Douglas Shoemaker is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).
Douglas focuses his practice on complex maritime transactions and litigation. He has over 25 years' experience advising clients on a wide range maritime law topics, including charterparty negotiation and drafting, arbitration, vessel construction and flagging, purchase and sale, and mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, property damage, pollution, onboard investigations, navigational error, Jones Act, stevedoring accidents, cargo damage defense, and general average. He has particular experience in:
- Negotiating and drafting complex maritime agreements, including vessel construction, purchase and sale; time, voyage and bareboat charterparties; towage; contracts of affreightment; bills of lading; master services agreements; general terms and conditions; indemnity and insurance provisions
- Offshore construction projects in oil and gas and offshore wind industries
- Domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, particularly concerning maritime assets and issues
- Maritime regulatory issues, including U.S. Jones Act cabotage requirements
- Arbitrations before the Society of Maritime Arbitrators in New York, the London Maritime Arbitrators Association, the Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association, the American Arbitrators Association, and JAMS
- Defending and prosecuting maritime seizure proceedings
- Defending maritime personal injury and property damage cases in state and federal courts
Douglas has worked as a master mariner licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chambers USA states that clients describe Douglas as “very personable and very knowledgeable” and “thoughtful and pragmatic, while being very aggressive and thorough in terms of representation.” “One observer reports: ‘His greatest strengths are his practical application of his broad experience and an ability to identify the critical issues.’”
© 2025 Blank Rome LLP