresses the practical impact of these differences in the creation, priority, and enforcement of these maritime liens in U.S. courts.

    Felisa E. Sanchez, K&L Gates LLP - Houston, TX
    Jody M. Schisel-Meslin, K&L Gates LLP - Houston, TX

  • 11:30 am
    0.75 hr
    The More Things Change… 30 Years of Judging Admiralty Cases
    Learn how the admiralty docket in the Southern District of Texas has changed over the last 30 years, and what that can teach us about what to expect in the next 30 years. 

    Hon. Lee H. Rosenthal, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas - Houston, TX

  • 12:15 pm
    Pick Up Lunch
    Included in registration.

  • Friday Afternoon, Jan. 10, 2025
    Presiding Officer:
    Michael K. Bell, Blank Rome LLP - Houston, TX
  • LUNCHEON PRESENTATION
  • 12:35 pm
    0.50 hr
    Robins Dry Dock and Intentional Torts
    A review of attempts by plaintiffs to circumvent the rule of Robins Dry v. Flint that precludes recovery of economic damages in the absence of a proprietary interest in damaged property by alleging an intentional tort.

    Harold K. Watson, Chaffe McCall LLP - Houston, TX

  • 1:05 pm
    15-Minute Break

  • 1:20 pm
    1.00 hr
    To Save, or Not to Save: Perspectives on Admiralty Suits in State Courts under the Saving to Suitors Clause of 28 U.S.C. 1333
    Hear from two accomplished attorneys on different sides of the bar concerning the positives and negatives of admiralty suits filed in state court.

    Moderator:
    F. Daniel Knight, Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry - Houston, TX
    Panelists:
    Mark T. Murray, Stevenson & Murray - Houston, TX
    Andrew Schreck, Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC - Houston, TX

  • 2:20 pm
    1.00 hr ethics
    What to Do if Your Client is Misbehaving (Part XIV)
    Real-world questions and answers regarding ethics, the law, and what to do when your client asks you to do something improper. Stump our experts with your hardest questions! Please submit your questions in advance to ConferenceQA@utcle.org.

    Bradley A. Jackson, The University of Texas School of Law - Houston, TX
    Scott Rothenberg, Law Offices of Scott Rothenberg - Bellaire, TX

  • 3:20 pm
    15-Minute Break

  • 3:35 pm
    0.50 hr ethics
    ​Why Does a Law Firm Need a Legal Department?
    An exploration of how a firm’s legal department can work to protect the firm and help lawyers navigate ethical questions, engagement letters, conflicts, waivers, sanctions, unhappy clients, claims, grievances, the use of AI and more.

    Julia M. Haines, Holland & Knight LLP - Houston, TX
    Co-Author:
    Katia Leiva, Holland & Knight LLP - Houston, TX

  • 4:05 pm
    0.50 hr
    Choice-of-Law Issues and Proof of Foreign Law in Collision Cases
    This presentation examines how courts analyze the choice of law factors of Lauritzen v. Larsen and its progeny in a vessel collision case, and the materials courts consider in determining foreign law, using as its example the litigation resulting from the collision of a United States warship in the Singapore Strait.

    Alan M. Weigel, Blank Rome LLP - New York, NY

  • 4:35 pm
    0.50 hr
    The Potential-to-Disrupt Maritime Commerce Test for Admiralty Tort Jurisdiction
    A federal court exercising admiralty tort jurisdiction must find that the relevant “incident has a potentially disruptive impact on maritime commerce.” But the Supreme Court has offered little guidance on the contours of the potential-to-disrupt-maritime-commerce test, and lower-court decisions are hopelessly inconsistent. This presentation provides an overview and a critical analysis of the issue.

    Michael F. Sturley, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 5:05 pm
    Adjourn

Download Schedule

Conference Faculty

Matthew H. Ammerman

Law Office of Matthew H. Ammerman, P.C.
Houston, TX

Julia M. Haines

Holland & Knight LLP
Houston, TX

Carrol P. Hand

Holland & Knight LLP
Richmond, VA

David Hornbeak

Holland & Knight LLP
Houston, TX

Bradley A. Jackson

The University of Texas School of Law
Houston, TX

F. Daniel Knight

Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry
Houston, TX

Katia Leiva

Holland & Knight LLP
Houston, TX

Roger Levy

Levy Mediations
Tiburon, CA

Mark T. Murray

Stevenson & Murray
Houston, TX

Hon. Lee H. Rosenthal

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
Houston, TX

Scott Rothenberg

Law Offices of Scott Rothenberg
Bellaire, TX

Felisa E. Sanchez

K&L Gates LLP
Houston, TX

Jody M. Schisel-Meslin

K&L Gates LLP
Houston, TX

Andrew Schreck

Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC
Houston, TX

Michael F. Sturley

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Harold K. Watson

Chaffe McCall LLP
Houston, TX

Alan M. Weigel

Blank Rome LLP
New York, NY

Planning Committee

Michael F. Sturley—Chair

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Matthew H. Ammerman

Law Office of Matthew H. Ammerman, P.C.
Houston, TX

Michael K. Bell

Blank Rome LLP
Houston, TX

W. Robins Brice

Brice Mediation
Houston, TX

Nicholas W. Earles

Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC
Houston, TX

Kenneth G. Engerrand

Brown Sims, P.C.
Houston, TX

Thomas C. Fitzhugh III

Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC
Houston, TX

Julia M. Haines

Holland & Knight LLP
Houston, TX

Bradley A. Jackson

The University of Texas School of Law
Houston, TX

F. Daniel Knight

Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry
Houston, TX

Peter A. McLauchlan Esq.

The McLauchlan Law Group of Texas, PLLC
Houston, TX

John J. Michael

Vinson & Elkins LLP
Houston, TX

John C. Schwambach Jr.

Pierce & O'Neill, LLP
Houston, TX

Claude L. Stuart III

Hall Maines Lugrin, P.C.
Houston, TX

Harold K. Watson

Chaffe McCall LLP
Houston, TX

Credit Info

  • Houston
MCLE Credit
Toggle view Texas – 7.50 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
Legal Specialization(s): Administrative Law, Civil Appellate Law, Civil Trial Law, Oil, Gas and Mineral Law, Personal Injury Trial Law
You may claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the State Bar of Texas. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided in Your Briefcase for your records. The system reports Texas CLE credit every Tuesday. If you are claiming credit in the last week of your birth month, self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com, using the course number  provided on your certificate of attendance.
Toggle view California – 7.50 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
You must claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE is required to provide the State Bar with electronic attendance records for any MCLE participatory activity within 60 days of completion of the activity. The California licensee is responsible for reporting their compliance/credit hours earned to the State Bar at the end of their reporting period directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov.  UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  
Toggle view Louisiana – 7.50 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
At the completion of the conference you must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Supreme Court of Louisiana Continuing Legal Education Committee within 30 days after the conference. 
Toggle view Oklahoma – 9.00 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
You must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, then you will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the conference.
Toggle view Pennsylvania – 7.50 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
UT Law CLE is an approved provider of Pennsylvania credit, sponsor #236. You must claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. Attorney attendance will be reported to Pennsylvania within 2 weeks after credit is claimed and submit. Attorneys are not able to report this credit on their own, and UT Law CLE pays all associated fees for the credit hours. Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.
Toggle view Other States – 7.50 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
Note on Self-Reporting Your Credits in Another State
If you wish to satisfy MCLE or other professional education requirements in another state for a program offered by the University of Texas School of Law, please check with the state bar or other licensing authority in that state to ensure it will qualify for self-reporting your credits.

You must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, you will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records and to provided to other licensing authorities as needed.

MCLE credit is presented based on a 60-minute credit hour.
Other Credit
Toggle view TX Accounting CPE – 9.00 hrs
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live conferences are presumptively approved by The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

At the conference, you are welcome to sign in on the Accounting CPE Record of Attendance form at the registration desk, but we are now reporting all credit online. You will receive a Texas Accounting Certificate of Completion in Your Briefcase. Self-report your CPE credit directly to TSBPA. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  

Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.

Key Dates

Houston – Jan 10, 2025 – Vinson & Elkins LLP
Conference Concluded
Buy
  • Houston
Individual
Last day for $395.00 Early Bird pricing: Nov 1, 2024
Last day for $455.00 Regular pricing: Dec 13, 2024

$495.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (5 registrants minimum)
Last day for $370.00 Early Bird pricing: Nov 1, 2024
Last day for $410.00 Regular pricing: Dec 13, 2024

$460.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (10 registrants minimum)
Last day for $290.00 Early Bird pricing: Nov 1, 2024
Last day for $365.00 Regular pricing: Dec 13, 2024

$415.00 for registrations received after this time

Last day for cancellation (full refund): Jan 3, 2025

$50 processing fee applied after this date

Last day for cancellation: Jan 6, 2025

Venue

speaker

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Texas Tower
845 Texas Avenue
Houston, TX 77002
713.758.2222
Map

Parking Information

Suggested parking at One Market Square Garage, 800 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002. Parking garage entrances are on Milam St or Prairie St. Click here for hourly rates. 

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