Odyssey has filed it's amended complaint and Spain has responded to all three shipwreck sites.
Odyssey has been granted an unopposed motion, due by 10/22/07, to respond back to Spain with regard to Spain's opposition to the Preliminary Injunctive Relief, Protective Order, and Spain's motion to dismiss Odyssey's complaint.
The reason for the extension was to allow Odyssey "sufficient time to research and reply fully and completely to the complicated issues raised in the Kingdom of Spain's Memorandum"s.
The judge now wants the Case Management report and it's due Oct. 30th.
Once this report is filed we will have an outline of what to expect with regards to a trial.
This is a good time to see the legal teams that will be arguing this case.
Representing Odssey Marine Exploration:
David J. Bederman
Professor of Law - Emory University
Director - Odyssey Marine Exploration
http://www.law.emory.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/david-j-bederman.html
Although not listed on any of the court filings, Dr. Bederman is a director of Odyssey Marine and is most likely involved in the legal proceedings.
From Odyssey Marine's website:
Dr. David Bederman is a professor of law at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 1991, he has taught international law, admiralty, international institutions, law of international common spaces, legal methods, customary law, as well as seminars on international environmental law and foreign relations power. In addition, he serves as adviser to the Emory International Law Review and is the Director of International Legal Studies at Emory's Law School.
Dr. Bederman also leads a private practice and has provided legal counsel to Odyssey since 1998. In private practice, he has been involved with many cases involving maritime law and shipwreck disputes, and has represented clients in the Federal Court of Appeals, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prior to coming to Emory, Dr. Bederman practiced law in Washington, DC, with the firm of Covington & Burling and worked as a legal advisor at the Iran/United States Claims Tribunal at The Hague. Professor Bederman has published extensively on diverse legal topics, including legal history, constitutional law, and international legal theory and practice. In addition to a number of books and dozens of articles and essays, his major publications include The Spirit of International Law (2002); International Law in Antiquity (2001); and International Law Frameworks (2001). He has lectured widely and was a visiting professor at New York University and the University of Virginia, and was a Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Osgoode Hall in Toronto.
Fowler White Boggs Banker ADMIRALTY/MARITIME GROUP
http://www.fowlerwhite.com/practice_areas.asp?area=38
Allen von Spiegelfeld
Fowler White Boggs Banker
http://fowlerwhite.com/profiles_listall.asp?profileID=172
PRACTICE AREAS: All phases of transportation law including the Carmack Amendment, the Warsaw Convention and ICC regulations; preparation and negotiation of contracts of affreightment, bills of lading, letters of credit, trucking and stevedoring contracts; disputes involving letters of credit, charter party issues, customs and immigration problems, transportation fraud questions, collision, environmental claims, personal injury claims, wrongful death, limitation proceedings and ship financing, maritime arbitrations, federal and state court litigation.
Eric C. Thiel
Fowler White Boggs Banker
http://www.fowlerwhite.com/profiles_listall.asp?profileID=183
PRACTICE AREAS: Civil trial practice in admiralty and maritime law.
Representing the Kingdom of Spain:
James A. Goold
Covington & Burling
http://www.cov.com/jgoold/
His practice spans a diversified range of domestic and international litigation, arbitration, and regulatory matters, including US and international product liability litigation and related counseling and regulatory/legislative projects; litigation for and against foreign governments on matters involving energy policy, shareholder and investment protection, admiralty and cultural preservation disputes and insurance coverage arbitrations.
Representative Matters
* Representation of consumer products manufacturers in defense of nationwide US product liability and consumer litigation and related exposure prevention and legislative counseling.
* Representation of major pharmaceutical manufacturer in London arbitration to enforce coverage for product liability and catastrophe level claims growing out of US mass tort litigation.
* Representation of European national governments in admiralty and international law matters relating to cultural and historic property; representation of shareholders and investors in expropriation and related claims against the Russian Federation.
David C. Banker
Bush-Ross
http://www.bushross.com/profiles_listall.asp?profileID=3
Experience
David Banker is an experienced civil trial lawyer who has tried a broad range of cases in federal and state courts involving products liability, employment discrimination, medical negligence, personal injury, and commercial and consumer disputes. Mr. Banker has also litigated mass tort and class action cases involving prescription drugs, medical devices, and consumer products. Mr. Banker represented the National Football League in defending the League's pat-down search policy for stadiums including Raymond James Stadium. Mr. Banker has tried cases of public interest including prosecution of harbor pilots for shipping accidents in Tampa Bay, medical negligence cases involving training and education of medical residents, and the first case extending Florida’s Lemon Law to motor homes. Mr. Banker also represents corporate and individual clients at the appellate level.