Jonathan Thames

Jonathan W. Thames advises business and insurance clients on complex maritime, insurance, contract, property, regulatory, and transportation matters. He has extensive knowledge of contract issues, including contractual indemnity; franchise and licensing issues; catastrophic personal injury and death actions; marine cargo, hull & machinery, protection & indemnity (P&I) and maritime general liability (MGL) claims; and insurance coverage disputes.

He has particularly deep experience with maritime Maintenance & Cure issues from his more than two decades of experience handling Jones Act and related matters.

Jonathan’s twin goals, above all else, are predictability of outcomes and value for money. To reach these goals, he evaluates his clients’ issues—whether litigation, regulatory, or transactional—with an eye not just towards “winning,” but towards finding solutions to the problems his clients are facing.

Prior to joining Hinshaw, Jonathan was a partner with a midsized California-based firm. He also worked with maritime firms in Seattle and New Orleans.

Professional Affiliations : Maritime Law Association of the United States, Proctor in Admiralty

Representative Matters :

• Successfully resolved multiple Jones Act suits brought by subcontractor painters against client super-yacht owner for a legend respiratory/nerve damage as a result of chemical inhalation.
• Within seven months of bringing claim, secured 67% recovery for $4 million damage to apples as a result of chemical overexposure in controlled atmosphere storage.
• Drafted and negotiated numerous multimillion dollar super-yacht refit contracts for client shipyard.
• Defended client shipyard in negligent ship repair claim by owners of World War II era PT boat.
• Defended client marina from tenant’s suit for vessel total loss from award of summary judgment at trial court through denial of tenant’s petition for certiorari to California Supreme Court.
• Defended client commercial diving contractor in vessel owner’s claim for damages as a result of fire aboard historic tour vessel resulting in total loss.

Education :

• J.D., cum laude, Seattle University School of Law, 1996
• B.A., History, Tulane University, 1993

Admissions : California, Louisiana, Washington, U.S. Court of Federal Claims.