Lugenbuhl shareholder David Sharpe recently delivered a presentation in Southampton, England, during the 10th OST Colloquium, a conference hosted by the University of Southampton’s Institute of Maritime Law in partnership with the University of Oslo’s Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law and Tulane Law School’s Maritime Law Center.

The annual colloquium enables delegates from academia and industry who are invited by all three universities to network and promote comparative discussion. The theme of the 2019 conference focused on issues surrounding automation of commerce and featured twelve presentations over two days on topics ranging from “smart contracts” and blockchain technology to autonomous ports and ships.

Titled “Automation of Port and Terminal Operations in the United States,” David’s presentation provided an overview of the recent request for information issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), which invited stakeholders to comment on the various opportunities, challenges and impacts of automated port systems and technologies. A repeat Tulane delegate, this is the second consecutive year David has spoken at the OST Colloquium. For OST 2018, he delivered a presentation in Oslo, Norway, titled “Towage Services & Autonomous Vessels Under U.S. Law.”

A frequent speaker, author and editor, David has nearly 30 years of maritime law experience, focusing his practice on risk management in the marine-service market. In addition to his law practice, he is an adjunct professor at Tulane University Law School. For more information about David’s experience and professional accolades, view his profile.