Biography
Alan Weigel is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).
Alan Weigel focuses his practice on all aspects of commercial and insurance litigation and arbitration, with particular emphasis on the maritime industry. Recent engagements include the successful defense of claims filed against an oil spill response contractor in the Deep Water Horizon multidistrict litigation, the successful defense of a yacht repair arbitration claim by a shipyard against a yacht owner, and the recovery of a $1.5 million breach of contract arbitration claim on behalf of a commodities dealer.
Alan maintains an active litigation and arbitration practice focused on domestic and international maritime, commercial, and insurance matters.
Maritime Casualty Investigation, Litigation, and Arbitration
Alan has represented ship owners worldwide in more than 50 investigations of maritime incidents and casualties. Alan has also represented ship owners involved in litigation and arbitrations arising from vessel collisions, allisions, groundings, oil spills, and cargo damage. He has extensive experience in the innovative use of electronic evidence to obtain favorable outcomes. The investigations and litigations include:
- The alleged improper operation of oily water separators on a wide variety of vessels, including cruise ships, container ships, and tankers.
- Coral reef, pipeline, and cable damage claims arising from groundings and improper anchoring.
- Casualties involving a vessel sinking and the loss of multiple shipping containers resulting from heavy weather.
- Casualties involving multiple vessel collisions resulting in significant hull damage and sinking.
Maritime Limitation of Liability Actions and Vessel Arrests
Complementing his casualty and arbitration work, Alan has significant experience filing and challenging limitation of liability actions and vessel arrests.
- Filed and litigated limitation actions for a ferry operator whose vessel was involved in an allision resulting in multiple personal injuries and a ship owner whose vessel sank after being involved in a collision.
- Filed and litigated the arrest of a vessels involved in a three vessel collision and a fleet of barges at the center of a contract dispute.
Vessel and Yacht Repair Contract Disputes and Arbitrations
Alan has represented ship and yacht owners in a wide range of disputes with shipyards arising from construction and repair contracts.
- Represented an owner whose barge was damaged by a hurricane while undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Mexico.
- Successfully defended a yacht owner in an arbitration with a shipyard over a breach of a repair contract.
- Successfully defended a barge owner in an arbitration with a shipyard over a construction contract warranty claims.
- Successfully represented a ferry owner in litigation with a shipyard involving the breach of construction contract for six new ferries.
Contract and Charter Party Disputes and Arbitrations
Alan has represented ship owners, carriers, and commodities dealers in the arbitration of a wide range of disputes arising from charter parties, bills of lading, vessel management contracts, and commodities purchase and sale contracts. He has successfully defended claims and obtained awards in arbitrations held under the rules of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators (“SMA”) and the American Fats and Oils Association (“AFOA”).
- Handled SMA arbitration claims involving cargo contamination, wetted cargo, contaminated bunkers, and unsafe ports.
- Handled AFOA arbitration claims involving force majeure and breach of sales contracts.
Outside the Firm
Alan is a 1979 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a 1987 distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Postgraduate School. During his twenty-year career as a submarine officer in the United States Navy he attained the rank of Commander and developed focused skills as both a deck officer and engineer, as well as in deep ocean search and salvage. He commanded a Deep Submergence Vehicle and served ashore in a variety of staff positions.
Alan is the President of the Connecticut Chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association and sails southern New England waters in his 30 foot sloop.
Experience
- The owner of a container vessel, in litigation involving $40 million personal claims injury arising from alleged collision with fishing vessel. Secured a jury verdict of no liability for the owner which was sustained on appeal.
- The owner of a bulk carrier, in litigation involving a $2.5 million claim for damage to a fiber optic cable caused by the vessel’s anchor. The case was dismissed on summary judgment dismissal which was sustained on appeal.
- A vessel owner, in a complex three vessel collision litigation. The trial court’s finding of liability against our client was overturned on appeal.
- A vessel owner, in a limitation of liability action involving multiple cargo damage claims totaling $40 million resulting when the vessel collided with another vessel and sank.
- A vessel owner, in a limitation of liability action involving multiple heavy weather cargo damage claims totaling $100 million.
- An owner of a cruise vessel, in litigation involving $20 million passenger emotional distress claims arising from heavy weather.
- A cargo vessel owner, in collision with U.S. Navy nuclear submarine.
- A cargo vessel owner, in collision with U.S. Navy destroyer.
News & Views
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Newsletter
MAINBRACE: October 2024
William R. Bennett III, Thomas H. Belknap Jr., Kierstan L. Carlson, Jeanne M. Grasso, Alan G. Kashdan, Keith B. Letourneau
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Speaking Engagement
A Drop of Oil in the Deep Blue Sea: Criminal Liability for Environmental Damages
2024 SEALI Annual Seminar -
Speaking Engagement
Surf & Turf: Serving Up Autonomous Regulations
Law-Tech Connect™ Workshop -
Speaking Engagement
Assessing New Technologies with Maritime Security and Legal Frameworks
The International Law Journal Annual Symposium: Under the Law of the Seas Navigating the Depths of UNCLOS & Maritime Law -
Article
Autonomous Cargo Ships and New Collision Regulations
Marine News -
Article
Developing Issues with Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships
RAIL: The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law -
Newsletter
MAINBRACE: March 2022
Thomas H. Belknap Jr., Rick Antonoff, William R. Bennett III, Kierstan L. Carlson, Vanessa C. DiDomenico, Jeanne M. Grasso
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Article
Developing Issues with Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships
MAINBRACE: March 2022 -
Article
Autonomous Vessels: Legal, Regulatory, and Insurance Issues
RAIL: The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law -
Article
Autonomous Vessels: Legal, Regulatory, and Insurance Issues
Mainbrace (November 2019 - No. 3)
Affiliations
Memberships
- Maritime Law Association of the United States
Alan served on the U.S. Maritime Law Association’s study group on the UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention. Alan currently serves legal adviser to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International subcommittee on Collision Regulations for Unmanned Surface Vehicles.
Credentials
Admissions
- Connecticut
- New York
Education
- U.S. Naval Academy, BS
- University of Connecticut School of Law, JD
- U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, MS, with honors