John E. Bradley is a Shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team, concentrating his practice in the areas of commercial and maritime law, marine finance, shipping regulation, and international trade compliance.

Mr. Bradley represents lenders, borrowers, ship owners, container lessors, marine terminal operators and family offices in the acquisition, disposition, management, leasing, financing and documentation of vessels, containers, terminal facilities, and other marine assets and properties. He has particular experience handling marine terminal and port projects, including the leasing, financing, structuring and development of marine terminal properties and concessions. He regularly advises regulated entities, such as vessel owners, coastwise operators, and marine terminal operators, on legislative and regulatory matters applicable to them, including laws administered and enforced by the Federal Maritime Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.

Mr. Bradley also represents financial institutions, leasing companies and maritime lienors in mortgage foreclosure, vessel arrest and collateral recovery proceedings throughout the United States and has extensive international experience in the enforcement of security interests in vessels and other forms of marine collateral. He has been advising and representing the interests of secured creditors and lessors in numerous international shipping bankruptcies for nearly 30 years. He has lectured extensively on maritime remedies and bankruptcies and is the author of the “Maritime Lien Arrests” chapter in Moore’s Federal Practice, 3rd Edition, Volume 29. He is the former Chairman of the U.S. Maritime Law Association’s Committee on Maritime Bankruptcy and Insolvency.

Mr. Bradley regularly advises clients on matters involving economic sanctions, export controls, embargoes, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption laws, and blocking statutes, relating to the cross-border sale, lease, charter and financing of transportation assets, including ships, containers, aircraft and jet engines. He has reviewed and prepared corporate manuals, voluntary disclosures, and transaction documents relating to trade compliance and related enforcement matters. He has sought and obtained regulatory licenses and advisory rulings, has counseled clients on risk-based due diligence and compliance programs, and has successfully petitioned for the return of assets seized by the government. He has counseled the government on the seizure of vessels based upon violations of U.S. sanctions regimes.

Mr. Bradley was recognized from 2018 to 2022 by The Legal 500 United States in the Transport: Shipping—Finance category. From 2020 to 2022 Chambers USA Nationwide, ranked him in Band 3 in the Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Finance category. He was selected for inclusion from 2007 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2022 in New York Super Lawyers and selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America from 2007 to 2022 in the field of Admiralty and Maritime Law. In 2015, 2018 and 2022, Mr. Bradley was ranked by Who’s Who in the category of Legal Transport: Shipping. Mr. Bradley is also an AV Preeminent™ rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell.