Thomas S. Berkley - Virginia Beach, VA

Tom Berkley is a firm shareholder focusing his practice on federal and state litigation, maritime and admiralty, transportation, and federal and state workers compensation law.

For more than 20 years, Tom has represented a variety of maritime and waterfront focused businesses and individuals including public and private marine terminals, ship lines, stevedores, shippers, salvors, shipyards, intermodal and cargo interests, commercial fishing vessels and associations, tug and barge companies, construction and manufacturing companies, municipalities, recreational boaters, and several insurance companies and P&I Clubs.

In addition to his diverse maritime experience, Tom represents clients in employment, environmental, and riparian rights litigation.

Tom currently serves on the board of Colonna Shipyard, Inc., is the immediate past president of the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council, is the chair of the Virginia Maritime Association's maritime briefings committee, and is a member of the Offshore Wind Committee of the Virginia Maritime Association.

During his undergraduate years, Tom served as a deckhand on tugboats working up and down the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Coast, lived and studied in London and operated a campus-wide vending machine business. After graduating from the University of Virginia, he completed the McIntire Business Institute program offered by his alma mater. During law school, Tom clerked for the Honorable Lydia C. Taylor of the Norfolk Circuit Court and interned for the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES & TRANSACTIONS
Successfully represented a public marine terminal on a $10 million railway operation liability claim.
Successfully represented a public marine terminal on a $12 million wrongful death cargo operation claim.
Successfully represented a private shipyard on a $25 million Jones Act and wrongful death vessel repair claim.
Successfully represented international ship line in 1.3 million dollar detention and demurrage action in federal court.
Successfully represented a marine construction company on multiple Jones Act, USL&H and Virginia worker compensation claims over a six year bridge and road building project.
Successfully represented a truck chassis and drayage operation company on a $10 million personal injury action.
Successfully represented a coal loader elevator manufacturer working at a private marine terminal on a $20 million personal injury action.
Successfully represented commercial fishing association in quota litigation against the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Represented commercial fishing fleet owner in successful retention of scallop fishing permit.
Successfully represented a property owner in a tenant's multi-million dollar lead paint exposure case.
Successfully defended luxury boatyard in insurance coverage dispute concerning grounding of multimillion dollar vessel off Puerto Rico.
Successfully defended developer in federal court wetlands litigation delaying flood prevention improvements to municipal and private subdivision project affecting hundreds of private homes.

MEMBERSHIPS
Colonna Shipyard, Board Member
Maritime Law Association of the United States
South Eastern Admiralty Law Institute
Virginia Maritime Association, Chair of Maritime Briefings Committee
Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council, Board Member and Past President
Norfolk Propeller Club
Virginia Bar Association
Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association

HONORS & AWARDS
AV® Preeminent^TM Rated, Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings^TM
Best Lawyers In America, Admiralty and Maritime, 2012-2021
Coastal Virginia's Top Lawyers, Aviation, Admiralty, Maritime, & Transportation, 2016-2021
Inside Business Top 40 Under 40, 2008
Walter E. Hoffman Community Service Award, 2008
Leadership Hampton Roads, 2004

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Elizabeth River Project, Board of Directors
Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council, Board of Directors
Indoor Youth Soccer Team, Coach
The Virginia Zoo, Past Board Member
Norfolk Strikers Youth Soccer Club, Former Team Manager
VB City FC - Youth Club Soccer, Former Team Manager

ARTICLES
Brown Water Seamen and the Stowaway Virus: Coronavirus Precautions - April 2020
Borrowed Servants on Virginia's Waterfront: A Muddied Predicament for Employers - May 2018
Ports Making Positive Moves to Handle Mega-Ships - July 2017
Deciphering Our Port - April 2017

PRACTICE AREAS
Litigation
Maritime and Admiralty
Transportation
Waterfront Law
Workers' Compensation

EDUCATION
William & Mary Law School, 1996
University of Virginia, 1991
ADMISSIONS
Supreme Court of Virginia, 1996
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1996
United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1997
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 2004