James A. Marissen

Partner

  • Office Contact Info
  • Biography

    James A. Marissen is a Partner in the Los Angeles and Orange County offices of GRSM. He is a maritime legal specialist with extensive experience in conducting international litigation and arbitration on behalf of ship owners, charterers, freight forwarders, terminal operators, insurers, salvors, commodity traders, banks and other corporate clients.

    James' practice involves a broad spectrum of maritime matters including vessel arrests, charterparty and bill of lading disputes, cargo claims, maritime liens, personal injury, and all aspects of casualty response, including investigations, evidence preservation, salvage, towage, wreck removal, and pollution incidents.

    Born and raised in Australia, he has worked with international maritime law firms in their Perth, London, and Singapore offices before coming to the United States in 2007. James has particular expertise in conducting multi-jurisdictional litigation in international trade matters involving contracts for the sale of goods, letters of credit, and other documentary credits.

    He also has extensive casualty experience throughout the United States and the world, including emergency response to shipping casualties, casualty investigations, port state control investigations, internal/shoreside investigations, evidence preservation, and pollution incidents.

    James' practice covers non-contentious maritime work including drafting charterparties, bills of lading, passenger ticket terms, ship sale and purchase contracts, ship management agreements, preferred vessel mortgages, and joint venture agreements for special projects.

    Admissions

    • California
    • New York
    • England and Wales, Solicitor
    • Western Australia, Barrister and Solicitor
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

    Memberships

    • Maritime Law Association of the United States
  • Practice Areas
  • Representative Experience
    • Arabian Gas and Oil Development Company v. Wisdom Marine Lines, S.A., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48288 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 20, 2017) (Increase of Security for Wrongful Attachment Damages).
    • O.W. Bunker Malta Ltd. v. M/V Trogir, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 4367 (9th Cir. 2015) (Maritime Liens).
    • In re Seaway Co. of Catalina, et al., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32542 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 7, 2013) (Limitation of Liability and DOHSA claims).
    • Italia Marittima, S.P.A., v. Seaside Transp. Servs., LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142529 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 12, 2011) (Dismissal for Improper Venue).
    • Equatorial Marine Fuel Mgmt. Servs. Pte Ltd. v. MISC Berhad, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 26055 (9th Cir. 2011) (Damages for Wrongful Attachment).
    • Equatorial Marine Fuel Mgmt. Servs. Pte Ltd. v. MISC Berhad, 591 F.3d 1208 (9th Cir. 2010) (Vacation of a Rule B Attachment).
  • Education

    Education

    LL.M., University of Queensland

    LL.B., University of Western Australia

    Honors

    Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Admiralty and Maritime Law (2018–2025)

    Recognized in the Shipping chapter of Who’s Who Legal: Transport 2020

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