Recent News:
Geoffrey Ferrer, James Forsyth, J. Bruce Maffeo, Suzanne Mayes, Jason Shargel, and Anna Wermuth received the highest annual ratings from their peers.
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Geoffrey serves as the office managing partner of the New York office and is vice chair of the firm's Transportation & Trade Practice. He focuses on U.S. and non-U.S. flag shipping matters, and all aspects of asset-based lending, including ship and aircraft finance and equipment leasing. He routinely advises vessel owners and operators, as well as financial institutions in connection with U.S., Marshall Island, Liberian and Vanuatu maritime and corporate laws. He also provides maritime advice in connection with shipping related mergers and acquisitions, as well as securities offerings. In addition, he represents clients in maritime lien and mortgage enforcement actions, as well as in marine casualty and general commercial disputes. He has been recognized by Chambers and Partners USA in Nationwide Transportation: Shipping/Maritime Finance from 2014-2022 and Chambers Global from 2019-2021.
In 1978, Geoffrey received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma. He earned his law degree in 1981 from Columbia University.
He is the author of the "Judicial Sales of Vessels and Priority of Claims - United States," chapter in the Maritime Law Handbook, published by Wolters Kluwer in 1994 and updated in 2013, 2017 and 2022.
News
August 22, 2022
210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
August 22, 2022
Geoffrey Ferrer, James Forsyth, J. Bruce Maffeo, Suzanne Mayes, Jason Shargel, and Anna Wermuth received the highest annual ratings from their peers.
July 11, 2022
For 30 years, The Legal 500 has assessed the strengths of law firms in more than 100 jurisdictions. The rankings use a series of criteria, including client feedback, submissions from law firms, and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.
June 02, 2022
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 86 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2022 edition.
March 23, 2022
Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the following changes in firm leadership positions for the 2022 year.
February 17, 2022
Chambers Global has recognized four Cozen O’Connor attorneys: Susan Eisenberg (Miami – Labor & Employment), Geoffrey Ferrer (New York – Transportation & Trade), Shane Hardy (Toronto – Intellectual Property), and Joseph Tilson (Chicago – Labor & Employment), as worldwide leaders in their respective practices.
August 19, 2021
Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
June 17, 2021
The Legal 500 United States named Cozen O’Connor’s Aviation, Construction, Immigration, Insurance, and Maritime practices and Cozen O’Connor attorneys Scott Bettridge, Raymond DeLuca, Geoffrey Ferrer, Bruce Ficken, David Heffernan, Jeffrey Lawrence, Robert Magovern, Anne Mickey, Jeffrey Mullen, Josh Stein, Jeff Vogel, and Rachel Welford to its 2021 Legal Guide.
May 26, 2021
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 82 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2021 edition; of those, 15 lawyers have been recognized nationally.
February 18, 2021
Chambers Global has recognized four Cozen O’ Connor attorneys, Susan Eisenberg (Miami – Labor & Employment), Geoffrey Ferrer (New York – Transportation & Trade), Thomas Giotto (Pittsburgh – Labor and Employment) and Joseph Tilson (Chicago – Labor & Employment), as worldwide leaders in their respective practices. All four attorneys are also ranked in the Chambers USA Guide.
February 16, 2021
Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the following changes in firm leadership positions for the 2021 year.
February 09, 2021
Move Consolidates Employees and Becomes the Firm’s Flagship Manhattan Office
January 27, 2021
Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce that Geoffrey D. Ferrer, vice-chair of the firm’s Transportation & Trade group, and a member of the Marshall Islands bar has been ranked in the Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021 Guide.
August 20, 2020
Best Lawyers selected 201 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).
June 22, 2020
The Legal 500 United States named Cozen O’Connor’s Aviation, Construction, Immigration, Insurance, and Maritime practices and Cozen O’Connor attorneys Scott Bettridge, Stephen Cozen, Raymond DeLuca, Geoffrey Ferrer, Bruce Ficken, David Heffernan, Jeffrey Lawrence, Robert Magovern, Anne Mickey, Jeffrey Mullen, Josh Stein, Christopher Sweeney, and Jeff Vogel to its 2020 Legal Guide.
May 14, 2020
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 63 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2020 edition.
February 17, 2020
Chambers Global has recognized four Cozen O’ Connor attorneys, Susan Eisenberg (Miami – Labor & Employment), Geoffrey Ferrer (New York – Transportation & Trade), Thomas Giotto (Pittsburgh – Labor and Employment), and Joseph Tilson (Chicago – Labor & Employment), as worldwide leaders in their respective practices. All four attorneys are also ranked in the Chambers USA Guide.
August 28, 2019
Cozen O’Connor is proud to announce that six of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized as “Lawyers of the Year” in their respective practices by Best Lawyers in America.
August 28, 2019
Best Lawyers selected 138 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 21 of the firm’s national offices for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
June 14, 2019
The Legal 500 United States named Cozen O’Connor’s Aviation, Construction, Immigration, Insurance, and Maritime practices and Cozen O'Connor attorneys Scott Bettridge, Raymond DeLuca, Geoffrey Ferrer, Bruce Ficken, David Heffernan, Jeffrey Lawrence, Robert Magovern, Anne Mickey, and Jeffrey Mullen to its 2019 Legal Guide.
April 25, 2019
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the USA, has ranked 57 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the Guide’s 2019 edition.
April 12, 2019
Chambers Global has recognized three Cozen O’ Connor attorneys, Susan Eisenberg (Miami – Labor & Employment), Geoffrey Ferrer (New York – Transportation & Trade), and Joseph Tilson (Chicago – Labor & Employment), as worldwide leaders in their respective practices.
August 22, 2018
One hundred twenty-six Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 20 of the firm’s national offices have been selected for inclusion in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
June 15, 2018
The U.S. edition of The Legal 500 recognized Cozen O’Connor’s Aviation, Construction, and Shipping practices as well as attorneys Geoffrey Ferrer, Bruce Ficken, David Heffernan, Jeffrey Lawrence, Robert Magovern, and Anne Mickey.
Publications
September 23, 2021
Geoffrey Ferrer, Jeff Vogel, and Matt Howell discuss a recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published by the U.S. Coast Guard
May 05, 2021
Geoffrey Ferrer, Christopher Raleigh, and Neil Quartaro discuss substitute custodians and the responsibilities of the arresting party.
April 28, 2021
Geoffrey Ferrer, Christopher Raleigh, Neil Quartaro, Eric Scherling, and Erik Schmidt discuss a recent victory for a client in connection with a debtor that was in severe financial distress.
September 24, 2020
Geoffrey Ferrer and Anne Mickey discuss steps mortgagees can take to avoid a foreclosed vessel being sold at a judicial auction for just 2 percent of the amount of the secured debt.
August 03, 2020
Geoff Ferrer and Anne Mickey discuss the Second Circuit's decision in Power Authority of the State of New York v. M/V ELLEN S. BOUCHARD, and the BARGE B No. 280, their engines, apparel, tackle, boats, appurtenances, etc., in rem, Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., Motor Tug Ellen S. Bouchard, Inc., No. 280 Corp.
July 09, 2020
Geoffrey Ferrer and Anne Mickey discuss corporate registry updates for entities registered in the Marshall Islands and Liberia.
May 15, 2020
Geoffrey Ferrer and Anne Mickey discuss a newly adopted regulation in the Marshall Islands that officially sanction virtual shareholder meetings.
March 26, 2020
Geof Ferrer outlines changes made to the state of New York's notarization requirements.
March 25, 2020
Geoffrey Ferrer and Anne Mickey discuss vessel registries relaxing original document requirements and accommodating the acknowledgment process without the need for a face-to-face meeting.
March 24, 2020
Geoffrey Ferrer and Anne Mickey discuss the temporary modification to the mortgage recording and acknowledgments requirements set out in the Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Act.