In 2009, the MV Maersk Alabama and its crew were captured by Somali pirates, who eventually took Captain Richard Phillips hostage while attempting to flee in a lifeboat from the U.S. Navy. His ordeal, the subject of a movie released this month, exemplifies how piracy bedeviled shippers near the coast of Somalia, according to Bruce Paulsen, a partner at New York’s Seward & Kissel. Paulsen, who represents shipping companies and their insurers, has been involved in more than 40 piracies. He talked to The National Law Journal about the legal issues involved.
The remarks below been edited for length and clarity.
