Expert Details
Maritime & Admiralty Law
ID: 734494
Florida, USA
Expert's training and experience have given him the knowledge and unique qualifications to render advice, guidance, opinions, and to provide expert testimony in matters of commercial marine operations and pleasure-craft practices. He is an expert in forensic reconstruction and analysis of maritime accidents, has been retained as both a plaintiff and defense expert in a variety of maritime cases, and has the ability to explain complex technical terms, concepts and phenomena in a manner understandable to non-mariners.
Expert has provided Forensic Maritime Accident Analysis & Reconstruction, Qualified Expert Work Product Opinions, Expert Admiralty Testimony, Case Evaluation & Confirmation, and assisted with the Development of Trial & Deposition Questions.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1981 | Degree: B.S. | Subject: Marine Transportation | Institution: SUNY Maritime College |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1988 to 2018 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: President & Harbor Pilot | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Provides State & Federal licensed pilotage services to all types of ships, tugs & barges, and other vessels of unlimited size and tonnage on Tampa Bay and all its tributaries. Has piloted over 6,500 safe transits of Tampa Bay and conducted over 8,500 safe docking, undocking, and anchoring maneuvers. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1995 to 2018 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Founder, President, CEO & Expert Witness | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Provides forensic litigation and expert witness services pertaining to piloting, shiphandling, seamanship, navigation, International & U.S. Inland Rules of the Road, pleasure craft & PWC operations, and boating & PWC accident analysis and reconstruction. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2007 to 2008 | Employer: SUNY Maritime College | Title: (Undisclosed) | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Instructed nearly 400 cadets aboard the Training Ship EMPIRE STATE VI during Summer Sea Terms in shiphandling, navigation, shipboard operations, seamanship, bridge watchstanding protocol, & international standards. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1997 to 2018 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Founder, Chairman of the Board, Past Executive Director, & President Emeritus | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Conceived, founded, and presided over this not-for-profit organization to rescue a455’ WWII Victory class ship, the S/S AMERICAN VICTORY, from scrapping and to establish a maritime museum aboard her to honor the American Merchant Marine and their contributions in times of war and peace. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1993 to 1998 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Founder & President | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Established this not-for-profit company to develop a GPS-based ship navigation system for Tampa Bay. This company was instrumental in the conceptual design of the system which is currently in use in Tampa Bay and has been used as a model for developing similar systems worldwide. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1981 to 1987 | Employer: Exxon Shipping Company | Title: (Undisclosed) | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Sailed as a Deck Officer in Exxon’s Ocean Tanker Fleet in both the coastwise and foreign port trade on board a variety of crude oil, refined product, and specialty chemical tankers. |
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Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2003 to 2018 | Agency: City of Tampa | Role: Mayor's Maritime Liaison | Description: Appointed as the liaison and maritime issues advisor between the Mayor of Tampa, the Honorable Pam Iorio, and Tampa’s port and yachting communities. Reappointed and served in the same role with the Honorable Bob Buckhorn. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| Florida Harbor Pilots Association Maritime Law Association of the United States Southeast Admiralty Law Institute American Pilots Association International Association of Marine Pilots International Propeller Club of the United States Port of Tampa Maritime Industries Association (Mayor of Tampa’s Ex-Officio Representative) |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Florida State Unlimited Pilot License - Tampa Bay and All Its Tributaries U.S.C.G. Unlimited Federal Pilot License - Tampa Bay and All Its Tributaries Master Mariner – 3,000 GRT Upon Oceans Chief Mate - Unlimited Upon Oceans Radar Observer's & ARPA Endorsement Bridge Resource Management Endorsement I & II FCC Radiotelephone Operator's License STCW Certifications Boat U.S. Boating Safety & PWC Safety Certifications |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship - Founder & Chairman Tampa Yacht & Country Club - Commodore, Governor, Fleet Captain, & Marina Committee Chairman, Director & Refounder of Youth Sailing Florida Council of Yacht Clubs - West Coast Fleet Captain, U.S. Coast Guard Liaison, & Director Propeller Club of the Port of Tampa - President & Chairman Propeller Club of the United States - National Executive Committee U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis & U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point - Congressional Academy Appointment Committee for U.S. House Rep. Katherine Castor & U.S House Rep. Jim Davis Tampa Bay Harbor Safety Committee - Vessel Movement Committee Tampa Bay Dragon Boats - Director Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla’s Ship & Invasion Committee - Chairman Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival’s Pirate Ship JOSE GASPARILLA - Sail Master BSA Sea Explorer Ship 555 - Founder & Past Skipper America Sails Tall Ships Committee for Tampa Bay - Founder & Past Chair Seaport Sertoma - Member Greater Tampa Bay Marine Advisory Council (GTBMAC) - Founder & Chairman of GBTMAC’s VTS Task Force; GTBMAC’s PORTS Task Force Member Florida State Pilots Association - Professional Standards Committee Member American Pilots Association - Navigation Technology Committee Member National Safety Council Marine Section - Marine Emergency Spill Responders Division Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council - Agency on Bay Management Executive Steering Council Tampa Bay National Estuary Program - Founding Co-Chairman of the Citizen’s Advisory Council Tampa Baywatch - Advisory Council Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department - Honorary Deputy Sherriff Tampa Bay History Center - Board of Trustees Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce - Governor of Board of Governors; Director of Infrastructure’s Board of Directors; Member of International Trade Development Council; Member of Port Maritime Council; Member of Education Council; Member of Environmental & Natural Resource Council Boy Scouts of America Troop 22 - Assistant Scout Master Egmont Key Alliance - Co-Founder & Co-Chair Great American Teach-In & S.E.R.V.E.’s Educational Outreach - Guest Teacher |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Propeller Club of the Port of Tampa - Member of the Year & Maritime Person of the Year Propeller Club of the Southeastern United States - Maritime Person of the Year Propeller Club of the United States - International Maritime Person of the Year Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s “Future of the Region” - 1st Place Cultural Achievement Award for work on SS American Victory Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Leadership Tampa Alumni - Parke Wright, III Leadership Award |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
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| “The Effect of Changes to Rule 26 on Maritime Litigation and the Marine Insurance Industry” “The Role of Pilots in the Development of VTS and Vessel Positioning Technology” |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
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| Founded an expert witness service. Comprised a crew of associates with the expertise and experience needed for a comprehensive understanding of maritime law. Expert and his team have been retained by both plaintiff and defense attorneys as experts in a variety of cases. His training and experience have given him the knowledge and unique qualifications to render advice, guidance, opinions, and to provide expert testimony in matters of commercial marine operations and pleasure-craft practices. He has been an expert in forensic reconstruction and analysis of maritime accidents for over twenty years, and has the ability to explain complex technical terms, concepts, and phenomena in a manner easily understandable by non-mariners. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| License Upgrade & Pilot Continuing Education Programs (1981 – Present) Bridge Resource Management I & II Azipod & Simulator Training - Maritime Institute of Training & Graduate Studies in Linthicum Heights, MD Simulator Training – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Center in Vicksburg, VA STWC Certification Training Programs SAS Flight Academy – Sidney, Australia (1999) SAS Bridge Resource Management Program - Attended as a consultant on behalf of Mobil Shipping, Inc. to evaluate the Australian method of teaching Bridge Resource Management in comparison to that used in the United States. Port Revel Manned-Model Shiphandling Simulator Training (2010) - Grenoble, France |