100-Year Family Tradition Of Maritime Legal Service

Legal Representation For Matters Involving Maritime Ownership, Transactions And Maritime Personal Injury

Advising Yacht Owners – Teamwork Is Key

Advising Yacht Owners – Teamwork is Key

David M. Bohonnon & Steven A. Clark

Our goal in this industry is to provide to our clients the very best in service and guidance, and ultimately gain each client’s continued confidence and trust. Meeting the objectives of the specific transaction in a timely and cost effective way is paramount. The quintessential key to accomplishing this goal is establishing a trusted team of advisors that can address each of the many facets of ownership and operation that face both new and seasoned yacht owners. Our firm recently co-hosted a Connecticut Shoreline Yacht Summit with some well known and highly regarded industry constituents, and overarching theme of each of the presentations was the combined teamwork of each of these integral team members:

  1. Yacht Broker – introduces the client to the yachting experience; provides guidance and confidence throughout the yacht finding, purchasing, owning and selling experience.
  2. Documentation Specialist – ensures proper documentation/registration of the yacht and the recording of a lender’s mortgage; provides annual renewals and follow-up.
  3. Insurance Specialist – recommends and secures proper coverage for the ownership and operation of the yacht.
  4. Lender – provides expertise, guidance, and options for clients in marine vessel financing both in construction and for purchase.
  5. Yacht Management – provides both the smaller and larger yacht owner with the comprehensive guidance for the operation and maintenance of the yacht.
  6. Captain and Crew – an experienced and knowledgeable captain and crew can maximize the owner’s and its guests’ use and pleasure of the yacht.
  7. Legal Counsel – Marine Industry recognized counsel maintains oversight in all legal aspects of the construction, purchase, sale, documentation/registration, financing, insurance, management, taxation and operation of the yacht.
  8. Survey- an experienced and industry recognized marine surveyor is of course critical for the required due diligence for any condition review of a vessel as appropriate. Surveyors have specific expertise and should not be charged beyond their credentials or specific expertise.

The continued interaction and collaboration by the team members should provide to yacht owners more cost-effective and comprehensive guidance throughout the client’s ownership and operation of their yacht. Expertise and disciplines are distinct as generally outlined above and the best interests of the client are not served when an advisor exceeds their qualifications to offer advice or direction outside of expertise albeit with the best intentions. “As heard on the dock” may not be the most accurate information to pass on to a client or rely upon.

Constituents to a transaction are serving the best interest of their client Buyer or Seller and need to be mindful of their duty of loyalty. In our experience, regardless of client engagement, team members can call upon other team members at any given time to pose questions or secure guidance – a collaborative system which ultimately supports the overall strength of our industry and the level of expertise that we can offer to both current and potential yacht owners.

Bohonnon Law Firm

Photo Of David M. Bohonnon

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195 Church Street, 8th Floor
New Haven, CT 06510
203-787-2151

David Bohonnon

Bohonnon Law Firm, LLC

David M. Bohonnon is a managing partner in the New Haven based Bohonnon Law Firm which practices extensively in Marine and Aviation Law as well as tax matters. Member: American Bar Association; Connecticut Bar Association, Tax Section Executive Committee; Maritime Law Association (Proctor), (Chairman Subcommittee on Yacht Financing 2007-2012); American Bar Association (Chair for Recreational Marine

Finance 2011-2012); Recreational Boating and Marine Lending Network; National Marine Banker Association; Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA) affiliate, Florida Yacht Brokers Association (FYBA) Affiliate Member; Advisor Connecticut Law Revision Commission

Photo Of Steven A. Clark

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Steven A. Clark

Bohonnon Law Firm, LLC

Steven A. Clark is a senior associate in the New Haven based Bohonnon Law Firm, LLC, which practices extensively in Marine, Aviation, and Tax Law. Member: American Bar Association; Connecticut Bar Association; Maritime Law Association (Proctor), Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA) affiliate.