Rachel de Cordova practices in the areas of tort, commercial, maritime, and energy litigation with a special emphasis in handling complex, commercial litigation; premises, product and toxic tort litigation; and maritime litigation. She served as national maritime counsel for one of the country’s largest oil refiners and marketers where she handled all maritime related litigation, as well as regulatory matters before government bodies overseeing pilot and port tariffs and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. She also handled personal injury suits in Texas and Louisiana as well as advised her client regarding indemnity, defense and additional insured provisions to comply with Texas state law.

Her practice also includes the defense and investigation of claims resulting from oilfield and maritime catastrophic incidents under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, including handling the settlement of all major refinery and vessel detention claims in the EAGLE OTOME oil spill. Ms. de Cordova defends vessel owners and operators from claims arising under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

Ms. de Cordova joined Phelps from the Texas based litigation firm Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams, LLP.