Press Room
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 May 2005
Vandeventer Black's Ryan Elected to Board of Maritime Law Association of the U.S.
NORFOLK, VA.
John M. Ryan of the law offices of Vandeventer Black LLP was recently elected to a three-year term on the national Board of Directors for the Maritime Law Association of the U.S. (MLA) at their annual Spring meeting in New York. He previously served as Chair of the MLA Stevedore and Marine Terminal Committee.
Ryan traditionally concentrates his practice in Commercial, Maritime and Employment Law matters. His Maritime and Commercial practices focus on the many aspects of marine terminal operations, as well as complex civil litigation before the state and federal courts. In the field of Labor and Employment law, Ryan is experienced in union avoidance, as well as "Title VII" issues and consulting with clients to avoid employment pitfalls.
Currently, He serves as General Counsel to Virginia International Terminals, Inc., the company that operates the state's three major maritime terminals in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News.
He received an A.B. from Dartmouth College and his LL.B. from the University of Virginia. Ryan served as the President of the Virginia Bar Association (1988-1989), is an honorary member of the West Virginia Bar Association and a member of the National and Southern Conferences of Bar Presidents. He is also a member of the Hampton Roads Maritime Association and the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute. Ryan is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Council Member and Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Further, he is a permanent member of the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, a Master and Past President of the James Kent Chapter of the American Inns of Court and a former Trustee of the John Marshall Foundation. Ryan is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for 2004 - 2005 in the fields of Business Litigation, Maritime Law and Labor and Employment Law. He is the distinguished recipient of the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association's 2002 Eggleston/I'Anson Professionalism Award. Ryan is based in the firm's Norfolk office.
The MLA was founded in 1899. Its formation was prompted by the organization, some three years earlier, of the International Maritime Committee, better known by its name in French, Comité Maritime International (CMI). The objectives of the Association are to advance reforms in the Maritime Law of the United States, to facilitate justice in its administration, to promote uniformity in its enactment and interpretation, to furnish a forum for the discussion and consideration of problems affecting the Maritime Law and its administration, to participate as a constituent member of the Comité Maritime International and as an affiliated organization of the American Bar Association, and to act with other associations in efforts to bring about a greater harmony in the shipping laws, regulations and practices of different nations. To learn more about MLA visit www.mlaus.org.
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