Jess G. Webster

Admiralty, Maritime & Marine Affairs Attorney

Serving the U.S. Pacific Rim

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Maritime Law Expertise

For over 40 years Jess Webster’s primary practice has focused on maritime affairs. He is an experienced maritime and business attorney who serves a full spectrum of maritime and marine-related industries, including shipping, freight forwarding, logistics, towing, fisheries, aquaculture, petroleum, lending, insurance, ship construction and repair, yacht construction and repair, marinas, and suppliers of necessaries. Jess has been a partner in a law firm specializing in admiralty and maritime law and a regional business law firm where he addressed clients’ complex business transactional and litigation needs.

Jess regularly represents parties in a wide range of maritime related transactions, including acquisition and sale of maritime businesses; vessel/yacht purchase, sale and charters; regulatory compliance; fisheries regulation; fishing rights transactions; Jones Act compliance; contracts of carriage, towing agreements and vessel charters; and maritime employment agreements. Jess’s marine financing experience includes assisting clients in the establishment capital construction fund (CCF) agreements with Marine Administration (MARAD) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

As a proctor in admiralty, Jess has litigated all manners of admiralty and maritime claims in the federal courts of the western United States, including maritime lien and mortgage foreclosures, maritime attachments, vessel construction and repair disputes, charter disputes, marine insurance coverage litigation, defense of fisheries and environmental regulatory violations, and maritime employment disputes.

Jess also advises an array of non-maritime businesses in entity formation, corporate governance, finance, and employment practices. Adjunct to his business practice, Jess has litigated a wide variety of business disputes in the state and federal courts of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon

Practice Areas

Recognition

Education

Work Experience

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
U.S. District Court, District of Alaska
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Professional Activities

Litigation Experience

Representation of vessel owners, builders, and repairers in many cases involving vessel construction and repair disputes.
Representation of vessel owners, managers, and claimants in vessel arrests and attachments under Rules B, C, and D of the federal admiralty rules.
Representation of international fuel supplier in all ports of western United States for arrests of ocean-going vessels to enforce maritime liens for necessaries.
Representation of commercial lenders in foreclosure of preferred mortgage of vessel and security interests in tangible and intangible property.
Representation of commercial lender in multi-district foreclosure action against fleet of commercial fishing vessels and appurtenant fishing rights, followed by collaborative sales of assets for full recovery of secured debt.
Representation of vessel owners and charterers in numerous cases involving alleged breach of charter agreements.
Representation of vessel owner after grounding, break-up, and loss of a large seafood processing ship on a remote island in Alaska, including OPA 90 oil spill response, salvage efforts, defense of claims by State and native corporation for wreck removal and damages, prosecution of insurance coverage claims against underwriters for loss and wreck removal, and enforcement of performance bond for completion of wreck removal.
Representation of vessel owner in all aspects of sinking of saturation dive support vessel in Singapore shipyard. Representation included immediate sinking response activities, presentation and resolution of insurance claims for hull loss and liabilities arising from sinking, pursuit of claims against shipyard for sinking of vessel, and successful resolution if claims in early mediation in London, England.
Team defense of manager of refit for superyacht/oceanographic research vessel against multi-million dollar claims for alleged mismanagement, resulting in defense judgment in favor of manager, recovery of all management fees due, costs, expenses, and attorney fees.
Prosecution of claims for breach of warranty on purchase of deep-water construction vessel before Society of Maritime Arbitrators, Inc.
Representation of yacht owner in arbitration of claims for multiple defects in construction of yacht, resulting in arbitration award and full recovery against successive owners of yacht manufacturer and manufacturer’s principals for full amounts claimed, costs, expenses, and attorney fees.
Representation of vessel owner in litigation with shipyard arising from conversion of vessel from oil industry support vessel to factory trawler, resulting in judgment for owner and recovery of costs of repairs and attorney’s fees.
Representation of marina operators and moorage providers for removal and disposal of derelict vessels in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.
Representation of superyacht manufacturer in prosecution of warranty claims against materials vendors.

Tranactional Experience

Representation of estate in negotiation and sale of large yacht construction business.
Representation of early investor/employee of cannabis processing business in negotiated resolution of claim for stock initially denied to employee due to mischaracterization of status of employee in plan of merger.
Representation of marina operators and moorage providers in addressing delinquent moorage accounts and derelict or abandoned vessels.
Advising multiple commercial fishing businesses with respect to acquisitions, sales, chartering, fishing rights transactions, and employment issues.
Representation of owners and charterers in negotiation and drafting of time, voyage and demise charters; master services agreements, maritime employment agreements, and vessel management, manning, and services agreements.
Represented numerous commercial lenders in negotiation, drafting, and recording of marine loan documentation.
Representation of foreign investor in acquiring interests in U.S. marine transportation company in compliance with Jones Act U.S. citizenship requirements.
Represented vessel owners and builders in negotiation and drafting of agreements for new construction and repair of commercial vessels and yachts. Representation of vessel owners and shipyards in multiple vessel construction and repair disputes in multiple jurisdictions, including Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and jurisdictions bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
Representation of maritime borrower in bond financing transactions.
Representation of owner and operator of assisted living facilities in HUD financing transactions.

Publications

“Washington’s New BUI Laws: Now Alcohol and Water Really Do Not Mix,” Graham & Dunn, Northwest Maritime Law (May 2013)
“All Ties Go To Seamen: Washington Supreme Court Confirms Summary Judgment Standard Inappropriate on Seaman’s Motion,” Graham & Dunn, Northwest Maritime Law (May 2013)
“Pebble Mine: EPA Issues Revised Draft Assessment,” Graham & Dunn, Northwest Maritime Law (May 2013)

Presentations

“Enforcement of Maritime and Preferred Mortgage Liens Against General Intangibles,” Washington State Bar Association, Current Issues in Maritime Law 2023 CLE (Sept. 2023)
“Not a Puny Concern: The Pursuit and Defense of Punitive Damages Claims in Maritime Actions – From the Practical to Predictions,” Washington State Bar Association, Annual Maritime Law CLE (May 2018)
“Maritime Attachment,” Washington State Bar Association, Current Issues in Maritime Law CLE (Nov. 2013)

Admiralty & Maritime Partner Jess Webster Elected to Seattle Propeller Club Board of Governors

In 2022, Jess Webster was elected to serve on the Board of Governors of the Seattle Propeller Club. The Propeller Club, Port of Seattle Chapter is a civic, social, and charitable organization that promotes maritime commerce in the Puget Sound region.

To learn more, visit seattlepropellerclub.org.