Stephen C. Hanemann

International trade, maritime, and transportation law thought innovator, Stephen Hanemann, guides some of the world’s most advanced companies by leveraging their trade, finance, logistics, and transportation-related challenges and opportunities. He is among a small class of lawyers in the country who bring the depth of skill to navigate company owners, directors, and general counsel through the intricacies of the Jones Act and other coastwide laws and international-trade regulations.

Stephen believes in real-time, practical-legal solutions for clients engaged in admiralty and maritime operations, intermodal and multi-modal carriage or shipment; project and acquisition finance; import-export and customs regulatory compliance; and municipal law, land use, leasing, and construction matters. Stephen earned his stellar reputation for permit procurement, premises liability, conditional use, and efficient and compliant daily best practices by serving national restaurant brands, local hotels, restaurants, and bars engaged in business activities ranging from organic food distribution to international specialty market operation.

Stephen exerts calculated and exacting effort in supporting commercial objectives of his clients acting as bulk and break-bulk cargo handlers, shippers, carriers, trans-loaders, and LPG and LNG terminal and facility operators – no matter how complex or difficult the proposition. His practice thrives through evaluating projects and problems and providing uniquely creative solutions of a tangible yielding positive-practical results. 

His legal breadth spans from conception and design to completion and even post-closing advisory services that support continuous growth and upward development. Stephen has formed numerous companies for established and new businesses in the marine, transportation, construction, hospitality, and logistics industry sectors. 

For commercial bankers, lending institutions, and private investors, Stephen negotiates, documents, and closes a wide array of transactions from marine asset financing and re-financing to commercial leasing, to the financing, sale, and purchase of real property. His fluency in a multitude of asset classes includes real estate, data, river-based fleeting operations, ship berths and anchorages, deep-water ports, oil and gas equipment and rigs, and other transferable holdings. Stephen’s experience in U.S. Coast Guard and National Vessel Documentation Center procedures and vessel documentation is manifest in his ability to guide clients beyond traditional lending, borrowing, and sales practices in vessel finance, acquisition, and divestiture. 

Stephen’s clients return again and again seeking out his advice because he is dedicated to working harder, being ever more accessible, and providing a deeper level of commitment to monetizing client opportunities while minimizing risk. A bonafide value-add, Stephen brings his extensive connectivity to problem-solving via his established network of industry insiders and leaders throughout Louisiana, across the country, and around the world. From Presidents to project leaders, Stephen provides access to essential and effective contacts. 

Clients appreciate Stephen’s individual attention, actionable legal solutions, clever instincts, and natural ability to establish and maintain the momentum and rapport needed to turn vision into reality. A down-to-earth, people person who values everyone, from owners and C-suite executives to vessel crew, dockside support, and labor-oriented professionals, Stephen always thinks about how he can help his clients by putting their needs first, and taking the time to listen, learn, and understand their business operations to harness the benefits of their team’s collective talents requisite to turning a company’s vision into an operational reality.