John D. Kimball

John Kimball concentrates his practice in the areas of admiralty and maritime law, commercial litigation, and international arbitration. He has more than 30 years’ experience both domestically and internationally and counsels clients regarding maritime matters, including:

• Maritime casualties, including ship collisions, sinkings, groundings, explosions, and fires
• Charterparty disputes
• Insurance coverage disputes
• Creditors’ rights
• Bankruptcy and insolvency
• Mass tort litigation
• Maritime environmental law, including oil spills
• Maritime salvage and general average cases
• Maritime piracy cases
• General commercial litigation
• Commodity disputes

Additionally, John has served as a party-appointed arbitrator or chairman of panels in SMA and ICDR arbitrations. John is on the panel of arbitrators of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.

Chambers USA states that John “has a wealth of experience in the maritime industry who has ‘excellent knowledge and experience in supporting the client,’” and has honored him with a “Star Individual” ranking, which is only given to lawyers with exceptional recommendations in their field, noting that he is “renowned for his prowess in marine insurance issues” and highlighted as “an absolutely top choice for these matters.” Chambers adds, “Clients are ‘extremely satisfied,’ finding him to be a ‘top expert who has a combination of subject matter expertise and many years of litigation experience.’” Chambers Global reports that clients say he “is an impressive guy who knows the ins and outs of the practice.”

John is an adjunct professor at New York University Law School, where he teaches the course in admiralty law.

John is a prolific writer and speaker both domestically and internationally on legal issues facing the maritime industry.

Books

• Navigating Maritime Arbitration: The Experts Speak (2d Ed. 2024)
• Voyage Charters (5th Ed. 2022)
• Time Charters (8th Ed. 2025)
• Benedict on Admiralty, Vol. 3A: The Law of Salvage (2025 revision)
• The Healy Lectures (Editor, 2005 and 2016)

He also presented the 2005 Donald O’May Lecture on Maritime Law at the University of Southampton, England and the Fifth Cadwallader Memorial Lecture at the London Shipping Law Centre in 2002.

• 1989–2027, Admiralty and Maritime Law in New York, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
• 2026, “Leading Lawyer in Maritime, Admiralty & The High Seas,” listed by Lawdragon
• 2023–2027, Thought Leaders: USA – Shipping, listed in Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal)
• 2020–2027, Thought Leaders: Global Elite – Shipping, listed in Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal)
• 2019–2023, Global Leader in Transport – Shipping, listed in Who’s Who Legal
• 2012–2026, Global-wide, Shipping: Litigation Law, listed in Chambers Global
• 2003–2026, Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation, listed in Chambers USA
• 2017–2026, listed in The Legal 500 United States
• 2022–2026, Hall of Fame: Transport: Shipping – Litigation and Regulation, listed in The Legal 500 United States
• 2017–2021, “Leading Lawyer,” listed in The Legal 500’s Guide to Outstanding Lawyers Nationwide
• 2006–2025, New York Metro “Super Lawyer” in Transportation & Maritime, listed in Super Lawyers
• 2017–2018, listed in Who’s Who Legal – Shipping
• 2018–2019, listed in Euromoney’s Shipping and Best of the Best USA Expert Guides
• 2018, listed in Euromoney’s Best of the Best Expert Guides
• Shipping and Maritime Law, listed in Who’s Who Legal and by the Legal Media Group
• AV-Preeminent®, listed by Martindale-Hubbell®