James Andrew Black

Phone: 978-744-8918

Fax: 978-666-0383
Email: ablack@fsofirm.com

Attorney J. Andrew Black received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2019.  Prior to law school, Andrew gained extensive experience in the commercial maritime industry working as a Ship’s Agent and Operations Manager for Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. – a family-owned company.  This upbringing exposed him from an early age to the complexities of international sea-borne trade and provided Andrew with the opportunity to personally attend, and direct, over 1,000 vessel turnarounds in an array of ports including Houston, San Francisco, New York, and Boston.  To add to his understanding of vessel operations and maritime activities, Andrew also completed courses in Business of Shipping, Ship Brokerage & Chartering Vessel Operations, LPG Transportation, Maritime Awareness, Security & Terrorism Training, and National Incident Management System Training. 

While in law school, Andrew served as a Judicial Intern in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for the Honorable Judge Bruce Selya.  He also worked as a Student Attorney for the Startup Law Clinic, which provides strategic legal and business advice to student entrepreneurs in the BU and MIT communities.  Following the completion of his legal studies, Andrew gained additional corporate law experience working as In-House Counsel for Moran Shipping.  In that role he was involved in all aspects of the company’s management, including its ISO 9001 Quality Management System, the formation of subsidiary entities, and advising clients on compliance with a broad range of U.S. maritime regulations.

Practice Areas

• Admiralty and Maritime Law

• General Litigation, Trial and Appellate Practice

• Insurance Coverage and Defense

• Oil Spills and Pollution

• Personal Injury, Jones Act, and Longshore defense

• Cargo and Property Damage

• Collisions, groundings, and other marine casualties

• Coast Guard and Maritime Administration regulatory issues

• Vessel Arrests and Foreclosure

• Fisheries

​

Admissions

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts

• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

​

Education​​

• Boston University School of Law, J.D., 2019

• University of Connecticut, B.A., Economics, summa cum laude, 2010

• Wesleyan University, B.A., Philosophy, 2009

Professional Associations

• Maritime Law Association of the United States

Articles​

• "A New Custom Thickens: Increased Coastal State Jurisdiction Within Sovereign Waters," 27 B.U. Int'l. L.J. 355 (Summer 2019)

• "Unseaworthiness in the Age of Cyberattacks," American Bar Association - Admiralty & Maritime Law Committee Spring/Summer 2019 Newsletter (July, 2019)

​