Board Certified Admiralty and Maritime Lawyers
McAlpin Florez Marcotte is committed to delivering superior legal representation to companies operating in the maritime industry. As part of this commitment we are proud to announce that two attorneys of our legal team hold Board Certification in Admiralty & Maritime Law from The Florida Bar:
Moreover, Richard McAlpin who is the firm’s founder and managing partner is also Board certified in Civil Trial. One of only few attorneys in the State of Florida with the distinction to be double board certified.
What is Board Certification?
When you are dealing with a complex high-stakes legal matter you want to make certain that you are being represented by an attorney who can handle your particular situation, and who has experience and expertise in the area of law relating to your legal needs. Established in 1982 by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification is designed to help the public identify specialists in various areas of law. The board certification process evaluates and recognizes attorneys with special knowledge, skills, and proficiency in certain areas of law who demonstrate professionalism and ethics in their legal practice.
Only certified lawyers are allowed by the Florida Bar Rules to identify themselves as “Florida Bar Board Certified” or as a “specialist.” The Florida Bar explains that certification is the “highest level of evaluation of the competency and experience of attorneys in the 27 areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. “It is important to recognize that only seven percent of the approximate 5,000 eligible attorneys admitted to the Florida Bar, have achieved board certification. A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the state’s Supreme Court may become a “Board Certified Admiralty and Maritime Lawyer.”
Admiralty & Maritime Law Certification
Attorneys applying for board certification or recertification in admiralty and maritime law must meet stringent requirements established by the Florida Bar. The lawyer must be a member in good standing of the Florida Bar and have practiced law on a full-time basis for at least five years (four years if the attorney holds an L.L.M. in maritime law, admiralty law, ocean law or a related field), and demonstrate “substantial involvement” in the practice maritime and admiralty law. The lawyer must also pass a peer review and have completed 50 hours of continuing legal education during the three-year period immediately preceding his or her application. Additionally, the lawyer must successfully pass a written examination demonstrating knowledge, skills and proficiency in the field of admiralty and maritime law to justify the representation of special competence.
What Types of Legal Matters to Admiralty and Maritime Lawyers Handle?
Certified lawyers in admiralty and maritime law deal with the corpus of legal issues, rules and regulations impacting vessels, the shipping industry, the carrying of goods and passengers by water and other related maritime concepts. This particular body of law includes the substantive law and procedural rules associated with the following matters:
- General maritime law of the United States
- Admiralty jurisdiction and procedure
- Personal injury and wrongful death of seamen and passengers aboard vessels
- Compensation for injury and wrongful death of longshoremen and harbor workers
- Government regulation of marine safety and maritime industry
- Carriage of goods
- Charter parties
- Salvage
- General average
- Collision
- Marine insurance
- Maritime Liens
- Limitation of liability
- Marine pollution and environmental law
- Maritime arbitration
- Recreational vessels
- Vessel finance and documentation
- International aspects of maritime practice
- Other related areas of law
The board certified admiralty and maritime attorneys at McAlpin Florez Marcotte have gone the extra step to have their competence and experience in the field evaluated and recognized. These attorneys, along with the entire team at our firm, are dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of companies in the maritime sector. Our singular focus on maritime and admiralty law ensures that we have the knowledge and resources at hand to successfully resolve any maritime law matter our clients may be confronted with.