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Alfred J.
Rufty, III

Position
Partner
Office
New Orleans

Al Rufty is a member of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He provides broad-ranging maritime litigation and commercial litigation services to clients across the United States and internationally.


For three decades, Al has represented vessel owners and operators, offshore service companies, marine insurers, shipyards, cargo owners, and other industry players. His clients include domestic and foreign companies with interests and operations throughout the US Gulf Coast, in Mexico, and beyond. 

Al enjoys trial work and regularly litigates on his clients’ behalf in matters involving maritime casualties — collisions, allisions, personal injury, property damage, and cargo loss — as well as in contractual disputes, often involving vessel charters, shipyard repairs, or marine insurance coverage. 

He works closely with clients to identify the issues at the heart of any dispute and to adopt practical strategies to resolve the issues quickly and effectively. When negotiated settlements are not an option, Al draws on his significant trial experience to present his clients’ cases before judges and juries in federal and state courts. Al has won a number of high-profile victories and been quoted in national legal and business publications such as Law360.

Al has deep experience in matters involving the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and other federal laws and regulations. He also regularly advises clients regarding the purchase or sale of vessels, and he is one of an exclusive group of lawyers that has advised international treasure hunters with respect to the identification and recovery of shipwrecks and their cargo.

Noteworthy

  • The Legal 500 United States, Transport - Shipping: Litigation and Regulation (2023)
  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell

Experience

  • Won a negligent misrepresentation claim against a marine classification society on behalf of a shipowner client. The client’s victory was upheld on appeal before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
  • Persuaded the Texas Supreme Court to reverse the courts below and dismiss the injury and wrongful death claims of 102 vessel passengers and their survivors after an offshore vessel fire.
  • Defeated an oil company’s claim for contractual indemnity in a pipeline explosion case with the novel argument that the pipeline maintenance agreement at issue qualified as a “construction contract” whose risk-shifting provisions were banned under an obscure Louisiana statute.
  • Won a wrongful attachment claim against a major oilfield contractor that had seized a client’s valuable equipment. The client’s victory was upheld on appeal by the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Presentations

  • "How to Protect Your Company in Your Contracts," Marine Log Ship Repair USA, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 10, 2025
  • "Pitfalls in Vessel Construction and Repair Contract," Marine Log Ship Repair USA Conference and Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 11, 2024

Memberships

  • Maritime Law Association of the United States
  • Mariners’ Club of the Port of New Orleans
New Orleans
201 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70170-5100
D: 504.582.8547
F: 504.589.8547
Emailarufty@joneswalker.com

Education

  • Tulane University Law School
    JD, 1989
    Tulane Law Review
  • Tulane University
    BA, 1986

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana

Court Admissions

  • US Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
  • US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

Related Practices

  • Litigation
  • Maritime
  • Maritime Litigation and Dispute Resolution
  • Litigation — Insurance

Related Industries

  • Maritime Industry
  • Cruise Industry
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