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Jonathan Waldron&nbsp;is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”). Jonathan Waldron is the former chair of Blank Rome’s Maritime practice group and&nbsp;concentrates his practice in maritime, international, and environmental law.&nbsp;Jon&nbsp;counsels clients, both domestically and internationally, and focuses on:<ul>	<li>Offshore wind farm permitting and compliance</li>	<li>Coastwise trade including the Jones Act and U.S.-related citizenship issues</li>	<li>Environmental maritime compliance and pollution response</li>	<li>Vessel/facility operations and legislative and regulatory affairs</li>	<li>U.S. vessel Build and Rebuild&nbsp;requirements</li>	<li>Outer Continental Shelf (“OCS”) energy issues including OCS crewing exemptions and mariner visas</li>	<li>Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (”NTSB”) investigations</li>	<li>Liquefied natural gas&nbsp;(“LNG”) licensing</li>	<li>Customs compliance</li>	<li>Fisheries industry compliance</li></ul>Jon served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years, attaining the rank of commander, and was senior counsel to the Marine Spill Response Corporation, where he provided on-scene legal advice at major spill events.He is ranked by Chambers USA as a leading attorney for shipping regulatory and offshore energy matters, with Chambers sources stating that he “is an expert in the area of the Jones Act” and is “very responsive and has very high commercial awareness.” Chambers also noted that Jon is “very good on the intricacies of federal maritime law and he has good connections in D.C.” and adds that “he really knows the subject matter cold and knows the regulators and what they are thinking.” Sources say he is “an absolutely outstanding attorney, brilliant, knowledgeable, extremely communicative, and is recognized as a voice in the maritime community operating at the highest level.”

core/freeform

District of Columbia

Florida

United States Court of International Trade

Energy

Maritime

Chemical

Renewable Energy

MAINBRACE: January 2026

El Faro Tragedy: Ten Years On, Some Key Safety Changes Have Yet to Take Hold

MAINBRACE: September 2025

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Best Lawyers in America®

MAINBRACE: June 2025

Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices Highly Ranked in The Legal 500 United States 2025

Chambers USA 2025 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

MAINBRACE: March 2025

Chevron Deference Tossed Overboard—What Does It Really Mean?

MAINBRACE: October 2024

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2025 Best Lawyers in America®

Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices Highly Ranked in The Legal 500 United States 2024

Chambers USA 2024 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

Evolution of Offshore Wind and the Coastwise Laws

MAINBRACE: September 2023

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers in America®

Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices Highly Ranked in The Legal 500 United States 2023

Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

Maritime – Government Relations

Policy & Political Law

Maritime – Environmental

Maritime – Regulatory Compliance

<ul>
<li>Represented leading companies in the global offshore oil and gas and offshore wind industries, including the International Marine Contractors Association (“IMCA”) and American Clean Power (“ACP”), to defeat major policy change proposed in Congress to expand the “Jones Act” nationality restrictions to offshore energy maintenance, construction, and repair activities.</li>
<li>Represented Furie Operating Alaska (formerly Escopeta), a leading offshore oil and gas exploration and production company, in the largest Jones Act enforcement matter in CBP history. This high-profile case, spanning over five years, settled favorably in April 2017, with oil and gas company Furie paying a record fine, but saving millions in comparison to the original penalties assessed for regulatory violations after it transported a drilling rig from Texas to Alaska.</li>
<li>Led the Representation of the Captain of the M/V El Faro in the Coast Guard and NTSB investigation of its sinking which was the worst U.S.-Flag shipping disaster in over 30 year.</li>
<li>Coastwise trade-related advice including U.S. build/rebuild standards and exemptions/waivers, including the successful Congressional waiver of America&#8217;s Finest to be able to use it in the fisheries and coastwise trade after too much foreign steel was used in its construction.</li>
<li>Significant wind farm regulatory compliance for leading developers and contractors including with the Jones Act, citizenship,&nbsp;and vessel contracts.</li>
<li>Marine contractors and general regulatory and legislative representation to facilitate cargo transportation and U.S. outer continental shelf oil and gas related operations, including crewing issues and general regulatory and environmental advice to facilitate compliance with U.S. laws.</li>
<li>A chemical company, in general maritime/environmental regulatory and citizenship advice.</li>
<li>General vessel and operational compliance advice.</li>
<li>Fisheries industry compliance issues.</li>
<li>Applicants to obtain deepwater port and shoreside LNG facility licenses.</li>
</ul>

Jonathan K. Waldron

Jonathan K. Waldron

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