The firm has a long-standing reputation as one of the leading admiralty and maritime firms in the Pacific Northwest, with extensive experience in all aspects of maritime law, as well as disputes and transactions in related areas.
The firm's practice includes representions of clients on matters involving collision and salvage: charter parties and freight contracts; cargo claims and other P&I matters; shipbuilding; ship financing and preferred mortgages; marine insurance; Jones Act and seaman claims; maritime contracts and product liability; maritime foreclosure and attachments; in rem and in personam enforcement actions.
The firm has expertise in the American Fisheries Act and Magnuson Act compliance, including civil and criminal enforcement proceedings; fishery rights, limited entry permits and Individual Fishing Quota enforcement; NMFS/RAM/ ADFG enforcement proceedings; individual and vessel permits; regulatory enforcement actions; purchase and sale transactions; civil litigation and enforcement of contract fishery rights.
We also represent clients on catastrophic personal injury matters under the Jones Act, including in rem and in personam liability claims and limitation of liability actions; shore-based wrongful death representation and claims settlement; soft-tissue injury assessment, representation and claims settlement.
Yacht owners and manufacturers use our firm as counsel in negotiation and enforcement of yacht construction contracts; warranty claims and defense; charters; purchase and sale agreements; management agreements; shared ownership arrangements; and crew employment agreements.
Mikkelborg's maritime attorneys include Doug Fryer, Jess Webster, John Lenker, and Lafcadio Darling. They are profiled below. For more news and information on maritme matters, please see see our blog on Seattle Maritime Law.
Doug Fryer is the senior litigation attorney in the firm, having personally handled over 100 trials, many of which were in admiralty. Mr. Fryer has deep experience with maritime construction contracts of all types, including shipyard liability, yacht construction cases, vessel refurbishment contracts and design/architect liability claims. He has also handled a variety of non-maritime construction and contract cases over the years. Relevant highlights include:
• Co-lead defense counsel in the Bristol Bay Antitrust case. Defense verdict.
• Lead defense counsel in the Atonio v. Wards Cove employment discrimination trial. Defense verdict and successful defense of multiple appeals to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court.
• Represented the Federal Government of Canada in the Nestucca oil spill litigation.
Jess Webster has a strong emphasis on marine affairs, including coastal and marine related business transactions and commercial litigation. In the course of representing vessel owners, shipyards, and engineering firms he has participated in the negotiation and drafting of contracts for professional services, marine construction projects, real estate development and construction in the shoreline district, vessel construction contracts, and complex financing transactions, including industrial development bond and H.U.D. financing transactions. He has also represented interests in litigation involving architectural services, naval architectural services, marine construction, commercial and pleasure vessel construction, and a multitude of other commercial transactions. Mr. Webster is the firm's managing partner.
John Lenker Mr. Lenker is one of the leading environmental and maritime law attorneys on the West Coast, is admitted to practice in California and Washington, and has over 25 years of experience in environmental, toxic tort and maritime law with 14 years of combined experience as a deck officer on cargo ships and tug boats and ashore in management with shipowners and their agents.
Mr. Lenker's non-litigation client matters primarily consist of transactions relating to corporate and contracting work for port authorities and marine-related companies including shipyards and marine construction companies for oil pollution concerns, toxic waste (soil, surface water, and ground-water) with a maritime law litigation practice focus on insurance defense and coverage: Maritime Claims - Vessel collisions and allisions; vessel groundings, sinkings, scuttling and barratry; cargo loss and damage; inland marine (fine art and jeweler's block); oil pollution; natural resource damages; personal injury; wreck removal and salvage; ship repairer's legal liability; marina operator's legal liability; products liability; products and completed operations; shipyard builder's risk.
Lafcadio Darling focuses his practice on litigation, transactions and problem-solving in maritime and commercial cases. Mr. Darling has been involved in a variety of maritime matters, including vessel arrests, collisions, limitation of liability, shipyard liability, maritime liens, and Rule B attachment. Mr. Darling also has extensive experience representing large and small businesses in a large range of disputes, including unfair competition, fraud, defamation, trade secret violations and intellectual property matters.
