Celesq® Presenters

Michael Bono serves as Of Counsel to Aliant and is a member of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. He specializes in cross-border business transactions, import-export and a wide array of matters in support maritime-related businesses. 

Michael’s legal career began almost 30 years ago when he joined the maritime and aviation department of a large U.S. law firm where he handled matters ranging from insurance coverage disputes for London-based insurers to oil spill litigation on behalf of major multi-national oil companies. In the course of his career Michael has handled matters involving vessel finance, charter parties, ship collisions, cargo damage, vessel registration and documentation, salvage, maritime lien rights, wreck removal, towage, marine insurance and shipping regulations.

 Additionally, Michael has substantial experience in international civil asset recoveries, including all aspects of ship mortgage foreclosures for some of the world’s leading maritime lenders. He’s handled complex ship repossessions across the globe and has experience in challenging jurisdictions such as Somalia, Haiti and Venezuela. Both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times have quoted Michael about nuances of maritime law. 

Although the focus of his career has been to support those in the global maritime industry (including importers and exporters), Michael has also counselled early stage maritime and technology-related companies on a wide range of business matters including corporate organization, financing for operations, development of business plans and risk management. 

Regarding his legal education, Michael received his law degree from Loyola University and was then one of twenty attorneys from around the world who are selected each year to study at the Maritime Law Center of Tulane University, widely recognized as the world’s leading maritime/shipping law program. While at Tulane Michael was selected as a member of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal, in which two of his articles were published. Michael’s article entitled “Protective Stipulations and the Single Claimant Exception in Limitation of Shipowner’s Liability Proceedings,” has been cited as authority in the seminal treatise, Admiralty and Maritime Law, by Professor Thomas J. Schoenbaum. Upon completion of his specialized study at Tulane, Michael received the degree of Masters of Law in Admiralty.