Thomas Brown | Partner
Admiralty & Maritime Litigation
Tom offers clients his real-world maritime industry experience combined with an exceptional record of litigation success. In the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, after leading the trial team’s liability efforts, Tom negotiated a nine-figure recovery for his client. He has litigated no fewer than four vessel collisions that, in total, resulted in over $1 billion in property damages and significant loss of life. He also served as lead counsel in the case of an overseas shipyard disaster that caused the constructive loss of his client’s ship. His successful advocacy before an arbitral panel led to his client’s recovery of its entire charter claim plus all attorney’s fees. He also has written or co-authored successful appellate briefs on issues of admiralty jurisdiction, maritime attachments, and governmental immunity. Other maritime cases have involved groundings, major shipboard fires, contracts disputes, environmental damages, cargo losses, personal injuries, and wrongful deaths.
Aviation Litigation
In his aviation practice, Tom is available for aircraft casualties, injuries, and cargo losses. In these technically complex cases, clients have benefitted from his careful planning and preparation with accident reconstruction experts, piloting experts, and air traffic control experts. Tom has fully tried the case of a mid-air collision near Class D airspace, and the case of an in-flight mechanical emergency that resulted in a multiple-fatality crash. Both aviation trials resulted in judgment in his client’s favor.
Government Investigations & Practice
Tom has deep familiarity with the practice and procedure of government litigation, having both represented and opposed federal agencies in transportation cases. He has raised uniquely governmental privileges and defenses many times over, including the Feres doctrine, the discretionary function doctrine, and the political questions doctrine. Tom has litigated complex issues requiring courts to interpret the Suits in Admiralty Act, the Public Vessels Act, the Contract Disputes Act, and the Federal Tort Claims Act.
In government investigations, Tom also assists clients to promote a principled outcome while protecting their legal interests. He has advised or overseen dozens of government investigations, including into transportation casualties, administrative claims, and contracting disputes. These have included investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (U.K.), the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (Singapore), and the Japan Transport Safety Board.