Dylan has extensive international aviation, aerospace and marine experience, including handling complex/high profile major losses. Dylan has particular specialisms in the negotiation and drafting of hull releases arising from the damage to or loss of vessels and aircraft, managing marine and aviation subrogation actions and in providing marine and aviation insurance coverage advice. Dylan is dual-qualified and has practised in both his native US and his adopted home in the UK. He has extensive cross-jurisdictional experience having handled wide-ranging matters in North America, the UK, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.

Prior to joining DAC Beachcroft, Dylan spent almost 9 years at another well-known London insurance firm where he developed a comprehensive aviation practice which included defending airline passenger claims (including under the Montreal regime), responding to major losses, addressing commercial and financing disputes, managing successful subrogated recoveries, providing regulatory advice, advising on insurance coverage and negotiating insurance settlements, amongst other activities. 

Dylan began his career with a dedicated shipping practice in the Pacific Northwest, including defending insurers in longshore and harbour workers’ and seamen personal injury and death claims, handling multi-modal cargo claims, and providing advice on marine insurance coverage.

Dylan also spent over 12 years in senior legal, public policy and legislative positions on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, primarily in the transportation and insurance sectors. During that time he successfully drafted and developed responsible marine environmental legislation and negotiated key amendments to the Jones Act. Before moving to the UK, Dylan served as legal counsel and primary advocate for the international mutual insurance industry in response to US insurance regulatory reforms following the Great Recession of 2008.  

Dylan obtained a J.D. with a Certificate of Specialisation in Maritime Law from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and an LLM (Distinction) in Maritime Law from Southampton University, where he was also awarded the Beaumont & Son Award in Aviation Law.

 Relevant experience:

• Acting on behalf of aviation insurers in insurance coverage determinations and settlements arising from incidents. Including damage to aircraft as the result of severe hail storm events in Argentina, corrosion of helicopter fuel tanks in Chile, damage to aircraft during ground handling activities in Denmark, Norway and Lithuania, and the constructive and/or total loss of aircraft in Kenya, Libya, India, Pakistan, Venezuela, Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, amongst other incidents.
• Handling hull and passenger claims and related claims arising from major aviation losses including in Nigeria, Malaysia and Lockerbie, Scotland and acting for major international carriers and their insurers in response to general airline passenger and baggage claims.
• Handling subrogation proceedings in product liability arising from aircraft losses and damage, including the destruction of an aircraft at London Heathrow resulting from fire related to lithium batteries, defective engine blades resulting in a fatal GA accident in Missouri, USA, and a faulty hydraulic pump identified as the cause of a runway excursion at Blackpool, UK.
• Acting on behalf of operators in aircraft lease disputes arising from Covid-19 worldwide.
• Providing advice to global shippers on the international carriage of dangerous goods.
• Advising marine insurers on complex questions of insurance coverage, including issues of suspected illegality and of alleged inherent vice.
• Providing guidance to major international retailer on the potential marine and multi-modal cargo liabilities of shippers and freight forwarders in the UK and Europe.
• Advising fisheries operators on regulatory obligations and licensing issues, as well as acting in response to crew employment and personal injury claims.
• Acting on behalf of insurers in responding to claims brought under US federal marine workers’ compensation programmes.