Professional Profiles
BYRON E. COUNTRYMAN , ESQ.
Background
Born Indianapolis, Indiana, April 12, 1948; admitted to State Bar of California, 1975; U.S. District Court; U.S. Court of International Trade; AV Rated; U.S. Customs Broker Course (FTA); Eagle Scout - Silver Palm; Chi Phi Fraternity.
Education
University of Southern California, 1971, B.S., Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, J.D., 1974; U.S. Customs Broker Course (FTA); Instructor Credential: The California Community Colleges.
Participation
Panel of Judges Pro Tem, Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1983; City of Los Angeles Mayors Certificate of Achievement, Los Angeles, 1989; Public Lecturer for "The Living Trust," Family Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies; Counsel - Shelby American Automobile Club; Vintage Automobile Legal Consultant, VARA (Vintage Auto Racing Association); Licensed driver (vintage); Mayor’s Certificate of Achievement, Los Angeles, 1989; Wildlife WayStation; Paws of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award; Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International Foundation.
Memberships
Foreign Trade Association of Southern California; Trust and Estate Planning Section - State Bar of California; International Law Section - State Bar of California; Business Law Section -State Bar of California; National Association of Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders of America; Los Angeles Harbor Transportation Club; LAX Air Cargo Association; LAX Chamber of Commerce; LAX Rotary Club; National Customs Brokers And Forwarders Association of America; Marine Underwriters of Southern California; Consultant to Major Transportation Insurance Underwriters in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Latin America; Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA).
Directorships
Board of Directors: International Claims Bureau - Interclaims; Board of Directors: The Wildlife WayStation, Los Angeles - 1978 to 2007; Director: The Cargo Law Network - supervise logistics legal counsel in 87 trading nations and all 50 states in the United States.
Practice Areas
Business Agreement Preparation For The Transportation Industry; Corporate and Limited Liability Company (LLC) Formations & Restructuring; International Transportation Contracts Agency & Licensing Agreements; U.S. Customs Broker and International Freight Forwarder Legal Liability and E & O; Practice before Federal Maritime Commission, Federal Aviation Authority, U.S. Customs to include C-TPAT Security Applications; Air & Ocean, Freight Forwarders, Warehouse Law, Indirect Air Carriers, Intermodal Operators and Transportation Documents for the Industry; Managing Administrative Director of Forwarder and Broker Liability Insurance Third Party Programs; Management of Foreign and Domestic Local Counsel Invoicing and Guidelines for the Cargo Law Network in 87 trading nations and 50 states.
Consulting Expert
-Representative Insurance Underwriters include Allianz AGF MAT; AON Insurance Services - Rotterdam; Avalon Risk Management, Inc.; Cambridge Transportation Insurance Services; Intercargo Insurance Company Hong Kong Ltd. (as Director of Claims); Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; Fortis Business Insurance, NV; QBE Insurance Co. Ltd.; XL Specialty Insurance Company (f/k/a Intercargo Insurance Company); XL Marine & Offshore Energy; Essex Insurance Company; Lexington Insurance Company; Lloyds of London - various slips; The Hartford Insurance Company, Ocean Marine Dept.; Navigators Insurance Company; Pac Global Insurance Brokerage; Roanoke Trade Insurance Services; York Insurance Services; Zurich London Insurance Company.
-Representative industry corporations include UPS Air Cargo; UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. f/k/a Fritz Companies, Inc.; John Deere; Abbott Laboratories; Expeditors International; Target Logistics; Transgroup International.
Coordinating Counsel
Oversight and coordination of logistics and customs claims and litigation through "The Cargo Law Network" in reliance upon selected local counsel within the United States and around the world on behalf of insurance underwriters and private logistics companies. Special Counsel for UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. for freight forwarding and commercial cargo claims.
Industry Presentations
PRINCIPAL 2001 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Foreign Trade Association of Southern California, Principal Speaker: "Protecting Your Cargo" Hilton LAX - Los Angeles - 13 Feb.2001.
*WESCON, panelist and event sponsor, "Freight Forwarding Liability Developments 2001" Vancouver, British Columbia, Sept. 2001.
PRINCIPAL 2002 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposium For The Industry
Seminar For Fortune 500 Company Client - Chicago, 16 February 2002.
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposium For The Industry. Seminar - Hong Kong, November, 2002.
PRINCIPAL 2003 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposium For The Industry
Seminar - Hong Kong & Manila, July, 2003.
PRINCIPAL 2004 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposiums For The Industry. Seminar For Fortune 100 Company Client - Atlanta, May, 2004.
*Board of Legal Advisors- Legal Representative for the United States. The Wildlife Waystation -- 10th Annual Safari Brunch - The Playboy Mansion - 16 Oct. 2004. Byron E. Countryman - Corporate Director.
PRINCIPAL 2005 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposiums For The Industry, Eastern Europe Review - Budapest & Belgrade - May 2006; Seminar For Fortune 50 Company Client - Atlanta, Sept., 2005.
*The Wildlife Waystation -- 10th Annual Safari Brunch - The Playboy Mansion - 16 Oct. 2005. Byron E. Countryman - Corporate Director.
PRINCIPAL 2006 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposiums For The Industry. Seminar For Fortune 50 Company Client - Atlanta, Feb., 2006; Seminar For Fortune 50 Company Client - Atlanta, 12 July 2006.
PRINCIPAL 2007 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposiums For The Industry. Lloyd's of London Seminar -- "Third Party Logistics Claims in 2007" -- London, May, 2007. Presented To John Deere, Inc. Fortune 500 Company Risk Seminar -- "Third Party Logistics Claims in 2007" -- London, May, 2007
*FIATA World Congress 2007 - Int'l Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) - Dubai, UAE, Oct., 2007.
PRINCIPAL 2008 INDUSTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Principal Instructor, Countryman & McDaniel Transport & Customs Law Symposiums For The Industry International Claims & Loss Prevention Seminar-- London, January 2008.
*South East Asia Risk Management & Port Security 2 Day Programs - Feb. 2008. Asia Business Forum (Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Feb., 2008).
*Fortune 500 Company Risk Seminar -- "Third Party Logistics Claims in 2008" -- Barcelona, March 2008
*International Claims & Loss Prevention Seminar-- Hong Kong & Shanghai.
Current Seminar Program
"Cargo Claim Handling and Loss Prevention" (2008 and 2009 London, Kuala Seminar Lumpur, Singapore and U.S. Cities) (2 days).