Areas of Practice — Admiralty and Maritime Environmental Criminal Defense

Since 1990, when senior partner Michael G. Chalos successfully defended the Master of the EXXON VALDEZ, our firm has continued to pioneer the practice of defending vessel owners and related interests, as well as, vessel crew members against criminal charges related to marine environmental law and regulation violations.  As a team of legal and technical experts, we conduct vessel investigations on behalf of vessel owners and/or operators, organize the defense of officers and crew members, address material witness warrants, negotiate security bonds for the release of vessels and, of course, defend against the allegations and charges of the federal and state agencies of the United States, including the US Department of Justice, the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Coast Guard, and their state level counterparts.  In addition, we regularly advise clients as to regulatory mandated compliance programs and proactive measures to prevent pollution related situations and maintain compliance.

In a world where the financial and penal consequences of a maritime criminal investigation and subsequent criminal prosecution of both corporations and individuals is ever increasing, our firm continues to offer preeminent representation to vessel owners, operators, vessel officers and crew members throughout the United States and territories in both Federal and State criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as, governmental agency proceedings.  To date, our firm is credited with the only two successfully litigated MARPOL / APPS criminal trials in the United States, having obtained a jury verdict of not guilty on all 7 felony counts against a vessel owner (NOT GUILTY! Sacramento Jury Acquits Athenian Sea Carriers of Alleged Marpol Violations) and a separate jury verdict of not guilty on all 3 felony counts against a second engineer (NOT GUILTY! - Second Engineer Georgakoudis Acquitted of All Charges).  With both significant personal and financial liability at stake, we stand ready to defend our maritime clients with both proven experience and legal savvy.