At Cranfill Sumner, we know admiralty and maritime law. From prosecuting or defending maritime fatalities, serious personal injuries and other marine casualties, we are prepared to assist you with your legal needs associated with commercial shipping and recreational boating. We are also well-suited to advise insurers, marinas, terminals and other shoreside operations concerning various industry-related legal risks and advise to offer protection.
Our Network
Jason R. Harris is a Proctor Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. He is also the Chairman of the MLA’s Salvage Committee and for many years authored the Salvage Case Law Update. He is also a member of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Association. Jason serves as Legal Counsel to the American Salvage Association and is a former member and General Counsel of the International Association of Marine Investigators. Jason frequently presents on admiralty and maritime topics to clients and insurers and at various legal seminars. He has also taught the Admiralty and Ocean & Coastal Law courses at the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University for several years.
What We Do
Our admiralty and maritime law practice touches upon the following:
- Commercial and recreational vessel traffic
- Blue water commercial shipping
- Cargo disputes
- Jet ski, PWC, wave runner incidents and accident
- Collisions, allisions and casualties
- Wake damage and docking incidents
- Marine salvage, wreck removal, decommissioning
- Environmental disasters, cleanups and avoidance
- Pollution, OPA90, and water quality
- Ship mortgages, vessel re-finance, vessel foreclosure, and vessel arrest (“stickering”)
- Maritime liens
- Serious maritime personal injury and death including those of seamen (captains and crew, the Jones Act, maintenance, cure and wages), non-seafarer passengers, vessel owners and operators
- Longshore Harbor Workers Compensation Act
- The General Maritime Law of the United States
- The Limitation of Liability Act (“LOLA”, “LOL”, “Limitation Act”)
- Water skiing, commercial and recreational diving
- Commercial and recreational sportfishing, charterfishing, shellfishing and gillnetting
- Cabatoge, the Jones Act, vessel registration and flaggin
- Vessel regulation and subchapter M concerning towing and towed vessels
- State and federal investigations and violations by the USCG, OSHA, NTSB, MARAD, the Navy, NC Wildlife, etc.
- Seaman’s manslaughter act and maritime crimes and offenses (misdemeanors and felonies)
- Fisheries acts and violations
- Warehouses, barge lines, fleeters, shippers, NVOCCs, freight forwarders, terminals
- Marina owners and operators including dry docking, dry stack storage, winterization
- Marine surveying, naval architecture, engine repairers and manufacturing, vessel, engine and component manufacturers and repairs, and other maritime professions and disciplines
- Crewing, yachting and cruise ship claims
- Inland marine
- First and third party defense, coverage, bad faith, uberirmae fidei, utmost good faith
- P&I and hull coverage disputes
For more information about our admiralty and maritime practice group, please contact Jason R. Harris.
Most Recent Posts
Alaina Burgess Joins Cranfill Sumner LLP
Cranfill Sumner LLP today announced that Alaina Burgess has joined the firm as a paralegal based in the firm’s Wilmington office. She will support attorney Jason R. Harris in the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime Law Practice Group.… Read More
Ani Whittington Presents at California Maritime Academy Women’s Conference
Ani Whittington presented at the 11th Annual Women in Maritime Leadership Conference at California Maritime Academy. The conference was held March 3-5.… Read More
Evaluating Medical Bills in Admiralty Cases in North Carolina: Does Rule 414 Apply?
Maritime and admiralty law can be vastly different from the law in North Carolina. One area of continued interest to… Read More
Jason R. Harris Named to Nominating Committee for the Maritime Law Association
Jason R. Harris has been invited to join the 2022 Nominating Committee for the Maritime Law Association of the United States. … Read More
Jason Harris Presents at the Maritime Law Seminar
Jason R. Harris will serve as a panelist for the virtual Maritime Law Seminar on Feb. 18 at 1:30pm. Jason will discuss “Limitation of Liability issues,” concerning a hypothetical marine casualty.… Read More
11 Cranfill Sumner LLP Attorneys Named to 2022 North Carolina Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
Cranfill Sumner LLP announced that 11 of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2022 North Carolina Super Lawyers and 2022 North Carolina Rising Stars lists.… Read More
Secure Your Boat or the Damages She Causes Could Be Your Fault!
The tenets of good seamanship and common sense dictate that your boat should never be unintentionally adrift. Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law… Read More
Cranfill Sumner LLP Offices Ranked as Metropolitan Tier 1 Firm in “Best Law Firms” List
Cranfill Sumner LLP today announced that the 2022 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” ranked the firm as a Metropolitan Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 law firm in multiple practice areas.… Read More
Jason Harris Appointed to Serve on Local Admiralty Rules Committee
Jason R. Harris, an attorney with Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law), was recently appointed to serve on the Eastern District of North Carolina Local Admiralty Rules Committee. The committee met Oct. 5 in Wilmington.… Read More
CSH Law Welcomes New Attorneys
Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) announced today that Coltrane Henderson, Kayla McDaniel, Austin Sistrunk, Ani Whittington and Ella Zulman have joined the firm’s Charlotte and Wilmington offices as associate attorneys.… Read More
CSH Law Attorneys Receive Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” Recognition
Six attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently named among the Best Lawyers® 2022 “Lawyers of the Year.”… Read More
26 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© 2022
Twenty-six attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022.… Read More
Jason R. Harris Admitted to Virginia State Bar
On June 2, 2021, Jason R. Harris was sworn in and has been admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jason is also licensed to practice law in the states of North Carolina and Texas.… Read More
Jason Harris Presents at Admiralty Law Webinar
On April 21, Jason R. Harris co-presented a roundtable webinar entitled “The Devil is Always in the Details – The Limitation Act and Its Nuances.” The co-presenter and moderator were South Florida maritime lawyers and the session was hosted by the Admiralty Law Section of the Federal Bar Association.… Read More
CSH Law Attorneys Discuss Marine Salvage Claims in Webinar
Jason R. Harris and Ashley Coghill recently presented a webinar entitled “Defending Marine Salvage Claims in a Marine Casualty Environment.” The webinar, which was hosted by Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) for continuing education offered to a marine insurer, addressed salvage law, claims adjusting and maritime dispute resolution to an audience from a marine insurer. … Read More
CSH Law Attorneys Present on Salvage Law and Maritime Dispute Resolution
On March 4, Jason R. Harris and Ashley Coghill, attorneys at Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law), presented about on salvage law and maritime dispute resolution to an audience from a marine insurer.… Read More
Ashley Coghill Receives AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
Cranfill Sumner today announced that Ashley Coghill has received an AV® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.… Read More
14 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Named to 2021 North Carolina Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
Today Cranfill Sumner proudly announced that 14 of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2021 North Carolina Super Lawyers and 2021 North Carolina Rising Stars lists.… Read More
Cranfill Sumner Offices Ranked as Metropolitan Tier 1 Firm in “Best Law Firms” List For 2021
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that the 2021 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” ranked the firm as a Metropolitan Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 law firm in multiple practice areas.… Read More
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Attend AIMU Virtual Seminar
Jason Harris and Pardis Camarda recently attended the American Institute of Marine Underwriters and Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club Yacht Insurance Seminar which was held virtually on Nov. 10.… Read More
Ashley Coghill Joins Cranfill Sumner Wilmington Office
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that Ashley Coghill has joined the firm’s Wilmington office as an associate attorney. Coghill focuses her civil litigation practice on Professional Liability, Admiralty & Maritime, and Construction Law.… Read More
27 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© 2021
Twenty-seven attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).… Read More
Jason Harris Presents at IAMI Training Seminar
Jason Harris served as a presenter at the 30th Annual Training Seminar for the International Association of Marine Investigators (IAMI).… Read More
Cranfill Sumner Offices Ranked as Metropolitan Tier 1 Firm in “Best Law Firms” List
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that the 2020 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” ranked the firm as a Metropolitan Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 law firm in multiple practice areas.… Read More
Cranfill Sumner Welcomes New Paralegal
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that Lisa Williams has joined the firm’s Wilmington office. … Read More
31 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© 2020
Thirty-one attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020(Copyright 2019 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).… Read More
Jason R. Harris Presents at CLE for the Maritime Law Association of the United States
Jason R. Harris, Chair of the Admiralty and Maritime Law Practice Group at Cranfill Sumner LLP, was a featured speaker at the Maritime Law Association (MLA) CLE in New York City on May 3. He offered comments on the Maritime Law Association Code of Professional Conduct including civility and stability for lawyers despite the occasional heavy seas associated with an admiralty and maritime law practice.… Read More
Jason Harris Speaks at Admiralty and Maritime Conference
Jason Harris presented at the American Conference Institute’s 7th Forum on Admiralty & Maritime Claims and Litigation. The event is being held Feb. 25-27 at the Westin Oaks Houston in Houston, TX.… Read More
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Receive AV Rating From Martindale-Hubbell
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that Jason R. Harris and Greer Vanderberry have received an AV® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.… Read More
Jason R. Harris Discusses “The Aftermath of Disaster”
On Oct. 30, Jason R. Harris spoke as part of a panel discussion on “The Aftermath of Disaster.” The three-person panel addressed legal and insurance issues following marine casualties and natural disasters and the importance of using an experienced admiralty and maritime attorney.… Read More
Maritime and Admiralty Presumptions Concerning Damages Caused by Vessels
How are legal issues handled when maritime vessels cause damage to other property? There are a few presumptions that are… Read More
Hurricane Florence Recovery: How to Handle Removal of Sunken Vessels
As North Carolinians continue to recover from and assess damage from Hurricane Florence, many individuals are wondering how to deal… Read More
Jason R. Harris Featured as Admiralty and Maritime Lawyer of the Month
Jason R. Harris, Chair of the Admiralty and Maritime Law Practice Group at Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner), is featured as the Admiralty and Maritime Lawyer of the Month in the latest edition of the Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine.… Read More
Pardis Camarda Joins Cranfill Sumner Wilmington Office
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that Pardis Camarda has joined the firm as an associate based in its Wilmington office. Pardis will join our Admiralty & Maritime Practice.… Read More
Cranfill Sumner Announces Admiralty and Maritime Practice Group
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that it has added an Admiralty and Maritime Practice Group. Jason R. Harris will serve as Chair of the new practice group and will be based in the firm’s Wilmington office.… Read More
Jason R. Harris Joins Cranfill Sumner
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that Jason R. Harris has joined the firm as a partner based in its Wilmington office. Jason will serve as Chair of the firm’s new Admiralty and Maritime Practice Group.… Read More
