Gregory F. Linsin

Biography

Greg Linsin is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).

Greg is an experienced criminal litigator and concentrates his practice in the areas of white collar criminal defense, environmental criminal litigation involving shore-based and maritime clients, marine casualty investigations, environmental compliance, and internal corporate compliance investigations.

He represents both corporations and individuals in the following areas:

  • Grand jury investigations and criminal prosecutions involving environmental violations
  • Safety and environmental violations involving the maritime industry
  • U.S. Coast Guard casualty investigations involving fatalities or significant marine pollution
  • Internal corporate compliance investigations
  • Design, implementation, and monitoring of corporate compliance programs

Before joining Blank Rome, Greg served for more than 25 years with the United States Department of Justice where he managed and prosecuted complex criminal cases in federal courts throughout the country. During his last 17 years with the Justice Department, he served as Assistant Chief and Special Litigation Counsel for the Environmental Crimes Section where he handled environmental prosecutions of national significance.

Greg also organized and led a national vessel pollution initiative regarding intentional violations of international and domestic environmental requirements. He was a founding member of the Environmental Crimes Policy Committee, and also was a member of the U.S. delegation to the Legal Committee and the Marine Environmental Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization.

Greg is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the United States Coast Guard's Distinguished Public Service Award, three Special Commendation Awards from the Department of Justice, and the Bronze Medal from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Greg is a frequent author and speaker on environmental criminal and compliance issues.

Outside the Firm

Greg is an avid tennis player and is active in a number of nonprofit organizations working to fund basic medical research for the development of new drugs and treatment therapies for rare genetic disorders.

Experience

  • A major cruise ship owner, in connection with the investigation and negotiated resolution of criminal MARPOL prosecution.
  • The Master and his estate, in connection with the casualty investigation of the loss of a U.S. flagged cargo vessel along with its 33 crew members.  
  • A cruise ship owner, in connection with investigation of MARPOL violations on the Great Lakes and secured declination decision from the Department of Justice. 
  • An oil major, in connection with casualty investigation involving grounding of oil rig off the Alaska coast. 
  • Flag Administration, in connection with the Deepwater Horizon casualty investigation, involving the explosion, fire, and sinking of a mobile offshore drilling unit, as well as extensive oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • A foundry coke manufacturer, in connection with the investigation and prosecution for violations of the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and related offenses.
  • Numerous commercial vessel owners and operators, in the investigation and prosecution of MARPOL violations.
  • A physician, in connection with a grand jury investigation of a kickback scheme in a federal healthcare program.

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2024–2025, Environmental Law in Washington, D.C., listed in Best Lawyers in America©
  • 2021–2025, Admiralty and Maritime Law in Washington, D.C., listed in Best Lawyers in America©
  • 2018–2022, listed in The Legal 500 United States
  • 2020–2022, Global Leader in Environment, listed in Who’s Who Legal
  • 2018, listed in Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll

Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Maritime Law Association of the United States
Professional Activities

Greg is a member of the Section of Criminal Justice and the Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources of the American Bar Association. In 2012, he was appointed vice-chair of the Marine Ecology & Maritime Criminal Law Committee of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, of which he is also a proctor.

Credentials

Admissions

  • District of Columbia

Education

  • Loyola University of Chicago, BA
  • Antioch University School of Law, JD