Simms Showers LLP announces that Tom Brown and Joshua Keyser, experienced maritime lawyers, have joined our team.

Tom (linkedin.com/in/thomas-brown-34541b46) re-joins us Partner after serving as Senior Counsel, Aviation and Admiralty Section, U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). As USDOJ Senior Counsel, Tom won numerous multi-week trials, arbitral and appellate practice - recovering nearly $200 million in affirmative claims including as co-lead counsel in the Francis Scott Key Bridge litigation. His experience involves major vessel collisions, aviation disasters, government contracts, cargo losses, charter disputes, shipboard fires, heavylift claims, shipyard claims, environmental claims, and other large personal injury and wrongful death claims.

Tom recently was promoted to Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Office of the Judge Advocate General. He is intimately familiar with the practice and procedure of government litigation, serving also as instructor at Texas A&M Maritime Academy. Tom graduated summa cum laude University of Maryland School of Law graduate, third in his class, Editor-in-Chief of the Maryland Journal of International Law received the faculty’s Roger Howell Achievement Award. A graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, Tom sailed as second mate of vessels of any gross tons upon oceans with STCW 2010 certification. 

Josh (linkedin.com/in/joshua-b-keyser) joins as Associate, practice concentrating on complex civil litigation of maritime and intermodal transportation and casualty claims, maritime regulatory and environmental compliance, civil False Claims Act litigation, and other commercial matters.

Josh served as a Surface Warfare Officer with the U.S. Navy, then, Intermodal Logistics Coordinator with one of the world's largest container carriers, CMA-CGM. He was selected to serve as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Mark W. Carmean, Circuit Court for Calvert County, Maryland, and the Honorable E. Gregory Wells, Chief Judge of the Appellate Court of Maryland. Before joining Simms Showers he was a litigation Associate with another leading Baltimore law firm.

Tom and Josh will with us continue serve our clients on a 24/7 basis throughout the U.S. and internationally.