Jason R. Kenney is a partner and focuses his practice in the fields of admiralty and maritime law, energy, construction, and catastrophic personal injuries.  His practice in these areas consists of both litigation (primary defense counsel) and monitoring roles.  Additionally, he assists his clients with contractual issues, including Master Service Agreements, Bare Boat Charters, Boarding Agreements, Defense and Indemnity Agreements, and other contracts germane to the areas in which he practices. His clients rely on him for his experience in this arena.  As such, he has tried numerous personal injury and collision/allision cases to judges and juries in both federal and state courts in Louisiana and Texas.  He represents a variety of clients including boat owners, maritime service companies, oil and gas (energy) service companies, crane companies, construction companies, the Port of New Orleans, and multiple domestic and international insurers.  Jason is often involved in multi-million dollar and high stakes issues and litigation.  

In addition to his litigation practice, Jason regularly serves as monitoring counsel on behalf of his insurance clients to manage the litigation process being handled by external firms on certain cases to ensure that his insurers are kept informed on the case stats, that the litigation is fluid, and that the case is being properly evaluated.  In this role, he prides himself on developing good working relationships with the primary litigation firm so that there is a synergy to the team instead of the awkward dynamic of having another lawyer “look over their shoulder.”

He is often sought after to speak and present in various areas, including the Jones Act, general maritime negligence, maintenance and cure, punitive damages, seaman status, general marine safety, developments in maritime contract law, personal injury case evaluation, mock trial and trial practice to industry groups, companies, insurers, attorneys and even multiple presentations for the Lloyd’s Market Association at Lloyd's of London.  Jason regularly travels the Gulf Coast and abroad and works with a variety of insurers in the London and domestic markets.

​

Jason represents clients all over the Southern Gulf Coast and overseas and has appeared on their behalf in state courts in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi as well as federal courts in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

​

Prior to and during the early stages of his law career, Jason worked as an outdoor writer for eight years and published over 75 stories in local publications.

​

Representative Matters

• Represented a tow boat company in a personal injury matter where the seaman fell between a barge and dock, injuring his knee and claiming that he suffered significant complications as a result of the injury. The matter was tried in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

• Represented a Lloyd’s syndicate as monitoring counsel for a well explosion in Texas resulting in multiple personal injuries and deaths.  The case was a complex matter involving multiple oilfield service contracts, complicated contractual issues, catastrophic injuries, and multiple law firms and attorneys.  

• Represented a tow boat company in a personal injury matter where the captain sustained a career ending back injury after participating in a manual labor activity that he planned.  The matter was tried in Louisiana state court.

• Represented an oil field service contractor in a collections/contract dispute regarding work in the Permian Basin.  The matter was tried in the Southern District of Texas.

• Represented a tow boat company when a crew member alleged that he injured himself while moving a pump from a barge back onto the boat.  The case was dismissed summarily by the Eastern District of Louisiana.  The judgment was appealed to the US Fifth Circuit, which affirmed the lower court’s ruling. The plaintiff then attempted to re-file in federal court in Memphis, Tennessee, and that matter was also dismissed after motion practice.

• Represented a local crane company in a case involving a multiple injury explosion at a plant in Louisiana.  The plaintiff agreed to voluntarily dismiss our client after initial discovery.

• Represented a fishing charter company in Galveston, Texas after a passenger fell off the dock and into the water.  The matter was dismissed on Summary Judgment by the state court judge in Texas.

• Represented multiple different clients in personal basket transfer cases which have been tried in Louisiana state and federal Courts.  

• Represented a crane company in a case involving a blind lift from a boat to the platform.  The matter was tried in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and 85% of the fault was placed on the company employee that acted as the spotter on the lift.  

• Represented a tug and barge company in Channelview, Texas, when a seaman filed a wrongful termination case stating that he was fired for alleging his co-workers violated COVID policies.  The matter was dismissed on a motion for judgment on the pleadings in the Southern District of Texas.

• Representation of maritime and energy companies in handling contracts and master service agreements, as well as operational issues and employment law matters.

• Regularly acts as emergency response in catastrophic maritime accidents to facilitate the investigation, and ensure the preservation of evidence and testimony.  Also becomes involved in any USCG or NTSB investigation, including facilitating the completion of the required USCG paperwork, monitoring the USCG/NTSB investigation, and attending USCG/NTSB interview.

​

​​​Publications and Speeches

• “Calculating Exposure in US Legal Cases," London, March 11, 2025

• “Incident Reporting,” Florida Marine Transporters, Mandeville, Louisiana, February 19, 2025

• GNOBFA (2024)

• Evaluation a US Personal Injury Claim Through the Mock Jury Process, Lloyd’s Market Association, Lloyd’s  Library, London, September 30, 2022.

• Jones Act – Trident and LMA (U35 and seniors)

• Incident Reporting - PORT of NOLA publication

• Root Cause Analysis – WORKBOAT Magazine

• Settlement v. Trial – LMA

• Maintenance and Cure (Apex London – 2012)

• Rule B Attachments (2019) Apex London

• Trial Practice Presentation – CLE with Judge North

• Trial Practice Presentation– London (NED HOTEL) October 3, 2017

​