Atty. Neil S. Lerner
Neil is a partner in Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen, LLP (CWL), a regional law firm serving the Western U.S. and Pacific Rim. He practices maritime and transportation law.
Profile Summary
About Neil S. Lerner at a glance
Neil S. Lerner is a maritime attorney based in Los Angeles, California, practicing at Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen LLP. They have 40+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1986. Admitted to practice in New York (1986) and California (1987). Educated at George Washington University (JD, 1985) and Tulane University (BS, 1982). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Admiralty and Maritime Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Transportation Law (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026). Serands clients in Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Neil is a partner in Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen, LLP (CWL), a regional law firm serving the Western U.S. and Pacific Rim
- He practices maritime and transportation law
- He’s been designated a Southern California "Super Lawyer" for 2012-2024 and been recognized by Best Lawyers in America since 2021
- He represents domestic and foreign insurers in first and third-party cases, and local maritime and transportation companies in business litigation
- Neil has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Forbes Magazine and LA Magazine
- He was one of the first Certified Admiralty & Maritime Law Specialists in California (2012-2/2018) and served for several terms on the state's Admiralty and Maritime Law Advisory Commission until 2/2018
- His emerging practice area is advising private equity in their due diligence
- Neil has provided transportation legal advice to Och-Ziff re its participation in Uber’s Series E Financing, ABRY Partners re its acquisition of SambaSafety, Carlyle Group re its acquisition of CB URS Holdings Corporation, York Capital Management re its acquisition of Mode Transportation LLC, Mode Transportation LLC in connection with its effort to acquire TSG, Mode Transportation LLC in connection with its effort to acquire SunteckTTS, Olympus Partners in connection with its effort to acquire Superior Bulk Logistics and Gamut Capital Management, L.P. and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation in connection with their investment in PS Logistics in September 2021
- Neil often speaks on panels re transportation law issues
- He was interviewed recently in Lawyer Monthly Magazine and, from that interview, spoke in Seattle, in a prescient speech entitled "Change is Everywhere in the Maritime and Transportation Industries," which forecasted the disruption in transportation stemming from driverless technology, blockchain, the emergence of state courts into transportation and the influx of private equity
- On April 12, 2024, he spoke to AMUSF on the "Dive Boat Conception" incident
- On July 24, 2024 he presented to AIMU on "The Conception Dive Boat Fire," a matter he's involved in since 2019
- Neil is best known for beating notorious fraudster Rex DeGeorge, in a major insurance fraud case, which started off the coast of Italy and ended in downtown LA with DeGeorge going to federal prison for sinking his vastly over-insured yacht on its maiden voyage in the Med
- His true crime book about that 12 year saga, which involved “credible” death threats, Hollywood insiders and ancient maritime doctrines, and which Federal Judge J. Spencer Letts called "the single most incredible story I’ve ever heard from the stand," is entitled "An Act of Piracy," and is contracted with NY publisher Morgan James. (This may constitute attorney advertising
- Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)
Practice Areas Explained
Neil S. Lerner's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Neil S. Lerner handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Maritime attorneys for Jones Act claims, longshore injury, cruise ship cases, and offshore matters.
Neil S. Lerner is one of 11,568 maritime attorneys indexed nationally. Browse maritime attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in California
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Los Angeles are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
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