Eugene O'Connor has left the venerable downtown firm of Freehill, Hogan & Mahar after 20 years to work with Chalos at the Long Island branch of Fowler, Rodriguez & Chalos.

O'Connor has handled major maritime spill cases and has strong credentials in cargo defence, marine casualty and charter-party litigation.

The 51-year-old O'Connor tells TradeWinds he was tempted by the combination of a shorter commute from his Long Island home and the opportunity to work for a firm with offices in key ports around the US.

Chalos,