Christopher M.
Hannan

Position: Partner
Office: New Orleans

Chris Hannan is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and a member of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He represents clients across the maritime, insurance, and energy sectors in high-stakes litigation and complex regulatory and contractual matters, both domestically and internationally.

Chris is a nationally recognized maritime and offshore energy counselor with deep experience in admiralty law, marine insurance, and offshore energy matters, whose practice spans both the blue and brown water industries and offshore infrastructure and operations. He has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile cases involving the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), vessel collisions/allisions (commercial and recreational), oyster bed and other environmental damage claims, cargo and ocean shipping disputes (including before the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)), marine insurance coverage, and limitation of liability actions. Chris’ practice also includes advising on indemnity, insurance, and risk allocation in maritime contracts and representing clients in commercial disputes involving shipbuilding, coastwise trade issues, maritime liens, vessel arrests, and anti-indemnity statutes.

He has represented clients in multidistrict litigation (MDL), arbitrations before various tribunals, proceedings before multiple regulatory bodies (including the US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, and the US Department of the Interior’s Interior Board of Land Appeals), and appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Chris' work has led to precedent-setting decisions in maritime law, including successful wrongful arrest in rem claims and constitutional challenges in foreign jurisdictions.

Before joining Jones Walker, Chris completed a two-month secondment as a claim’s handler with a Lloyd’s of London insurance syndicate and a fixed-premium protection and indemnity insurer, where he managed a wide range of claims involving vessel operations and general marine matters.

Noteworthy

Experience

Represented the London insurance market in regard to the Deepwater Horizon MDL.
Represented the London insurance market in regard to the sinking of the Petronius platform off the coast of Alabama.
Represented cargo shippers in charge complaints before the FMC in connection with claims relating to detention and demurrage pursuant to the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 and subsequently issued regulations.
Represented vessel owners in a complex, multiparty, multivenue commercial dispute regarding a first-impression issue of maritime law concerning a vessel management agreement as well as wrongful arrest, maritime bankruptcy, and lost profits issues. Prevailed on the wrongful arrest claims in one of only a few reported successful wrongful arrest claims in Louisiana in the past 20 years. Briefed and argued multiple issues on consolidated appeals in the Fifth Circuit.
Acted as American general maritime law counsel on behalf of cargo interests in a damage suit in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (which applies US general maritime law as its own law), one of several proceedings in multinational, multiforum litigation involving the law of multiple countries arising out of a two-vessel collision off the coast of Vietnam. Successfully defeated a motion to transfer the suit on forum non conveniens grounds and ultimately argued before and prevailed in the Marshall Islands Supreme Court regarding threshold issues of Marshall Islands constitutional law and statutory law and conflict of international treaties regarding limitation of shipowner liability, resulting in an additional net potential gain to our clients of approximately $10 million.
Represented a dredge company in oil spill, property damage, and lost product claims resulting from an allision between a dredge and a pipeline. Obtained summary judgment dismissal of the claims against the dredge company under Louisiana’s “One Call” statute (underground utilities and facilities damage prevention law) and for lost product damages under the Robins Dry Dock rule and prevailed in the Fifth Circuit on appeal by the pipeline company on both the Robins Dry Dock issue and dismissal of the “One Call” claim (an issue of first impression).
Represented a Louisiana inshore oil and gas exploration company through trial and appeals to the Louisiana Supreme Court with respect to claims by oyster fishermen regarding alleged damage to oyster beds by vessels and oil and gas exploration equipment.
Represented a pipeline owner/operator in connection with claims by oyster leaseholders for alleged damage to oyster beds relating to a pipeline decommissioning project.
Represented a recreational vessel owner regarding a two-vessel collision resulting in a fatality and various personal injury and property damage claims.
Represented inshore oil and gas exploration companies in claims relating to allisions between commercial vessels (fishing vessels, a tug, and barges) and oil platforms in Louisiana state waters, including aspects of spill/pollution response, lost/deferred production, navigational charting and equipment/electronic chart issues, historic permitting concerns, and vessel owners/operators’ claims for limitation of liability.
Represented various vessel companies and offshore service providers in personal injury and indemnity claims, under both the general maritime law/Jones Act and state law viz the OCSLA, including obtaining summary judgment dismissal, affirmed on appeal, of indemnity claims against an oilfield contractor pursuant to the Louisiana Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act; obtained summary judgment dismissal of personal injury claims against the oilfield contractor pursuant to borrowing employer immunity.
Obtained summary judgment dismissal of an intervenor’s maritime lien claim on behalf of a mortgage-holding lender in a vessel mortgage foreclosure action and prevailed on a motion to dismiss the intervenor’s appeal to the Fifth Circuit based on the “useless judgment” doctrine.
Served as trial counsel in a seven-day, $58 million fraudulent transfer case involving a breach of contract dispute and Texas fraudulent transfer law. Owned verdict in favor of the fraudulent transfer plaintiff and briefed multiple issues on appeal prior to resolution of the case.
Represented a vessel owner in a contract dispute with a shipyard and obtained a temporary restraining order at the outset of litigation authorizing the removal of the owner’s equipment and partially completed vessels pending dispute resolution.
Obtained Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal for no cause of action of claims against hull and machinery underwriters arising out of a jack-up vessel grounding incident.
Obtained orders on behalf of cargo interests in two different federal jurisdictions pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1782 (discovery in aid of foreign proceedings) authorizing depositions and document discovery from a foreign flagged and crewed vessel regarding a general average claim.
Obtained a successful result for the owner of a bridge spanning the Atchafalaya River against claims arising out of an allision involving a tug and a crane barge.
Obtained summary judgment dismissal of a store-owner client and its insurer in a slip and fall case under the Louisiana independent contractor defense.
Obtained summary judgment dismissing a store owner and its insurer in a slip and fall case based on the court’s finding of no unreasonably dangerous hazard.
Obtained a 12(b)(6) dismissal of contract claims by an alien corporation against a Louisiana company based on lack of prudential standing.
Assisted a solid waste services company in reaching a compliance solution with the Coast Guard after the Coast Guard unexpectedly shut down oilfield waste removal/disposal operations in the Gulf of Mexico based on changes to its regulatory guidance regarding oilfield waste barges and stability/pollution prevention requirements.
Represented an insurance company in an international dispute arising out of damages sustained to a major submarine power cable during underwater work related to the construction of offshore pipelines. Successfully obtained dismissal of the multimillion-dollar case on prediscovery threshold motions, subsequently affirmed by the Fifth Circuit.