Oct. 15, 2015
Kaye, Rose & Partners, LLP
See more on Kaye, Rose & Partners, LLPLos Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco
Bradley M. Rose and Larry W. Kaye attribute their success to the firm's culture of
cooperation. Both Rose and Kaye come from big law firms and opted for a smaller model
they believe better serves clients.
"We really do pitch in and help one another. It's always a group effort," Kaye said.
"If someone's in trial, we all drop what are doing and help. We triage, and I think
that's something we do extremely well."
Kaye describes the firm's specialty - maritime law - as both specialized and diverse.
Though the firm calls cruise industry mainstays such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal
Caribbean International and Princess Cruises their "bread and butter," the work they
accomplish within their specialty covers the entire spectrum of law practice.
A single case often requires an understanding of the laws of several countries and
municipalities. In a recent case, the firm represented American passengers who died
in a bus accident in Egypt. The Americans came from all over the U.S. while the bus
was owned and operated in Egypt and the defendant was the Egyptian government.
"It's truly a very diverse practice and that's just on the litigation side," Kaye
said. "These cruise ships are like small cities and the things we deal with cover
contract, tort law, constitutional law, entertainment, environmental and criminal
law."
Currently, the firm is defending the Carnival Corporation & plc in Yuzwa v. Carnival
Corporation, a case in which a dancer had to have a foot amputated after a machine
malfunctioned on a ship. The plaintiff sued the shipyard where the ship was built
and Carnival Corp. despite it not having a hand in building the stage or the machine,
Rose said.
"It's really experiential, when you are representing the same clients year after year,
You learn about that problem, you learn the laws of that particular jurisdiction,"
Kaye said.
The firm also specializes in the regulation side of the industry, making sure ships
are acting in accordance with the local legal regimes, counseling on business and
employer contracts and lobbying for laws favorable to the industry. Besides working
for individual cruise lines, Kaye has served almost two decades as general counsel
for the global cruise industry trade association.
The firm employs a dozen attorneys. Rose says that's just about the "sweet spot" for
boutiques that want to maintain a certain level of collegiality. The firm's more senior
attorneys invest time in bringing the younger attorneys up and teaching them the practice,
Kaye said.
"In our firm we do everything we can to give credit to the people who do the work
on the project. We promote them and make sure their names are in front of the clients,"
he said.
- RYAN VAN VELZER
For reprint rights or to order a copy of your photo:
Email
Jeremy_Ellis@dailyjournal.com
for prices.
Direct dial: 213-229-5424
Send a letter to the editor:
Email: letters@dailyjournal.com