Profile

Education

  • Harvard Law School, JD
  • Amherst College, BA

Forrest is a partner in the San Francisco office. He has extensive expertise in trial court and appellate cases involving maritime personal injuries, cargo damage, collisions, marine insurance coverage, oil pollution, longshore claims, maritime contract disputes, charter parties, pilotage, marine terminal operations, vessel arrest, mediation, ship building and ship repair, products liability, property damage, construction defects, oil industry indemnity agreements, breach of contract, marine salvage, treasure salvage, maritime fraud, stevedoring, cargo subrogation and oil and gas energy matters. Forrest specializes in marine insurance and reinsurance with a focus on defense of claims and disputes, litigation, admiralty and maritime claims, insurance coverage, marine insurance, appeals, oil, gas and alternative energy matters; he also advises his clients on matters of commercial general liability and regulatory issues. Forrest is also admitted Pro Hac Vice in numerous federal courts.

Qualifications and admissions

  • California
  • District of Columbia
  • US Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • US District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
  • US Court of Claims
  • US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
  • US Tax Court

Market recognition

  • Recognized in Best Lawyers in America: Admiralty and Maritime Law and Transportation Law (2006-2024)
  • Recommended lawyer for ‘Insurance: Advice to Insurers in United States’ The Legal 500 US (2021)
  • Global Leader for ‘Transport – Shipping’ (US) Who’s Who Legal Transport 2021
  • Super Lawyers
  • Maritime Lawyer of the Year (twice)
  • Maritime Law Association of the US, Board Member
  • Founder and Chair, Pacific Admiralty Seminar
  • Chair, American Bar Assn. Marine Insurance Committee
  • Chairman of the Board, SS JEREMIAH O’BRIEN, World War 2 Liberty Ship
  • President, National Liberty Ship Memorial

Work highlights

  • Over a dozen trials to verdict or judgment
  • Over 40 appeals in state and federal courts of appeals

Presentations and publications

  • Co-author, “Choice-of-law: Uniformity at long last,” published for Kennedys (March 2024)
  • “Impact of US sanctions against Russia/Belarus/Occupied Ukraine on marine claims,” In-House Client Training (April 2022)
  • "Recent US Supreme Court Maritime Cases," presented at the International Marine Claims Conference in Dublin, Ireland (September 2019)