In his more than 30 years of practice, Jim has represented owners, operators, financial institutions (as both lessors and lenders), and end users in the purchase, construction, and financing of vessels engaged in both the foreign and coastwise trades of the United States, including compliance with the requirements of the Jones Act for the ownership, chartering, and transfer of vessels. Jim regularly handles vessel construction contracts, bareboat and time charters, leveraged lease financings, vessel purchases and sales, ship mortgages, ocean carrier contracts, pooling agreements, and other maritime matters.

Jim also has experience with financings under the Title XI loan guarantee program administered by the US Maritime Administration and transactions under the statutory and regulatory provisions designed to increase the availability of financing from foreign financial institutions for vessels engaged in the US coastwise trade, including the lease financing provisions of 46 U.S.C. 12119.