Of Counsel

Erich P. Wise

  • Mr. Wise graduated cum laude from Harvard University with an A.B. degree in 1970 and received his J.D. degree from the University of Chicago in 1974.  After graduation, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Malcolm Lucas, United States District Judge, Central District of California.  Mr. Wise was admitted to the California Bar in 1974 and has been admitted to practice before all U.S. District Courts in California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  He has spoken at various seminars on oil pollution (OPA ’90), hull insurance, intermodal chassis liabilities, and personal injury issues.  He is the author of “The Marine Terminal and Its Contracts: Avoiding and Shifting the Risks of Marine Terminal Operations,” U.S.F. Maritime Law Journal 227 (2000-01) and the co-author of Chapter 9, “Seller’s Performance” in the CEB publication entitled “Sales and Leases.”   He is a Proctor in Admiralty Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.

  • His reported cases include:  Taisho Marine & Fire Ins. Co., Ltd. v. M/V Sea-Land Endurance, 815 F.2d 1270 (9th Cir., 1987); In the Matter of Bowoon Sangsa Co., Ltd., 720 F.2d 595 (9th Cir., 1983); Davis v. U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Dev., 627 F.2d 942 (9th Cir., 1980); Manney v. Cabell, 654 F.2d 1280 (9th Cir., 1980); Nippon Yusen Kaisha v. Burlington and Northern Sante Fe Railway Co., 367 F.Supp.2d 1292 (C.D.Cal., 2005); Tokio Marine & Fire Ins. Co. Ltd. v. Nippon Express U.S.A. (Illinois), Inc., 155 F.Supp. 2d 1167 (C.D. Cal., 2000); Slaven v. BP America, Inc., 958 F.Supp. 1472 (C.D.Cal., 1997); 786 F.Supp. 853 (C.D. Cal., 1992); Hollifield v. BP America, Inc., 786 F.Supp. 840 (C.D. Cal., 1992). Pacific Merchant Shipping Association v. Goldstene, 517 F.3d 1108 (9th Cir. 2008); Pacific Merchant Shipping Association v. Goldstene, 639 F.3d 1154 (9th Cir. 2011); and Pacific Merchant Shipping v. Goldstene, 517 F.3d 1108 (9th Cir. 2008). Mr. Wise also defended the Vessel Charterer in the “COSCO BUSAN” bridge allision/oil spill matter.

    • Harvard University, 1970

    • University of Chicago, 1974

Nicholas S. Politis

  • NICHOLAS S. POLITIS graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1976, and received his J.D. degree in 1979 from the University of California at Los Angeles. On graduation from law school, he joined the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted more than 100 jury and court trials. In 1983, Mr. Politis joined the law firm of Graham & James and began practicing maritime law in its Long Beach office, becoming a partner in 1990. In 1993 he was one of the founding partners of Flynn, Delich & Wise. His practice includes all aspects of maritime law, including pollution incidents; environmental compliance and administrative issues; cruise line injuries and casualties; terminal accidents; shipboard injuries and deaths; and chassis/over the road accidents.

    • University of California at Santa Barbara, 1976

    • University of California at Los Angeles, 1979