Mike Vaughn, Attorney and Counselor at Law
     1198 Pacific Coast Hwy, D347, Seal Beach, CA 90740
     Direct Tel: 562-592-9350  Fax: 562-684-4459
     Email:  mike@vaughnlawoffice.com

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MARITIME LAW

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ABOUT US

PROFESSIONAL DEGREES & LICENSE

2013

Admitted U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit.

2014

Named Honorary Citizen Yokkaichi Japan

2004

Certified for Electronic Case Filing System in Federal Court CF/ECF

1979 - 1983

Admitted to Practice before the United States Federal District Courts for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of the State of California.

1978

Admitted to Practice in the State of California

1971

Admitted to Practice State of North Carolina and before the United States Federal District Courts for the Western, Central and Eastern Districts of North Carolina

1971

J.D. Degree, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law

1968

B.A. Degree, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

1986 - Current

Attorney at Law with primary emphasis on Admiralty, Maritime, Commercial and International legal matters.  I also serve as Senior Legal Advisor to the Maritime Group-Europe.  I am also a Proctor in Admiralty, U.S. Federal Admiralty Court.

My current practice primarily involves advising clients throughout the United States and several foreign countries in commercial and business matters.  Most of my clients are involved in international trade or corporate business.  I also serve as counsel in matters ranging from corporate litigation to corporate formation and organization.

Admitted and have practiced in the Federal Courts of the State of California as well as Bankruptcy Courts in the Central and Southern Districts of California.

1982 to 1986

Corporate Counsel
Regional Counsel for CNA Insurance Company with offices in North Hollywood, California.

Responsible for all insurance litigation in Southern California for this major insurance carrier.  I supervised a staff of seven attorneys and support personnel.

1980 to 1982

Trial Attorney
Chief Trial Attorney for the Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes, Los Angeles, California.
This was a personal injury plaintiff firm in which I was responsible for the trials of all major personal injury cases.

1979 to 1980

Trial Attorney
Trial attorney with the firm of Kern & Woolley, Brentwood, California, I was defense counsel for Lloyd’s of London Aviation Insurance Division.  I defended a variety of aviation claims, major airline crashes and provided advice on insurance coverage issues for Lloyd’s.

1978 to 1979

Trial Attorney
Litigation Associate for the firm of Bollington, Pennel, Stiltz and Bloesser.  This firm was house counsel for 20th Century Insurance.  Served as defense counsel in a variety of major insurance claims litigated in Southern California.

1978

Admitted to the California Bar.

1972 to 1978

Private Practice
General Practice in Asheville, North Carolina with the firms of Robert Swain and David G. Gray.  My practice at that time was very general including civil, criminal and probate matters.  In 1974 I served as trial counsel for the first Public Defender’s Office in that judicial district for a period of six months, after which I returned to private practice.

1971 to 1972

Judicial Clerkship
North Carolina Court of Appeals, Clerk for the Honorable Frank M. Parker, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals.

1971

Admitted to practice in North Carolina.

COMMUNITY AND NON-LEGAL EXPERIENCE

2015

President of Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association
This association is resonsible for several programs that provide cultural and educational opportunities for high school and Cal State Long Beach graduates.  In administering the programs I have the opportunity to interview and assist in selecting English teachers for the Yokkaichi, Japan Board of Education.  The association also interviews and selects local high school; students who serve as “Goodwill Ambassadors” from the City of Long Beach to Yokkaichi, Japan.

2013

Named an Honorary Citizen of Yokkaichi,  Japan in recognition of my work in international relations between Long Beach and Yokkaichi, Japan.

2012

President of the Sister Cities of Southern California Board of Directors
Oversaw approximately 50 sister cities in Southern California.

2011

President of the Long Beach Sister Cities Board of Directors
As president I assist in coordinating the eight Long Beach Sister City Associations operated under the auspices of the Office of the Mayor and Long Beach City Council.

2005-2011

President of the Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association.

PUBLICATIONS AND ARTICLES

The following are specialized books I have prepared for the maritime industry.  They are electronic publications available through several websites.

• The Ship Acquisition & Sale Handbook (1991)
• The Business of Yachting & Shipping (2000)
• The Businessman’s Guide to Maritime Liens (2001)
• The Yacht Broker’s Form Book (2002
• How to Document Your Yacht (2002) 

The following article was selected by the United States Coast Guard for publication in the USCG technical journal:

• “Subchapter T&K Regulations for Small Passengers Vessels”, Published in the Coast Guard Journal of Safety at Sea, Volume 59, Number 1, January-March 2002.