Robert Phelan litigates property subrogation matters and inland marine, maritime and other transportation cases involving shipping law, international trade law and private international law throughout the domestic United States. Based in New York City, Robert has been admitted pro hac vice to litigate such cases on behalf of clients in federal District Courts in California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Robert handles claims and recoveries for domestic and international clients arising from air, land or sea losses occurring in the United States, Central and South America, Europe, the CIS, and Asia. He regularly handles complex losses involving failures in yacht design, construction and maintenance. Robert also frequently represents seawall, pier or bridge claimants in allision cases, either as a subrogating plaintiff or as a defendant in maritime limitation actions.
Robert also frequently handles Carmack inland marine transportation cases throughout the United States for clients regularly insuring domestic freight in interstate commerce. In recognition of his handling of maritime matters, Robert has attained the status of a Proctor in Admiralty in the Maritime Law Association of the United States. In 2023, Robert was named a Subrogation Community Leader for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM).
Robert earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1995 and a law degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2000.