International maritime law specialist Clyde & Co. has established an office in Newport Beach in a bid to strengthen its presence on the West Coast.
It’s the first Southern California office for the London-based firm and its fifth in the U.S. following Atlanta, New Jersey, New York and San Francisco. The firm tapped Joe Walsh, a former partner at Long Beach-based Keesal, Young & Logan, to head the OC outfit.
Clyde & Co. focuses on aviation, shipping and international trade, among other practices. It has about 1,500 lawyers in nearly 40 offices globally.
The firm has grown into the biggest shipping practice in the world based on the number of attorneys specializing in maritime law, according to John Keough, a partner in the New York office.
“We have developed a pretty strong reputation over the years for representing a wide variety of shipping and maritime areas,” Keough said.
The firm’s client list includes “marine insurance companies, ship owners and operators, commodities trading clients, cargo insurers … just about the entire range of maritime commercial interest. We do noncommercial interest, as well; we’ve got a strong yacht practice.”
Walsh is a longtime OC resident and currently lives in Santa Ana, which led to the selection of Orange County for the new office, according to Keough. Walsh will be joined by Frances Keeler, another attorney from Keesal, and several more are expected to make the move to Clyde’s new office in MacArthur Court.
“We’ll be putting the rest of the team here shortly,” Walsh said. “We will be looking for office space as the team gets put together. We’ll build out more space as necessary.”
Experience, Education
Walsh’s experience at Keesal, where he spent about 25 years, includes representing energy companies, as well as practicing litigation involving industrial casualties and admiralty law matters.
He earned a law degree from the University of Arizona after graduating from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.
“I’ve known [Joe and other members of his firm] for many years,” Keough said. “We’ve litigated with them, against them, and we consider Joe and his group to be the very best out there. We look to [be] in areas where we can expand a quality practice, and Joe represents that. He really provides a foundation for our entire West Coast maritime practice.”
Another key factor in establishing a post for Clyde in Orange County is its central location, with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and San Diego as bookends to recent growth here.
“Being here uniquely positions us to serve not only the shipping interests of Los Angeles and Long Beach … but it also gives us access to San Diego and the energy markets generally, both from the regulatory standpoint and from the environmental side,” Walsh said.
He added he’s kept an eye on OC’s business trends and has seen that “trade and transportation concerns and interests have been taking more and more note in Orange County, and the business advantages that OC has to offer—it seems to be a perfect link to the trade and energy areas. Coming to OC is a reflection of where those interests will be in the future.”
So far, so good.
“We’re getting a very strong reception from clients with an influx of new cases,” Keough said. “We expect that to continue, and I think it’s an attractive firm for lawyers to join.”
