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Admissions
Mr. Fitzhugh was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1976. He is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits, United States District Courts for the Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, State of Texas (all courts). |
Practice Areas
Mr. Fitzhugh's practice focuses on all aspects of maritime law, including personal injury defense, insurance, and consulting. He has experience with personal injury defense, claims under the Longshore Act, cargo damage, charter parties, Stowers liability, vessel collisions, pollution and environmental liabilities, immigration and customs matters. His insurance practice includes analysis and litigation of coverage questions, aviation issues, employers’ liability, and general and contractual liability. His firm has international clients through his successful representation of shipping interests before the U.S. Customs Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service, and he has been instrumental in formulating effective anti-drug and anti-stowaway strategies for use by ship owners. |
Education
University of Texas School of Law (J.D. with honors, 1976); Texas A&M University (B.S., Geophysics, 1971, Distinguished Military Graduate) |
Associations
State Bar of Texas. Houston Bar Association. Fifth Circuit Bar Association. American Bar Association (Section of Litigation, Subcommittee on Admiralty & Maritime Litigation, Subcommittee on Personal Injury, Wrongful Death and Workers’ Compensation). College of the State Bar of Texas. Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation. Texas Association of Defense Counsel. Executive Director, Maritime Security Counsel. Maritime Law Association of the United States (Proctor Member); (Committee on Stevedoring and Terminal Operations; Subcommittee on Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act; Committee on Carrier Security); Defense Research Institute; Society of Exploration Geophysicists; American Judicature Society; President, The Longshore Institute, Maritime Law Association, Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, American Association of Transportation Practitioners, The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, Sons of the American Revolution, Galveston Country Club, Plaza Club of Houston |
Clients
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Hartford Insurance, Hawaii Employers Mutual Life Insurance, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, Raytheon Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Underwriters at Llyds, Washington Group, Wausau Insurance Group, American International Group Claims Services, American Interstate Insurance Company et al. |
Tom Fitzhugh is a senior partner in the firm of Fitzhugh, Elliott & Ammerman, P.C. and President of the Longshore Institute. He maintains an active law practice primarily in longshore and federal trial and appellate litigation and regularly appears before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Benefits Review Board, and Administrative Law Judges.
He earned a B.S. in Geophysics from Texas A&M University and a J.D. (with honors) from the University of Texas. After a tour in the U.S. Army with the United States Army Security Agency, he worked with Amoco as a geophysicist prior to law school. Since 1976 he has been in private practice and served as a Special Master and mediator for federal courts.
Mr. Fitzhugh produces and edits The Longshore Newsletter, The Longshore Procedure Manual, and Brahm's Court Index, publications interpreting the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (and its extensions), and presents seminars on the LHWCA to the bar and insurance industry.
A frequent lecturer and author on maritime law topics and the Longshore Act, Mr. Fitzhugh is a member of Maritime Law Association, serving on its Martime Torts & Casualties and Carrier Security Committees. He is currently an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University in maritime law and has served as General Counsel to the Maritime Security Council., the international shipping organization devoted to commercial vessel security.
Mr. Fitzhugh is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, the Houston Bar Foundation, and a Charter Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. His awards include The Gold Band Award from the U.S. Customs Service (1992), The Hammer Award, the Vice President’s National Performance Review (1995), and an Award of Excellence form the U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1996). Mr. Fitzhugh is fluent in German and has a working knowledge of Spanish, Italian and French. |
