Lawrence I Kiern

Larry Kiern is a partner in Winston & Strawn’s Washington, D.C. office who concentrates his practice in litigation, arbitration, maritime, environmental, legislative, and regulatory matters. Mr. Kiern has extensive experience in litigation, arbitration, regulatory, and legislative matters. He represents shipowners, charterers, shippers, ports authorities, terminal operators, pollution underwriters, and P&I Clubs on diverse legislative matters on Capitol Hill; regulatory, and litigation matters involving the Coast Guard, the EPA, the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Maritime Commission; and complex litigation matters both in arbitrations and the federal courts. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kiern served as a captain in the U.S. Coast Guard and deputy chief of the U.S. Coast Guard Congressional & Governmental Affairs Staff. As Deputy Chief he supervised the Coast Guard’s Capitol Hill operations, including appropriations, legislation, policy, and liaison activities. In addition, he served as legislative counsel from 1994-1996 and represented the Coast Guard in all legislative matters on Capitol Hill. Mr. Kiern also served as chief of the Operational Law Branch of the National Pollution Funds Center, which administers the billion-dollar Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. He has extensive experience investigating and litigating major marine casualties involving vessel fires, sinkings, and loss of life. He has represented clients in major maritime environmental criminal investigations. He is recognized for his experience with the financial and liability issues associated with oil pollution incidents, having worked on several major oil spills, including the NORTH CAPE, the MORRIS J. BERMAN, the BOUCHARD/ MARITRANS spill in Tampa Bay, the NESTUCCA, and MCN 5 incidents. Mr. Kiern's previous experience also includes serving as a trial attorney for the admiralty office of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he handled a wide range of litigation throughout the Ninth Circuit, and serving as lead agency counsel for the Coast Guard on marine safety, regulatory matters, and criminal prosecution in the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Kiern is secretary of the Vessel Regulations Committee and past vice chairman of the Marine Ecology Committee of the Maritime Law Association and also is a member of its Environmental Crimes Committee. In addition, he serves on the Law Review Committee of the American Association of Port Authorities and the Tulane Maritime Seminar planning committee. Mr. Kiern received a B.S. in Government, cum laude, from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1974. He received an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University in 1979 and a Ph.D. in American Political History from the University of Connecticut in 1996. Mr. Kiern received a J.D., with honors, from the University of Michigan Law School in 1985.