Experience and Practice

Mr. Neely joined the firm in 2008 and has been practicing admiralty and maritime law in the Philadelphia region since 1994. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Neely worked for five years as a tax accountant after receiving a B.A. in Accounting from Lynchburg College (Virginia) in 1985. Mr. Neely received his law degree (cum laude) from Widener University School of Law (Delaware) in 1993, during which time he worked as a judicial extern with Judge Edward J. Bradley of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He received his LL.M. in Admiralty (with distinction) from Tulane University School of Law in 1994, and completed a judicial externship with Judge Frederick J.R. Heebe of the District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans while attending Tulane. Mr. Neely has extensive experience in the area of personal injury litigation, including Jones Act and cruise line passenger actions and Section 905(b) Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act cases. Mr. Neely also practices in the area of cargo defense representing carriers and vessel owners. He has significant experience in handling a diversified caseload of actions representing the interests of insurance carriers in property damage and personal injury litigation, as well as subrogation and insurance coverage matters. He currently focuses his practice on representing owners, operators, charterers and insurers of commercial vessels in both personal injury and cargo matters, as well as defending trucking companies against claims arising from accidents involving their tractors and trailers.

Education

  • Tulane University School of Law, LL.M. in Admiralty (with distinction) 1994
  • Widener University School of Law, J.D. (cum laude) 1993
  • Lynchburg College, B.A. in Accounting, 1985

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court: District of New Jersey
  • Third Circuit Court of Appeals
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Professional Associations

  • The Maritime Lawyers Association of the United States
  • American, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Association of Notaries