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A Publication of Guidry News Service |
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A Publication of Guidry News Service |
Attorney Tony Buzbee, of The Buzbee Law Firm in Friendswood and Galveston, has been invited to attend a maritime conference hosted by the Lawyers Association of Cuba. Buzbee will speak on coastal security issues related to the sinking of the Tanker PRESTIGE and other similar incidents.
The Lawyers Association of Cuba is Cuba’s equivalent of the American Bar Association in the United States, and is made up of more than five hundred Cuban lawyers who live and practice in Cuba. Buzbee, who has handled several high profile cases, is lead counsel for the Autonomous Province of the Basque Country in Spain, and several other autonomous entities, in a case filed against the American Bureau of Shipping in Houston, Texas.
The PRESTIGE sunk in November 2002 off the coast of Spain, spilling over one quarter of its 22.5 million barrels of oil aboard. The Basque government has expended more than $75 million cleaning up its coast; the case seeks more than $300 million in damages. “I’m surprised at the invitation, because I have never been to Cuba and know little about that country," Buzbee said. "Although it has not received much coverage here in the United States, the sinking of the PRESTIGE is of major international concern. It has already spilled twice as much oil as did the EXXON VALDEZ. Countries around the world recognize that accidents like the PRESTIGE can devastate a country’s economy and environment. The world community is desperately searching for a solution to the ongoing problem of oil tanker quality and security.”
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