Contact Info

Phone: (212) 594-2400
Fax: (212) 594-4589

Kirk M. Lyons

Partner

Kirk has specialized in maritime and admiralty law since 1981. Prior to founding the firm with Ed in 1996, he had been a partner in another leading New York maritime law firm for several years. His practice concentrates on maritime casualties, cargo claims, arbitration and charter party disputes, hull, machinery, and property damage claims, personal injury and wrongful death claims, and marine salvage. Kirk represents vessel owners and operators, both blue and brown water, and most marine underwriters and P & I Clubs.

He has recently defended a collision case between a tug and barge and a pleasure boat, involving the wrongful death of one of the boat’s passengers, from the U.S. Coast Guard investigation through litigation and court-supervised settlement. Kirk has also litigated collision cases through trial, including one involving a tanker and tug boat where substantial loss of use was claimed and another one involving a Ro-Ro vessel and a pleasure boat, in which he obtained favorable judgments in both cases for the firm’s clients. One of the more unique cases he has handled involved a three-way collision between a container vessel, bulk carrier, and a tanker, in which all three vessels sustained significant hull damage. A very favorable settlement was obtained for the firm’s client, the tanker owner, including substantial loss of use damages.

In addition to handling maritime casualties, he has successfully arbitrated through issuance of an award, numerous charter party claims involving all types of disputes ranging from cargo damage to charter party termination and loss of revenue claims, demurrage, off hire, and tanker vetting issues to name but a few.

Moreover, he has defended through trial claims involving damage, loss, and contamination to both dry and liquid cargo and obtained favorable results for the firm’s clients.

Prior to practicing law, Kirk sailed on break bulk vessels and container ships as a deck officer and holds a United States Coast Guard Unlimited Third Mate’s License. He is also a former Adjunct Professor of admiralty and maritime law at State University of New York Maritime College’s Master’s Program.

Kirk has been happily married for several years to his wife Ann, and they have two grown children, Kelly and James.

Education

Massachusetts Maritime Academy, B.S., 1977, high honors
New England School of Law, J.D., 1981

Publications

Supreme Court Issues Ruling on the Patentability of the Human Genome - July 2013
Koehler Update and Proposed Legislation to Overturn the “Separate Entity Rule” - May 2013
Discovery In Aid of Foreign Proceedings - June 2012
Is a Charterer's Interest in the Use of a Vessel Attachable Property Under Rule B? - April 2012
The Benefits of Taking Part in USCG Investigations - October 2011
USCG Marine Casualty Investigations and the Role of the “Party in Interest” - August 2011
CISADA - One Year Later - May 2011
Overview of Iranian Trade Sanctions, 2010
Loss of Use Damages Under U.S. Maritime Law – A Primer, 2010
Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Country Judgments, 2010
Pre-Judgment Attachments Under New York State Law, 2010
Piracy Update, 2009
The Rotterdam Rules - Executive Summary, 2009
Developments in Rule B Maritime Attachments, 2009
Preservation of Evidence / The Risk of Spoliation - Executive Summary, 2008
Overview of USCG Investigatory Powers: The Rights & Obligations of Owners/Operators, 2003

Bar Admissions

New York
Southern District of New York
Eastern District of New York
New Jersey
District of New Jersey
Massachusetts
District of Massachusetts
District of Connecticut
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships

Maritime Lawyers Association of the United States, Proctor
American Bar Association
New York State Bar Association