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CO-CHAIR, MARITIME PRACTICE GROUPTom Belknap&nbsp;is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).Tom concentrates his practice on international commercial litigation and arbitration, with particular emphasis on the maritime and commodities industries. He also focuses on offshore construction, casualty, and insurance issues. Tom has been involved in a wide variety of domestic and international maritime, commercial, and insurance matters, including:<ul>	<li>Marine casualty and collision cases and vessel limitation of liability actions</li>	<li>International and domestic commercial and maritime contract disputes, including arbitrations under AAA, ICC, SMA, and ad hoc arbitration terms</li>	<li>COGSA and multi-modal cargo damage and loss claims</li>	<li>Offshore wind and pipeline installation and construction projects and related contracting and insurance issues</li>	<li>Marine insurance coverage disputes, including protection and indemnity, general commercial liability, marine liability, hull and machinery, cargo, and war-risk insurance coverage issues</li>	<li>Maritime bankruptcy matters advising debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, and unsecured creditors’ committees</li>	<li>Maritime commercial and “treasure” salvage and general average disputes</li>	<li>Maritime attachment (Rule B) and vessel arrest (Rule C) actions</li>	<li>Recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitration awards and judgments</li></ul>Tom is a co-author of Time Charters (7th ed. 2014) and a co-author of the annual update to Benedict on Admiralty, Vol. 3A: The Law of Salvage. He also wrote the chapter “Enforcing and Challenging Arbitral Awards” in Navigating Maritime Arbitration: The Experts Speak (2019).Tom has been recognized by Chambers USA every year since 2009 as a leading shipping litigation attorney. Chambers has stated, “Thomas Belknap is praised for his ‘thoughtful and thorough approach.’ He has expertise across a range of matters including contracts and charter party disputes, casualty litigation and insurance coverage.” Tom's clients told Chambers that he is “fantastic when it comes to the details of a claim, where you have to go through a complaint, take it to pieces and put it back together again,” and he is “always prepared, articulate, knowledgeable and practical in his approach to running cases.” He is “a rising force—he is hard-working, with a good understanding of the law, particularly cargo matters.” Chambers particularly highlighted his “really good connections in the Asian shipping arena.”Tom was recognized by Lexology North America Awards 2024 as the Individual Practitioner of the Year in Shipping.Tom is an adjunct professor at New York University Law School, where he teaches a course in Admiralty Law.

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April 2026 Spotlight on …

Blank Rome Obtains Key Court Ruling Protecting Synergy Maritime’s Right to Seek Limitation of Liability in Respect of Dali / Key Bridge Incident

The Limitation Act in the United States: A Deeper Look

MAINBRACE: January 2026

AI in the Maritime Industry

International Bar Association Annual Conference 2025

MAINBRACE: September 2025

Eighth Edition of Time Charters

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Best Lawyers in America®

Blank Rome Assembles Cross-Practice Trade Enforcement Team Amid Increasing Government Investigations

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

MAINBRACE: October 2024

12 Blank Rome Attorneys to Attend IBA 2024 Annual Conference

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2025 Best Lawyers in America®

Navigating Maritime Arbitration: The Experts Speak – Second Edition

Blank Rome Attorneys and Practice Group Receive Lexology’s 2024 North America Awards

Marine Insurance: New Developments

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

Chambers USA 2024 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

A Complex Brew of Issues Fuels Law Firm Growth

MAINBRACE: March 2024

Enforcing Foreign Arbitral Awards in the United States

Blank Rome: Not Built in a Day

Recent Developments Affecting U.S. Maritime Arbitration

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

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Maritime – Litigation

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Trade Enforcement

Among others, Tom has represented clients in the following matters:
<ul>
<li>The M/V DALI vessel interests in connection with an allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland in March 2024, including in connection with the civil limitation of liability action, U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (&#8220;NTSB&#8221;) investigations, and criminal investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice.</li>
<li>A tanker owner, in a New York limitation of liability action in connection with a collision with the USS JOHN S. MCCAIN off Singapore in August 2017, defending claims by the United States for approximately $200 million in property damage claims, death claims on behalf of 10 Navy sailors, and injury claims by 45 Navy sailors.</li>
<li>A tanker owner, in defense of $28 million claim by cargo owner for damages allegedly caused by delay in delivering fuel oil cargo to Singapore shortly following COVID-19 pandemic.</li>
<li>A vessel charterer, in defense of $39 million wrongful cancellation claim in arbitration and related fraud and RICO litigation against charterer’s corporate affiliates and directors.</li>
<li>A natural gas utility, in defending two separate claims for damage to major electric transmission cables crossing the Long Island Sound during a marine construction project, and related insurance coverage litigation as an “additional assured” under the contractor’s policies.</li>
<li>A foreign jack-up barge operator, in negotiations to provide installation services for a U.S. East Coast offshore wind farm installation project.</li>
<li>Multiple foreign offshore wind service providers, in contract negotiations in connection with U.S.-based offshore wind projects.</li>
<li>A large U.S.-based marine bunker supplier, in New York litigation arising out of OW Bunker bankruptcy.</li>
<li>Various commodity traders, in disputes arising under commodity sale contracts.</li>
<li>A commodities trading company, in defense of claims for “poaching” a trading team from a competitor.</li>
<li>The unsecured creditors committee, in maritime issues relating to a U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy action.</li>
<li>Numerous debtors, in maritime issues relating to a U.S. Chapter 15 action seeking recognition of foreign bankruptcy proceedings.</li>
<li>A foreign offshore ice breaking company, on corporate organization and limitation of liability issues.</li>
<li>A cargo vessel owner, in a collision with a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine.</li>
<li>Numerous Rule B and Rule C matters, both in obtaining and opposing attachments and arrests.</li>
<li>Numerous matters seeking recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitration awards and judgments.</li>
</ul>

Thomas H. Belknap Jr.

Thomas H. Belknap Jr.

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