People
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George M. Chalos George M. Chalos earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and Juris Doctor degree from St. John's University School of Law. Mr. Chalos is experienced in all facets of civil and criminal litigation, with primary emphasis on maritime and admiralty law (including, but not limited to collisions, alisions, groundings, emergency casualty response, maritime attachments & arrests, cargo claims, charter-party disputes, and other P&I and/or FD&D matters), Marpol and environmental matters, general liability defense, contract and insurance law, arbitration, mediation, sale & purchase agreements and other international commercial transactions. Mr. Chalos has been lead counsel in numerous high profile Federal and state court trials around the United States, and has assisted in presenting claims before the London High Court of Justice. Additionally, Mr. Chalos has a known specialty with respect to Marpol and other environmental and pollution matters, including and particularly the defense of criminal pollution matters, as well as the complex third-party litigation arising from a pollution incident. Mr. Chalos has been a published author with respect to the United States' vessel initiative program wherein the Government has targeted suspected Marpol violators for criminal prosecution, as well as the presentation of claims to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Mr. Chalos has defended numerous individuals and organizational defendants and has successfully recovered over $100 million from the NPFC-OSLTF for various clients. Recently, Mr. Chalos obtained a landmark determination in the M/T ATHOS I oil spill matter with respect to the Owner's affirmative demonstration of limitation of liability, and received an award in excess of $77 million dollars for a vessel owner, operator and interested insurers. Mr. Chalos is a Member of the New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association; Maritime Law Association, and has received the high distinction of being recognized as a Proctor in Admiralty by fellow members of the Maritime Law Association of the United States. He is conversant in both French and Greek and licensed to practice in all trial and appellate courts sitting within New York State, the United States District Courts for the Southern & Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Court for the District of Connecticut, the United Sates District Courts for the Southern and Eastern District of Texas, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. |