Professionals

Stephen B. Johnson

Owner - Seattle

sjohnson@gsblaw.com

206.816.1309 Tel

206.464.0125 Fax

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Steve Johnson practices corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on maritime transactions, including the structuring of vessel ownership arrangements, vessel documentation and vessel financing.

Mr. Johnson has unique experience with maritime and fishing industry transactions, including the formation of business entities to acquire and operate vessels, structuring U.S. and foreign investment to comply with U.S. vessel documentation laws, documenting financing arrangements in which vessels and fishing rights are used as collateral and assisting clients on a broad range of regulatory compliance issues and corporate matters.

Mr. Johnson also has broad experience structuring new business entities, negotiating and documenting stock and asset acquisitions, negotiating shareholder agreements and advising businesses on corporate and commercial matters in non-maritime contexts.

Representative Transactions

• Special maritime and fisheries counsel to purchaser on $400 million purchase of multi-vessel fishing and fish processing company.
• Special maritime and fisheries counsel to purchaser on $200 million purchase of a major fishing and fish processing company.
•  Lead counsel for buyer on $160 million acquisition of major factory trawler company.
• Lead counsel for seller on $55 million sale of multi-vessel fishing company.
• Special maritime and fisheries counsel to foreign bank on $80 million credit facility for buy-out of interests in large, integrated fishing and fish processing company.
• Lender's counsel on $60 million secured financing for purchase and conversion of a catcher-processor vessel.
• Lender's counsel on $21.5 million secured financing for purchase and conversion of a fish processing vessel.
• Counsel to bareboat charterer on "sale and lease-back" transaction involving long-term bareboat charter of fish processing vessel.
• Counsel to U.S. vessel owner on "U.S. build" requirements of vessel documentation laws related to vessel constructed for the coastwise trade.
• Counsel to U.S. vessel management company in structuring foreign investment to comply with U.S. vessel documentation laws applicable to coastwise trade.
• Counsel to numerous vessel owners on compliance with U.S. vessel documentation laws, including extensive experience dealing with MARAD and the Coast Guard.