Jon Werner

Jon Werner is a partner in Montgomery McCracken’s Litigation Department and a member of the firm’s Maritime and Transportation Industry Group. For more than 20 years, he has defended owners and operators of container ships and ro-ro vessels, as well as their P&I Clubs and hull insurers, in major marine casualties, cargo claims, and personal injury matters. Clients rely on Jon to assess exposure early, protect their position in the critical days after an incident, and either resolve claims efficiently or try them when that is the better course. He also represents brownwater (inland and coastal) vessel owners and operators, as well as other marine companies insured by domestic underwriters.

Jon’s casualty experience includes numerous high-profile, internationally publicized incidents, including container stack collapses, fires and explosions, collisions and allisions, groundings, capsizings, and engine breakdowns. He served as lead trial counsel in the series of trials arising from the M/V MSC FLAMINIA fire and explosion, one of the most significant maritime casualty litigations of its kind. He has tried cases in state and federal courts and argued appeals before federal courts of appeals.

Before beginning his legal career, Jon worked in the information technology industry. That background informs his approach to complex e-discovery and large-scale data processing, areas in which he helps clients manage the volume and cost of discovery in litigation.

Jon is a frequent author on current developments in maritime and transportation law and has been quoted in TradeWinds, Law360, and S&P Global.

Jon has been selected to Super Lawyers since 2019, after being named a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2014 to 2018. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Admiralty and Maritime Law since 2024.