Douglas Williams
BoatLaw, LLP
Douglas R. Williams is a maritime law attorney at BoatLaw, LLP. He represents clients in unseaworthiness claims, wrongful death suits, and personal injury cases such as head injuries and repetitive use injuries.
Doug spent a majority of his childhood on cruise ships, as his father sailed as the chief medical officer for several major cruise lines. Doug's youth was shaped by countless hours spent in crew quarters sailing with his father on Alaskan, Hawaiian and Caribbean cruises. These experiences helped Doug develop a practical knowledge of the maritime world from a young age as well as a deep love for the sea.
Doug attended Washington & Lee University in Virginia for his undergraduate studies. At Washington & Lee, Doug studied history and played NCAA football. After graduating, he attended Florida State University where he earned his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, graduating in the top ten percent of his law school class.
Out of law school, Doug accepted a position in Tampa, Florida, with the leading maritime litigation firm in the Southeast. Doug handled commercial disputes, such as actions on charter parties, enforcement of maritime liens, vessel attachments and arrests, but his practice focused on the defense of casualty lawsuits. Doug's work took him to various ports on the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to investigate accidents on behalf of shipowners.
Doug moved to Washington state in 2011 and began working for a downtown Seattle maritime firm where he defended Seattle-based commercial fishing companies and cruise lines against personal injury and wrongful death claims. He now is a partner at BoatLaw, LLP, where he devotes his practice area to the representation of injured seamen.