Seth Holbrook has been a well-known member of the New England admiralty law community for many years. Before law school, he worked as an underwriter in the Ocean Marine division of a prominent insurer. A graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, where he specialized in Ocean and Coastal Law matters, Mr. Holbrook is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. He has tried cases, both jury and non-jury, before courts in those jurisdictions and in Connecticut. He has also appeared before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on several occasions.
Mr. Holbrook has been involved in important cases affecting the New England maritime community, including cases involving the loss of the fishing vessel that was the centerpiece of The Perfect Storm and the largest boatyard fire in recent Massachusetts history. His practice is focused primarily on litigation, but he is also involved with transactional and administrative law work in the maritime arena.
Mr. Holbrook served as Skipper of the Mariners Club of Massachusetts and is a long time Proctor member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States. An avid boater, he keeps current on developments in the maritime field and recently completed requirements for his United States Coast Guard Captain’s license.
His clients range from multinational insurance companies to small boat owners. Mr. Holbrook has spoken before various maritime industry groups over the years and his advice is frequently sought by practitioners throughout New England.
Robert J. Murphy's practice is quite broad, leveraging numerous areas of expertise for his clients' benefit. He represents domestic and international clients and their insurers in a wide variety of commercial and maritime matters. In over 15 years of practice, Bob has extensive experience defending personal injury and death claims under the Jones Act, DOHSA and the general maritime law. He has advocated for his clients in the areas of maritime collisions, property damage, demurrage, cargo losses, charter party disputes, salvage, oil pollution and regulatory matters. He has litigated many of the leading Massachusetts cases concerning admiralty and maritime matters.
Bob also represents and advises underwriters and brokers in all aspects of insurance coverage disputes and first party claims. On the transactional side, Bob represents and counsels commercial institutions, vessel owners and vessel operators in negotiating and drafting agreements and in connection with financing.
Bob was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on July 13, 1964. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Plymouth State College in 1986, where he was on the President's List and played second row for the rugby team. He received his J.D., cum laude, from New England School of Law in 1990. In law school, Bob served as a Judicial Intern in the Suffolk, Middlesex and Essex Superior Courts. He was also a Senior Editor of the New England Law Review and a New England Scholar. He won the American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Competition, the American College of Trial Lawyers Medal for Excellence in Advocacy and the Trustees Award for Service.
Bob is a Proctor Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States and a frequent writer and lecturer on commercial and maritime topics.