Vincent M. DeOrchis

• Visiting Professor, John Simms Distinguished Admiralty Practitioner in Residence, Tulane University, 2006
• Appointed to assist the U.S. Department of State in respect to negotiations in UNCITRAL regarding the “Rotterdam Rules Convention.”  2002-2008
• Lord & Taylor v. Zim Integrated Shipping Services, 13 Civ. 3478 (SDNY). (Defense of Act of God upheld in a case involving Hurricane Sandy.)
• Lead counsel, In the Matter of Rationis Enterprises Inc.– MSC CARLA, 325 F. Supp. 2d 318 (SDNY). (Limitation of Liability proceeding and subsequent indemnity case against Korean shipbuilder for a vessel that broke in half at sea.)
• Bally, Inc. v. M/V ZIM AMERICA, 22 F.3d 65 (2d Cir. 1994). (New law regarding the burden on a cargo owner to prove that the missing weight of cargo exists at the time of delivery from a carrier.)
• O’Connell Machinery Co. v. M/V AMERICANA, 797 F.2d 1130 (2d Cir. 1980).(Peril of the Sea defense upheld for a container that fell during a storm, and an arrest proceeding vacated due to sovereign immunity of a ship owner only partly owned by a foreign government.)

• Author, “Get Ready to Confront the Force (Majeure),” March 2020
• Quoted in, “Left flat by abandoned tires,” American Shipper, May 2016
• Quoted in, “US imports set to face little VGM scrutiny from Coast Guard,” The Journal of Commerce, April 6, 2016
• Author, “Abandonment of cargo is no defense to ocean freight owed,” February 24, 2016
• Quoted in, “TOTE seeks exoneration or limitation of liability in El Faro sinking,” American Shipper, November 2, 2015
• Quoted in, “Judge Says Terminal Not Liable for Sandy-Soaked Sweaters,” New York Law Journal, June 12, 2015
• Author, “Validation Principle May Increase Number of Future Arbitrations,” MEALEY’S International Arbitration Report, May 31, 2014
• Author, “Party is Sanctioned for Destruction of Electronic Documents After Receiving a Claim,” Signals Newsletter, April 2014
• Noted in, “ICC Issues Award For Sweeteners Plus In Dispute Over $7 Million Escrow,” MEALEY’S International Arbitration Report, March 25, 2013
• Co-author, “Negotiation – An Attorney’s Manual and Inside the Minds: Founding a Law Firm”

• Speaker, “Hot Topics: what’s new in the sectors?” International Bar Association’s 2017 Maritime and Transport Law Conference: Shipping, energy and commodities – Legal challenges in offshore, ports and sea carriage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2017
• Moderator, ACI Admiralty & Maritime Claims & Litigation Conference, Houston, Texas, January 2016
• A Witches’ Brew of Bananas and Oil, Naphtha and Crude, brings Hurricanes and Bankruptcy and Low- Sulfur Fuel: Current Trends in U.S. Maritime Law, International Maritime Law Seminar, London, October 2015
• Organizer and Moderator, International Maritime Law Seminar, held yearly in London, since 2006
• Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards in the United States, International Maritime Law Seminar, London, September 27, 2012
• Where Have Settlements Gone? The Settlement Scene as Viewed From the 19th Floor Above Manhattan, International Maritime Law Seminar, London, October 27, 2011
• Carriage of Goods, International Legal Training (“ILT”) Conference, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, October 20, 2011
• Management of Large Casualties:  Practical Thoughts and Suggestions, International London Seminar, October, 2010, PowerPoint Presentation
• The Rotterdam Rules: Rough Seas or Smooth Sailing Ahead? IBA Vancouver, October 2010
• UNCITRAL and the Rotterdam Rules: A Change in the Sea for Carriage of Goods, Invited speaker at Liberty International Underwriters, NYC, August 2010
• Reefer Containers: A New Generation But Still Encountering Problems, Mediterranean Shipping Company (USA) Inc., New York, NY, March 2010
• Applying The Rotterdam Rules: A Comparison of Maritime Case Law Under COGSA and the Rotterdam Rules, Maritime Law Association Fall Meeting, Hilton Head, SC, November 2009
• When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going – A Carrier’s Tough Job in a Tough Economy, International London Seminar, October 2009
• Analysis of the Rotterdam Rules, Ministry of Justice, Bogota, Colombia, November 2008
• Rule B Attachments and Rule C Arrest: A Side-By-Side Comparison, Maritime Bar Association, Santiago, Chile, October 2008
• Discussion of Punitive Damages in Maritime Law, Finnish Maritime Law Society, March 2008
• Arrest of Vessels, International London Seminar, November 2007
• Has The Time Come For Anonymous Cargo To Come Out Of The Box?  Iberio Americano Institute, November 2007
• Third Party Practice Under United States Law, International London Seminar, October 2006

• The Best Lawyers in America, Maritime Law, 2006 – 2021 Editions (consecutively)
• Who’s Who Legal, Shipping & Maritime, 2010 and 2015
• Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers Guide, Transportation: Shipping: Litigation, 2017-2019
• New York Super Lawyers, 2011-2020, Metro Editions, The Annual List – The Top Attorneys in the New York Metro Area
• Nominated by GlobalLawExperts for the position of Legal Adviser for Maritime Law in America, September 2011
• New York Super Lawyers. 2010, Metro Edition, Article – Sea Change, How Vincent DeOrchis Helped Update 80-Year Old Maritime Law
• Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers Guide, Transportation: Shipping:  Litigation, 2009
• Martindale, Hubbell AV Rated

• Serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy, Association of Transportation Law Professionals, Inc. (ATLP)
• Titulary member of the Comitè Maritime International (CMI)
• Member of the Italian American Bar Association
• Served on the board of directors of the Maritime Law Association of the United States
• Served as Chairman of the Committee on Carriage of Goods, and Vice Chair of the Committee on Maritime Fraud
• Served on the board of directors of New York Maritime, Inc. (NYMAR)
• Participated as a briefing judge in the Judge John R. Brown National Moot Court Competition

Vince received a J.D. degree from Fordham Law School in 1974. He graduated from Fordham College in 1971.