As members of our renowned Global Transportation Finance (GTF) group, the lawyers in our maritime practice use their diverse knowledge and experience to create efficient and innovative legal solutions for clients in a unique, highly specialized and capital-intensive industry. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, we handle a wide range of cross-border transactions, frequently involving multiple parties across multiple jurisdictions.
Our maritime and maritime finance lawyers are also able to draw on the experience of colleagues in our other practice groups, including mergers and acquisitions, structured finance, capital markets, insolvency, environmental regulation, international trade, labor and employment, intellectual property, tax and dispute resolution, to provide maritime and maritime finance industry clients with comprehensive and thorough advice on all aspects of their businesses and activities.
Our experience includes advising clients on:
- Asset securitization
- Bilateral lending
- Charters
- Coastwise regulation, including the Jones Act and the Passenger Vessel Services Act
- Export-credit structures
- Finance leases
- Insolvencies, workouts and corporate reorganization
- Joint ventures
- Litigation and arbitration
- Maritime liens
- Port and terminal regulation
- Private placements, including 144A and Reg S offerings
- Public offerings and listings
- Regulation under the American Fisheries Act
- Sale-leaseback transactions
- Securitization
- Ship management agreements
- Syndicated and club lending
- U.S. government maritime programs
- Vessel sales and purchases
- Vessel mortgages
- Vessel registration and documentation
Tier 2: Industry Focus: Transport: Shipping — Finance, 2018-2025
Band 3 in Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Finance, 2021-2025
Tier 1 in National Equipment Finance Law and Tier 2 National Admiralty and Maritime Law, 2013-2024
“Vedder is always at the forefront of changes in the maritime industry”
“Superior ability to combine legal advice with commercial understanding of clients’ business”
Global Transportation Finance Newsletter
December 2025 Issue
Covering the latest in legal updates for global transportation finance.
Insights & Events
Publications
Global Transportation Finance Newsletter December 2025
December 22, 2025
Publications
IMO Net-Zero Factsheet and Update
December 22, 2025
Publications
Marine Insurance in Ship Finance Transactions: How Insurance Structure Affects Risk
December 22, 2025
Publications
Port-Entry Fees on Pause: The USTR Suspends Section 301 Fees on China-Linked Vessels
December 22, 2025
Deals & Transactions
Vedder Price Represents Windstar Cruises in Fleet Expansion Transaction
December 18, 2025
Speaking Engagements
John Imhof to Moderate U.S. Government Initiatives, Programs and Policies Panel at 2025 Marine Money Finance Forum – New Orleans
December 3, 2025
Speaking Engagements
Anthony Renzi to Give Guidance on Investing at Marine Money 2025 Ship Finance Forum NYC
November 20, 2025
Publications
Global Transportation Finance Newsletter September 2025
September 9, 2025
Primary Contacts

Michael E. Draz
Shareholder
Chair, Global Transportation Finance Practice Area
Member, Board of Directors
Chicago