Grady S.

Hurley

Position: Partner
Office: New Orleans

Grady Hurley is a partner in and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team and co-chair of the Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources Industry Team. Since 1979, he has focused on maritime, oilfield, and energy litigation.

Grady has broad-ranging dispute resolution and transactional experience at the intersection of energy and maritime law, including in areas such as offshore energy exploration, production, and distribution, where a range of complex legal, regulatory, and business issues collide. He regularly counsels clients on matters involving cargo, collision, allision, product liability, toxic tort, insurance, indemnity, death, personal injury, property damage, lease cancellation, right-of-way disputes, explosions, and multi-party complex and commercial litigation in state and federal courts. An industry thought leader, Grady is deeply involved in emerging issues such as autonomous shipping, cybersecurity, wind, and other challenges and opportunities facing industry participants.

In recognition of the excellence of his work, numerous industry and legal publications and ratings agencies have listed him among the top practitioners, regionally and nationally including Chambers USA and The Legal 500 United States.

In his maritime practice, Grady has engaged in brown water, offshore, blue water, and pleasure craft litigation, including drafting of briefs to the US Supreme Court on Suits in Admiralty Act cases, indemnity, and amicus briefs. Grady is also a certified mediator and arbitrator focused on maritime, offshore industry, and energy disputes.

As part of his oilfield practice, Grady represents pipeline companies, offshore platform operators, crewboats, drilling companies, exploration and production companies, seismic operators, catering companies, and other oilfield service concerns in transactional matters, torts, and commercial disputes. He has drafted complex maritime and energy service agreements involving vessels, pipelines, rigs, and platforms, and was actively involved in the initial litigation defining the Louisiana Oilfield Indemnity Act. Grady has represented oil companies in fishery laws and lobbying, including oyster and coastal restoration cases.

Grady has lectured extensively on risk management, discovery, ethics, indemnities, and admiralty and energy law, while remaining active in local and national bar associations. He has authored numerous publications on issues such as contracts, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) jurisdiction, and regulatory matters, and is co-author of the chapter on admiralty and maritime law in the highly regarded publication, Business and Commercial Litigation in the Federal Courts, which is updated and published annually by Thomson Reuters.

Grady is currently president of the Maritime Law Association (MLA) and chaired its Offshore Industry Committee. He serves as a vice chair of the American Bar Association Admiralty & Maritime Law Committee. A past president of the Tulane Alumni Association, he is a member of the advisory council of Tulane's Admiralty Law Institute and the Tulane Maritime Law Journal board.

Noteworthy

Publications

Presentations

Memberships

American Arbitration Association, Energy & Maritime Panel; Energy Advisory Council
American Bar Association, Vice-Chair, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee (2012–2022); House Delegate (2004–2006); Former Chairman, Subcommittee on Wrongful Death and Workman's Compensation (1990–1992); Member, TIPS, Maritime Law Committee, Subcommittee on Collision Law; Mid-Year Planning Committee (2006)
American Heart Association, Heart Walk Executive Leadership Team (2016)
Association of Average Adjusters
Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, Member, Delegate to Fifth Circuit Judicial Conference, (2002 and 2005)
COMITE Maritime International, International Working Group on Mobile Offshore Renewable Units
East Jefferson General Hospital Board of Directors, Treasurer (2012–2013); Member (2011–2013)
East Jefferson General Hospital Foundation, Executive Committee, Chair Elect; Board of Directors, (2007–2015); Executive & Finance Committee (2009–2015)
Energy Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Fifth Circuit Bar Association
Institute for Energy Law, Advisory Council
Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition, Brief Judge (2014–2020)
Louisiana Bar Foundation, Fellow; Member Gala Committee (2008); YLS Representative to the Board; Judicial Liaison Committee (2005–2006); Fellows Gala Committee (2008)
Louisiana State Bar Association, First Board District; Representative, Young Lawyers Section (1986–1987); Executive Committee, National Mock Trial Championship (1991); Assistant Tort Examiner, Committee on Bar Admissions (1998–2018)
Marine Log, Editorial Advisory Board (2022)
Mariners' Club of New Orleans
Maritime Law Association, Officer; President (2024–present); 1st Vice President (2022–2024); 2nd Vice President (2020–2022); Chair, Special Committee on COVID-19 (2020); Secretary (2018–2020); Membership Secretary (2016–2018); Board of Directors (2005–2009); Proctor, Chairman of Offshore Industries Committee (2004–2008); Committee on Maritime Personnel; Young Lawyers Committee (1989–1995); Proctor Member (2001)
Mediation Arbitration Professional Systems, Inc., Mediator, Maritime & Offshore Energy Disputes, Louisiana
New Orleans Bar Association, President (2002); Vice President (2000); Treasurer (1998); Secretary (1997); Executive Board of Directors (1994–1999); Chairman, Maritime Law Committee (1990–1992); Editor, Briefly Speaking (1993); It's the Law Committee (1994–2001); Chairman, Bench/Bar Conference (2005)
The New Orleans Bar Association American Inn of Court, President (2003–2005)
New Orleans Bar Foundation, President (2007–2009); Board of Directors; Vice President (2006)
New Orleans Lympho-Maniac Cancer Fund Inc., Advisory Board (2015–2017)
Offshore Marine Services Association
The Pro Bono Project, Member, Board of Directors, (2001–2002); Volunteer
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute
Southeast Admiralty Law Institute, Member, Board of Directors/Port Captain (2003–2006)
St. Thomas Moore Society
Tulane Admiralty Law Institute, National Advisory Board, Planning and Program Committee
Tulane Law School, Dean's Advisory Committee on Law Journals (2016)
Tulane Maritime Law Journal, Board of Advisory Editors
Tulane University, Alumni Association, President (1996), Associated Student Body President (1975)
World Trade Center, Transportation and Energy Committee