About George Chalos

George M. Chalos is the principal and founding member of Chalos & Co, P.C.  Mr. Chalos has been engaged in the practice of maritime, admiralty and insurance law for approximately twenty (20) years, and is experienced in all facets of civil and criminal maritime matters, casualty and pollution response, Marpol, Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA ’90”), Clean Water Act (“CWA”), and environmental matters, and insurance coverage, defense, and handling of primary, excess, and reinsurance claims. Mr. Chalos has been counsel of record in over one thousand one hundred (1100+) civil and criminal maritime matters, in over twenty (20+) different U.S. District and Appellate Courts. He has extensive experience arbitrating matters before tribunals of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators (“SMA”) in New York; has conducted numerous court-ordered and private mediations; and has assisted in presenting claims before the London High Court of Justice.

Additionally, Mr. Chalos is recognized for his expertise in OPA ’90, CERCLA, CWA, Marpol and other pollution related matters, including the defense of criminal allegations and complex third-party litigation which customarily arise in any significant pollution incident. Mr. Chalos is a published author, with articles focused on the presentation of claims to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and the United States’ vessel initiative program wherein the government has targeted suspected Marpol violators for criminal prosecution. Mr. Chalos has defended numerous individuals and organizational defendants and successfully recovered over $100 million from the NPFC-OSLTF for various clients and/or their insurers. Mr. Chalos obtained landmark determinations in the M/T ATHOS I oil spill matter with respect to the Owner’s affirmative demonstration of its entitlement to limit liability and obtain an award of nearly $100 million dollars, as well as obtained several complete acquittals of both individual and organizational ship owning and operating clients in various criminal Marpol prosecutions.