Pamela Schultz
Pamela.Schultz@kennedyslaw.com
+1 415 323 4445
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Profile
Education
- Louisiana State University, JD, 2000
- Louisiana State University, BA, 1997
Pamela is the firm’s head of US Marine and a partner in the San Francisco office. She specializes in admiralty and maritime law, insurance coverage and product and general liability defense.
Pamela’s experience in admiralty and maritime litigation includes claims involving cargo, personal injury defense, recreational boating, terminals, product liability, charter parties, marine insurance, ship arrests and attachments, collisions and maritime liens. Her clients include London Underwriters, domestic insurers, protection and indemnity clubs and their members, vessel owners, charterers and terminals. Pamela frequently provides insurance coverage advice to both primary and excess marine insurers in the London and domestic market, and also defends insurers in litigation.
Pamela has qualified and testified as an expert witness on United States maritime issues in foreign litigation.
Pamela represents insurers in the London, international and domestic markets, by providing coverage advice to insurers as well as defending coverage and bad faith lawsuits. Pamela also frequently provides advice to insurers relating to policy limits demands and provides an independent analysis of the underlying exposure in connection with that advice. Her experience focuses on liability, property, E&O, D&O, cargo and marine insurance policies.
Pamela is involved in numerous trade and professional associations and recently served a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.
Pamela Schultz is an excellent counsel.
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Qualifications and admissions
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
- New Jersey
- New York
- US District Court for the Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Districts of California
- US District Court for the District of Connecticut
- US District Court for the District of Hawaii
- US District Court for the Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana
- US District Court for the District of New Jersey
- US District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
- US District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas
- US Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits
- Court of International Trade
Market recognition
- Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York) (USA - Nationwide)
"Pamela Schultz is an excellent counsel."
"Pamela Schultz is extremely helpful."
Chambers UK 2024 - Recognized in Best Lawyers in America: Admiralty and Maritime Law (2023-2024)
- Recognized in Who’s Who Legal – Transport (2019-2023)
- Recommended lawyer for "Insurance: Advice to Insurers in United States" The Legal 500 US (2021)
Work highlights
- Successfully defended shipbuilder contractor in personal injury lawsuit with alleged cognitive disabilities in an issue of first impression in the Ninth Circuit on borrowed servant doctrine.
- Obtained decision in favor of maritime lien claimants on an issue of first impression in the Fifth Circuit involving law of advancements.
- Obtained favorable settlement in maritime attachment case on behalf of bank, including significant reduction in custodia legis expenses.
- Resolved dozens of Rule B attachment claims on behalf of shipowners, charterers and other maritime claimants.
- Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of vessel owner defendant in recreational boating accident involving loss of life.
Presentations and publications
Presentations
- “Lost and found with translations: Navigating language in litigation,” presented at the Pacific Admiralty Seminar (October 2024)
- “The duty to defend v. the duty to indemnify,” presented to the New York City Association of Insurance Women (July 2024)
- “US Maritime Law and Claims Overview,” In-House Client Training (June 2022, February 2023)
- “The State of Bad Faith in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, California and Washington,” In-House Client Training (February 2023)
- “The State of Bad Faith in California, Washington, Florida, Georgia and Missouri,” In-House Client Training (May 2022)
- "Vine to Wine, and the Fire in Between, The Growing Implications of the California Wildfires," Association of Marine Underwriters (April 2020)
- "Vine to Wine, and the Fire in Between," International Underwriting Association of London and International Cargo Insurance Conference (March 2020)
Publications
- Co-author, “Evasive maneuvers: How US courts sidestep the Hague Service Convention and effects on foreign defendants,” published for Kennedys (June 2025)
- Co-author, “The Supreme Court’s February 2024 decision clarifies the choice-of-law provisions in marine insurance contracts,” published for Kennedys (January 2025)
- Co-author, “Ehart v. Lahaina Divers: the Ninth Circuit dives into statutory interpretation,” published for Benedict’s Maritime Bulletin (June 2024)
- Co-author, “De Bene Esse Depositions: A Trial Testimony Insurance Policy,” published for Kennedys (May 2023)
- Co-author, “California's legislature provides new guidelines and requirements for time-limited demands,” published for Kennedys (January 2023)
- Co-author, “Coverage issues raised by cryptocurrency,” published for Kennedys (May 2022)
Report decisions
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution v. ATS Specialized, Inc., 557 F.Supp.3d 261 (D.Mass. 2021)
- Prickett v. Bonnier Corporation, 55 Cal. App. 5th 891 (2020)
- White Knight Yacht, LLC v. Certain Lloyds at Lloyd’s London Underwriters, 407 F.Supp.3d 931, 2019 AMC 2159 (S.D. Cal. 2019)
- Cruz v. United States, 910 F.3d 1263, 2019 AMC 47 (9th Cir. 2018)
- Cruz v. United States, 247 F.Supp.3d 1138, 2017 AMC 681 (S.D. Cal. 2017)
- Guan v. Deng (In re Deng),, 2014 AMC 1295 (N.D. Cal. 2014)
- Effjohn Int'l Cruise Holdings, Inc. v. A&L Sales, Inc., 346 F.3d 552, 2003 AMC 2578 (5th Cir. 2003)
Insurance and reinsurance
Shipping and international trade
Transport and logistics
Travel and tourism