“When I was young, the father of a large family of young kids that my family was close to was paralyzed from a serious injury at work. I saw how a lawyer was able to get justice for the father and family by successfully taking the case to trial. The family received financial support which helped everyone move forward with their lives in a positive way.
When I was at Texas Maritime Academy, one of my professors was a practicing maritime lawyer. His class and friendship helped confirm my childhood dream of becoming a lawyer. This professor guided me on what I needed to do to succeed in law school.
After graduating, I got a job on the river as a towing vessel pilot. I had to quickly learn the lower Mississippi River and how to operate a towing vessel. Understanding the radio traffic, learning the areas of the river, and learning how to steer a towing vessel in the Mississippi River especially during high river conditions was challenging. The river rose to record levels my first year as a pilot and operating a vessel under those conditions made the job even more challenging. This experience results in me having a deep and genuine respect for river mariners. Most lawyers don’t have awareness because they don’t truly grasp how hard it is to be a competent river mariner.”
Education
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Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, J.D., cum laude
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Managing Editor, Loyola Maritime Law Journal, 2014
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Texas A&M Maritime Academy, B.A., 2010​​
Admissions
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Louisiana
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
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U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
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U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana
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U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana
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U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
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U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
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Memberships & Affiliations
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Louisiana Bar Association
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New Orleans Federal Bar Association
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The Maritime Law Association
About
Adam has worked on vessels in various capacities including deckhand, ordinary seaman, mate, and pilot. Adam grew up with his father working on the river as a captain. Adam and his brothers pursued the same path all achieving merchant mariner credentials to operate vessels.
Adam is proud of his deep connection to our nation’s marine transportation system. He attended law school at Loyola College of Law in New Orleans, where he excelled academically while also working the weekends on the Mississippi River.
Adam was selected to be the Managing Editor of the Loyola Maritime Law Journal, and the brief writer and oralist for the Loyola Admiralty Moot Court team. He also completed an internship with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges, where he focused on legal issues arising under the Longshore Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Adam graduated with honors and finished in the top 11% of his class. Following graduation, he was hired as an attorney by one of Louisiana’s oldest and most prestigious “big law” firms.
Adam spent almost a decade accruing thousands of hours of experience investigating, defending and litigating claims arising out of virtually every type of marine casualty. He also defended vessel owners and mariners with investigations and enforcement actions by the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Adam was selected by Super Lawyers to the 2022 Louisiana Rising Star List for exhibiting excellence in the practice of law. Only 2.5% of attorneys in Louisiana receive this distinction.
Speaking Engagements:​
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2023 Loyola Maritime Law Journal Symposium on Navigation Rules
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2023 Marine Industry Day panel discussing USCG sexual reporting requirements
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2023 interviewed by the Waterways Journal on best practices for responding to marine casualties
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2024 Loyola Maritime Law Journal Symposium on the future of seamen
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2024 interviewed by the Waterways Journal on the Adam Davis Law Firm obtaining a nearly $4 million dollar salvage verdict in New Orleans federal court
In Addition:​
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Defended vessel owners and mariners in the U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board with investigations into serious marine casualties involving collisions, allisions, breakaways, shipboard explosions, well allisions and oil pollution claims.​
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Assisted in the defense of vessel owners in contraband, magic pipe and missing crew member investigations brought by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Department of Justice.​
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Assisted the U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board with their investigations into serious marine casualties and enforcement actions against adverse mariners and vessel owners.​
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Consulted with mariners on the defense of enforcement actions brought against their licenses by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Clients can and often do call me on my cell phone anytime day or night to talk. Sometimes it’s about their case and sometimes it’s simply about how they are having a tough time. I maintain these friendships and communicate regularly with my former clients even after the case has resolved.
I am also able to connect with my injured clients because I have experience representing vessel owners and mariners. This experience helps clients trust me because they know I have experience representing clients on both sides of a maritime injury case and am competently able to look at a case from both sides.”