Admiralty & Maritime

Charles R. Lipcon is an experienced lawyer that has been practicing since 1971. He graduated from the University of Miami with his Juris Doctorate degree in 1971 and was then admitted into the Florida State Bar. He specialized in maritime law, personal injury, cruise line, sexual assault and wrongful death matters. He is the president of Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina, And Winkelman, P.A. in Miami , Florida. He and his firm has successfully handled over 2,000 cases.

One of three McCalls at the law firm, Christopher has been practicing law since 1995. When the opportunity to work with his father and sister presented itself, Christopher pounced on it. He loves being back in Lake Charles, the city that he grew up in. Some of Christopher’s special areas of practice include wrongful death, personal injury, and offshore/maritime injuries in Louisiana. Often times the attorneys of Baggett McCall work in teams. Christopher works with his father, Robert C. McCall. Christopher credits his love of law to his father who would come home from work in a great mood after spending the day preparing cases. He hopes that his love of law will transfer to his own children.

Mr. Friedberg is an Accident & Injury and Maritime Law attorney. He has been licensed by the California State Bar to practice law since 1983.

For much of the past decade, Jeff has been recognized annually by his peers as a New York “Super Lawyer” (one of the Top 25 in Westchester County), and selected as one of US News & World Report’s “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of commercial litigation. He has also been named a lifetime member of “Elite Lawyers in America,” “The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum,” and “Top Trial Lawyers in America.” He is a Fellow in the prestigious Litigation Counsel of America, and a member of the venerable American Bar Association Foundation. Jeff’s versatility with a wide array of subject matters has led to his handling of many high profile, difficult cases. Among other matters, Jeff successfully led the defense in federal court of a boat-builder wrongfully implicated in the “Ethan Allen” tragedy on Lake George in which twenty persons perished, winning summary judgment on the client’s behalf; prosecuted a $4.5 million jury verdict in Columbia County against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI); argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court the landmark consumer fraud class action, Lee v. Basic Research, which resulted in a unanimous, 9-0 opinion overturning the lower courts’ decisions denying class certification; and argued before the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court the precedent setting case of Tyler v. Michaels which declared unlawful the collection of personal identifying information in connection with retail credit card transactions. Jeff’s reputation for excellent results and dogged preparation, make him a formidable adversary, regardless of which side of the aisle any particular dispute may place him. Jeff is no stranger to the Courtroom, and has successfully tried to verdict a diverse number of matters, including securing a defense verdict for Madison Square Garden and Amtrak in a federal jury trial in the Eastern District of New York; winning a multi-million dollar jury award in a state court breach of contract action in White Plains; prevailing in a nine month real estate fraud arbitration in New York City in which he recovered a multi-million dollar judgment; and securing on the eve of jury selection tens of millions of dollars for clients with catastrophic losses. Jeff’s experience in the sports, media and entertainment industries has also allowed for his successful handling of a variety of matters including claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, breach of television Executive Production Agreements, royalty disputes, and artist-management conflicts. Jeff has advised television broadcast journalists, senior media executives and executive producers on a wide range of issues concerning non-competes, first amendment rights, and compensation and severance disputes. Jeff led the successful prosecution of the wrongful death action of Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher Steve Bechler, helped extricate former light heavyweight World Champion boxer Reggie Johnson from an onerous promoter’s contract, and counseled the Estate of Tito Puente, the Latin Salsa King, in a misappropriation of name and likeness litigation. Jeff also spearheaded the successful prosecution of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) multimillion dollar breach of contract action against a sponsor of the US Open, as well as defended the USTA against a claim of disability discrimination which he successfully had dismissed, and successfully represented Heineken in a breach of contract action arising from a marketing services agreement. Jeff regularly counsels media and entertainment clients in contract negotiations, severance disputes, and intellectual property matters. Jeff’s skill with complex litigation has also helped the Firm to develop significant experience handling a diverse array of maritime and admiralty matters. Jeff has successfully defended boat builders, marinas, charter vessels, stevedores and other marine interests in both federal and state litigations throughout the Country. Among other successful outcomes, Jeff defended a marine terminal operator in a federal wrongful death action in Portland, Maine; represented a luxury yacht manufacturer in a premises liability action in federal court in New Jersey; defended a Manhattan sight-seeing tour operator against a personal injury claim; and handled a Society of Maritime Arbitrators (SMA) arbitration concerning the scope of a contractual indemnity between a terminal operator and a multinational transport company. The Firm’s experience includes handling claims arising under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as well as prosecuting exoneration from and limitation of liability actions. Jeff is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, a graduate of Columbia Law School and began his career as a litigator at Cravath Swaine & Moore. He lives in West Harrison, New York, with his wife Lauren, a pediatrician, and their two children, one of whom works in New York City and the other who is attending college.

A seasoned attorney with a wide range of litigation experience, J.R. Stevenson works closely with his clients to develop the best strategies to address their legal concerns. His areas of expertise include commercial litigation, complex insurance coverage disputes, environmental and toxic tort litigation, property damage and first party damage, general liability insurance coverage, and maritime issues. J.R. has litigated a number of liability declaratory judgment cases through appeal. Before founding the firm in 2012, J.R. worked at leading multinational law firms Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP and Clyde & Co US LLP. He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. J.R. graduated cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law, where he received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for earning the highest grade in his Evidence and Trust & Estates courses. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics with a concentration on international trade from Binghamton University. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Maritime Law Association of the United States.

Rob Cook is the founder of Rob Cook, P.A. Mr. Cook has practiced Civil Litigation and Trial Law since 2002. He has served as lead counsel on civil litigation for plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury, insurance claims and coverage, intellectual property/copyright infringement claims, contract disputes, real property disputes, maritime/admiralty law, property damage, federal civil litigation, business disputes. Prior opening his own practice, Rob worked for the law firm of Vernis & Bowling of The Florida Keys P.A. Rob obtained his Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law and a BS in Political Science from Capital University. At Rob Cook Attorney At Law, P.A. we are pleased to offer a wide range of legal services to fit your needs. Our attorneys take pride in giving each case the individual attention it deserves. When you choose our firm to represent you case, you are a treated as a person and not just another case number. Are you unsure about your rights in a legal matter? We offer a free consultation to review the details of your case. During you consultation we will gather and examine the information to determine the best course of action to protect you.

A civil trial lawyer since 1983, Alan Wagner brings an unusual skill set to his partnership in the firm. True to the firm’s dedication to plaintiffs’ rights, Alan’s experience plays a vital role in helping clients. Alan has distinguished himself as a trial lawyer, gaining extensive experience in handling claims of professional negligence, products liability, bad-faith litigation, complex commercial disputes, toxic torts, and legal and medical malpractice. One of Alan’s key areas of expertise is in the examination of expert witnesses — frequently a critical component in personal injury litigation — which he has perfected while honing a reputation for general excellence in trial advocacy. Alan became a partner in the firm in 1994 and today serves as President of Wagner McLaughlin. His exceptional skills and competence have refueled the practice’s growth and success.

Robert B. Haik is a practicing lawyer in the state of Louisiana. Attorney Haik received his J.D. from Loyola University in 1983.

For more than forty years, Steve has zealously advocated for the rights of the injured against many of the largest and well-funded corporations in the United States and abroad, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients and class members. Steve primarily practices in the areas of class action litigation, multidistrict litigation, and other complex litigation brought on behalf of plaintiffs. As a testament to not only his legal acumen but also his ability to work cooperatively with others, he is routinely appointed by state and federal courts to positions of leadership in class actions and multi-district litigation. In addition to his extensive litigation practice, Steve is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer for Continuing Legal Education credit in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, primarily on the subject of ethics and class action litigation. An avid sailor, Steve spends what little free time he has competing in regattas around the globe.

Edward Pritchard was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on March 17, 1962. Edward graduated from the University of South Carolina (B.S. 1984), and the University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D. 1987). While in law school, Edward was on the National Dean’s Honor List and was a member of the Order of Wig and Robe. He was a law clerk for the Honorable Randall T. Bell, South Carolina Court of Appeals. In August of 1988, Edward joined the law firm of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A., where he remained nearly twelve years, the last six of which he was a partner. In 2002, Edward formed The Pritchard Law Firm, which has expanded and become Pritchard & Elliott, Attorneys And Counselors At Law, LLC. Edward is admitted to the South Carolina Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as the South Carolina Bar Association. He is currently a member of the S.C. Bar Association Nominating Committee, a member of the Charleston County Bar Association Executive Committee, as well as a member of the S.C. Bar Association House of Delegates. Edward also serves on the board of the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority and is a former member of the City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Zoning and former chairman of the City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Site Design. Edward is the co-author of the S.C. chapter of Defense Research Institute Bad Faith Compendium. Edward has extensive experience in civil and administrative trial practice and appellate practice. His practice area includes Insurance Coverage and Extra-Contractual Litigation Defense, Commercial and Business Litigation, Commercial Transactions, Insurance Defense, Workers’ Compensation and Appellate Practice.