The cruise industry presents a distinctive set of legal and business challenges by virtue of its dual role in the maritime transportation and luxury hospitality sectors. As one of the foremost law firms equipped with a range of practices to deliver comprehensive cruise industry counsel, Cozen O’Connor stands ready to help clients meet those challenges.
Cozen O’Connor’s cruise industry team represents a diverse client base, including international and domestic cruise lines, ferry operators, service providers, suppliers, concessionaires, financial institutions, and ship management companies. We have garnered extensive experience working with renowned global cruise brands as well as rapidly growing niche cruise companies.
Our cruise industry team includes members of the firm’s Transportation & Trade group, which is internationally renowned for its regulatory prowess in the transportation field. Our lawyers offer invaluable guidance to clients concerning U.S. laws, including those enforced by key agencies such as the Federal Maritime Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, and Maritime Administration. Moreover, our attorneys possess deep knowledge of relevant international conventions and the intricate interplay between domestic and international regulations. We regularly conduct audits and develop compliance programs to ensure adherence to these regulatory frameworks.
In addition to our regulatory capabilities, Cozen O’Connor excels in handling significant corporate transactions within the cruise industry. Our attorneys nimbly navigate complex negotiations involving ship purchases and sales, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture agreements, ship charters, concessionaire agreements, ship construction contracts, and asset-backed ship financings. With every transaction, we bring valuable experience in maritime antitrust/competition matters and a comprehensive understanding of global deal terms and structures.
Cozen O'Connor's litigation and government investigations practices further bolster our cruise industry team. These attorneys have successfully represented cruise lines in a wide range of legal disputes, including commercial and maritime conflicts, environmental issues, antitrust matters, consumer protection cases, and white collar investigations. Further, Cozen O’Connor’s dedicated State Attorneys General practice offers robust defense against consumer protection claims, deceptive trade practices, and advertising disputes.
Another distinguishing feature of Cozen O'Connor is our Washington D.C.-based government affairs group, Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies. Our team of advocacy professionals possesses in-depth knowledge of federal and state legislative and executive bodies that oversee the cruise industry. We have a proven track record of advocating for regulatory changes and securing waivers on behalf of our cruise industry clients.
What sets Cozen O'Connor apart is not only our wealth of experience in cruise-related matters but also our commitment to operating efficiently and effectively. We maintain a low-leverage staffing model, ensuring that experienced attorneys are closely involved in every matter. Additionally, we offer individualized fee arrangements to provide our well-managed clients with optimal service at a competitive price point.