Alanson (Skipper) Chenault focuses his practice in the fields of maritime law and marine and pollution casualty response. His experience includes cases involving collision, pollution, fire, other marine casualties, personal injury, complex maritime products liability, oil spill response, maritime and environmental regulation, cargo claims, insurance coverage and defense, charter parties and commercial litigation.
Skipper has represented major international and domestic marine, liability and energy underwriters, protection & indemnity clubs, cruise lines, other shipowners and energy companies. He is a member of the firm’s on-scene emergency response team, participating in responses to major vessel casualties and oil spills and has gained extensive exposure to federal and international regulatory investigations and pollution liability laws. He was formerly a partner with Fowler Rodriguez, a maritime-centered firm based on the U.S. Gulf and in South Florida with a strong international focus. Since 2006, Skipper has taught collision law and shipowner limitation of liability law as an adjunct professor in the Master of Laws program at Tulane Law School.
After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1976, Skipper served in the Navy on active duty as a submarine officer, and taught in the engineering department at the Naval Academy for two years. He also has extensive offshore sailing experience. From 1987 to 1998, he served with the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring at the rank of Captain. Skipper currently serves on the 21-member Navigation Safety Advisory Council (NAVSAC) under appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.