DLA Piper represented TOTE, Inc., a marine transportation company, in multiple transactions related to the operation of the first-ever natural gas-powered container ships.

The state-of-art vessels were launched on April 18 in a gala ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California. DLA Piper negotiated two fuel supply agreements with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) suppliers at the ports of Jacksonville, Florida and Tacoma, Washington. The firm is also representing TOTE on supply issues relating to siting, construction, and operation of the natural gas liquefaction facilities.

TOTE is pioneering the switch from traditional bunker fuels to cleaner burning LNG in its large ocean-going vessels, and both the Tacoma-Anchorage line and the Jacksonville-San Juan line will be serviced by these vessels.

The New York-based DLA Piper team representing TOTE was led by partner Robert Alessi and of counsel Jeffrey Kuhn, and included partners Robert Gruendel and Joseph Tato.