Carlos Llinás
Mr. Llinás is an active mass torts trial attorney. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Admiralty and Maritime Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Llinas’ practice focuses on complex commercial vessel litigation against the world’s largest cruise operators. Some of his notable representations include: seafarers’ rights and Jones Act cases, cruise ship passenger personal injury and wrongful death, recreational boating and jet-ski accidents, wage claims, limitation of liability actions, seaplane casualties, Rule B attachments, vessel arrests, United States Coast Guard negligence, and shipboard medical malpractice.
A distinguished promoter of seafarers’ rights, Mr. Llinás was featured in the investigative series, “Dispatches, Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck,” for the British public service network, Channel 4. The documentary went undercover to reveal what life is really like for the crew that lives below deck of some of today’s most luxurious ocean liners. Seen by an international audience, the documentary received worldwide attention as it exposed disparate pay and horrific work conditions.
In addition to his maritime practice, Mr. Llinás works with the firm’s aviation department in the prosecution of complex high-profile aviation cases, including matters against domestic and international airlines, and general aviation crash cases.
Mr. Llinás is fluent in Spanish and assists with bilingual representations and court dealings for the firm and he is licensed to practice law in California, Florida, Washington State and Washington D.C.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Miami 2005
Juris Doctorate, St. Thomas University School of Law, 2009
ACADEMIC HONORS
Profiled in President of the University of Miami Donna Shalala’s Annual Report, 2005, as one of five “students primed for greatness.”
Recipient Dean’s Merit Scholarship, St. Thomas University School of Law
HONORS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Chair Elect, Admiralty Section, American Association for Justice
Past Chair, Cruise Lines and Passenger Ships, Maritime Law Association of the United States
Graduate, Leadership Academy, American Association for Justice
Faculty, Admiralty Education Program, American Association for Justice, 2017, 2018 and 2019
Member, Florida Bar Admiralty Committee
Faculty, Admiralty Disruption Seminar, American Bar Association Tort and Trial Section, 2019
Faculty, Florida Bar Admiralty Committee Continuing Education Program, 2018
Graduate, Los Angeles County Bar Association Trial Advocacy Program
COURT ADMISSIONS
California Bar
Florida Bar
State of Washington Bar
District of Columbia Bar
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for Southern District of Florida
U.S. District Court Central District of California
U.S. District Court Southern District of California
U.S. District Court Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States
PUBLISHED APPELLATE DECISIONS
Vasquez v. YII Shipping Company, Ltd., (11th Cir. 2012)—winning opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (reversing the district court’s dismissal and holding that collateral estoppel did not bar a seaman’s claim against a shipping company under the Jones Act and federal maritime law)
Fitzpatrick v. Club Mediterranee, (3d DCA 2015) — winning opinion from the Florida Third District Court of Appeal in the matter (holding that employee was not required to arbitrate sexual assault claims against employer, because the claims did not fall within the scope of the arbitration agreement)
PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES AND PRESS
Summer 2019 – Admiralty Law Newsletter, American Association for Justice, Admiralty Jurisdiction and Seaplane Crashes: Applying General Maritime Law to Circumvent Limited Remedies under State Law.
Summer 2018 – Admiralty Law Newsletter, American Association for Justice, Supplemental Rule B; the Power to Attach a Foreign Defendant’s Property in the United States.
October 2016 – Mr. Llinás was featured in the National Public Radio investigation, Troubled Waters, How a Private Justice System Exploits Workers on the High Seas.
May 2016 – Maritime Law Association of the United States, Cruise Lines Committee Newsletter, Navigating the United States Limitation of Liability Act
January 2016 – the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce published Mr. Llinás' law review on flags of convenience and its impact on international shipping, pollution and seafarer working conditions. Founded in 1969, the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce is an academic publication devoted to all aspects of admiralty and maritime law, including the law of the sea. The Journal has presented the work of more than 750 individuals and has been cited by courts and arbitrators over 420 times. The Supreme Court of the United States, for example, has cited the Journal in the most significant maritime decisions of the last 30 years.
December 2014 – Los Angeles Lawyer published one of Mr. Llinas' articles on Seafarers’ rights under United States law.
Fall 2004 – the University of Miami’s Confluence, a student-run academic journal, published Mr. Llinás’ examination of the human rights violations in the Darfur region of Sudan entitled, The Killing Fields of Africa.