United States: Marine/ Shipping

President Trump's August 2026 memorandum directs the most comprehensive overhaul of U.S. naval shipbuilding in decades, mandating accelerated acquisition of strategic sealift vessels under the innovative "Finland Model" framework and establishing the first new public Navy shipyard in over 80 years. How will foreign shipbuilders, domestic contractors, and sealift operators position themselves to capitalize on these binding directives with 60- to 120-day implementation deadlines?

The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued its first interpretation of the 2022 amendments to the Shipowners' Limitation of Liability Act, specifically addressing how the Small Passenger Vessel Act affects crew boat operations. The ruling establishes that workers transported aboard third-party crew boats qualify as "passengers for hire" when their employer indirectly pays for transportation...

The FY27 National Defense Authorization Act proposes the most comprehensive overhaul of federal maritime law in decades, fundamentally reshaping shipbuilding frameworks, cargo preference requirements, and Jones Act provisions. Liskow attorneys Leon Rittenberg III and Kevin Naccari provide expert analysis on how these sweeping changes will impact the maritime industry and federal regulatory landscape.

Commercial nuclear maritime is ramping up with key developments from the US government and industry setting the stage for future progress.

As federal enforcement priorities shift and state laws continue to evolve, how are recent regulatory developments reshaping the conversation around noncompetes in the maritime industry? This discussion examines the Federal Trade Commission's move away from pursuing a broad ban in favor of case-by-case enforcement, while exploring where maritime employers are most likely to encounter legal challenges and how companies can protect proprietary information while minimizing legal risk.

The United States and Iran electronically signed an interim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 17, 2026, following President Donald Trump's meeting...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a significant ruling establishing that offshore platforms remain coastwise points under the Jones Act even after their associated wells are permanently...

Artificial intelligence is steadily transforming the maritime industry’s architecture — from predictive maintenance, safety, and ship security to navigation and port logistics, and even the manufacturing of autonomous ships.

The EU adopts its 20th sanctions package against Russia, introducing sweeping measures across energy, finance, trade, and military sectors while targeting shadow fleet operations and crypto-asset service providers.