Maritime and Admiralty law

At Welch and Harris, we understand the maritime industry.  Whether your business or you are involved in international shipping, local charter fishing or recreational boating, we are prepared to assist you with your legal needs.  We prosecute and defend claims following serious maritime incidents and disasters.  However, our clients also enjoy and appreciate our assistance with transactional matters including ship mortgages, marina and ship repair contracts and risk assessment and claim avoidance assistance. 

Since maritime and admiralty law is a unique practice, we offer our services to clients and non-maritime lawyers looking to engage special maritime counsel.  We serve lawyers by advising and litigating uniquely maritime issues (including preferred ship mortgages, maritime liens and lien enforcement including attachment, arrest and foreclosing on vessels, filing or presenting claims pursuant to the Limitation of Liability Act) and complex jurisdiction and choice of law questions. 

Attorney Jason R. Harris has years of experience teaching Admiralty Law and Ocean and Coastal Law as well as other law-related courses to law students, post-graduates and undergraduates.  That experience has developed his skills so he can help you quickly but thoroughly understand what you need to know to guide you through otherwise troublesome waters.

Insurers, re-insurers, lenders/banks, maritime industry professionals, as well as industries relating to the maritime commerce such as warehousemen, will appreciate our professionalism, sense of business needs, goals and outcomes, and cost-effective representation.

We enjoy serving as local counsel and correspondents for attorneys and insurers throughout North Carolina, the remainder of the United States, as well as globally.

US Coast Guard (USCG) licensed mariners, merchant mariners, Jones Act seamen and longshoremen will feel comfortable with our lawyers and staff. 

Our partners' respective criminal practices compliment the maritime industry's concerns with modern trends in law enforcement.  Whether representing shipping companies and/or crew in defending port state investigations, alleged environmental crimes, or defending adverse actions against mariners' licenses, we can help.

Our maritime and admiralty practice includes the following areas:  boating accidents (collisions, allisions, groundings, environmental disasters), Marina Liability, Commercial and Recreation Fishing, Coast Guard Documentation and Ship Mortgages, Vessel Documentation, Coast Guard Investigations, Merchant Marine Licensing and Defense, Jones Act Seamen (Contracts, Serious Injuries and Deaths), Maintenance, Cure and Wages, Longshore and Harbor Workers, Ship Construction, Manufacturing and Repair, Salvage, Cargo Damage, Unlawful Discharges, Coastal Land Use, Liens.

Call us today and ask for Jason R. Harris, our partner in charge of the firm's maritime and admiralty legal matters.