Georgina Noakes meets Bill Dorsey

Georgina Noakes meets Bill Dorsey, newly elected president of the USMLA

BILL Dorsey is, as I expected, on time. The first things I see as he meets me in the hall of the Army & Navy Club in Pall Mall, London, are his perfectly polished brogues. My mother always said you could tell a lot about a man from his shoes.

"My father was in the US army during the Second World War, and he always used to say to me that, wherever you went in the world, the navy always had the best accommodation," says Bill. "This influenced my decision to join the US navy, and I really enjoyed my three years as an officer at sea. I liked the routine, the teamwork and the travel".

Bill was on the bridge for those three years, as a navigation officer, and this was no doubt good preparation for taking the helm - a career in maritime law later - at the USMLA.

Fresh from law school, Bill started work - and has stayed throughout his career - at the Baltimore firm of Semmes, Bowen & Semmes. He joined the USMLA as a young associate in 1966. Did he then imagine that one day he would become its president? "No, I was amazed to be asked", is Bill's immediate response.

"About seven years ago," he explains, "a couple of friends suggested that I took a run at president. I was not a politician, but in the maritime legal world that's not how it works. I ran for second vice-president and lost to my good friend Jim Moseley."

After that, Bill got a call from Nick Healy (the US maritime equivalent of being telephoned from on high), who said he would like to nominate Bill for the position of secretary. It turned out he got the job, "the first non-New Yorker to be elected as secretary," Bill says with just a hint of pride. "I loved the job and it was a terrific opportunity to learn about the inside operation of the organisation". From there he rose through the ranks until taking over from Howard McCormack on May 4 this year.

While being elected from first vice-president to president of the USMLA is pretty much a formality, Bill was very keen not to speak on the record before his election - "just in case any scandal broke beforehand," he quips in true American style.

Bill has brought to bear his skills as a trial lawyer - that is, homework, being prepared, thinking through everything that may come up beforehand and then adapting as the case unfolds - to the many USMLA committees he has sat on over the years. Some of these skills will now come into play in his new role, together with "listening to others, taking advice and receiving criticism, but knowing when the gong sounds to make a decision," says Bill.

One of the biggest challenges Bill faced while serving on a USMLA committee was to oversee a new draft of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. "Under the old aegis, the sovereign cannot be sued," explains Bill. "But many countries like China and Russia had ships that were owned by agents of the sovereign. This meant that, in particular, there were ship mortgage situations that did not work. I had to talk to the state department and explain the bill, which was introduced in two different sessions of congress, and I testified twice before congressional committees."

The new law was passed without opposition, which could be described as a unique experience at the time, considering that it had previously taken twelve years (1924-1936) to get the old COGSA bill passed. It is hope the new draft won't take as long.

When asked about what he would like to achieve during his two-year stint as president, Bill says, "Firstly, I'd obviously like to see the new COGSA bill passed. Secondly, I would like to see the USMLA come into the 21st century in terms of communications, for example, the further development and use of our website. Thirdly, I would like to continue to expand our liaison with government agencies, both in the US and abroad.

"Having celebrated its first centenary last year, I would like to see the USMLA become a model bar association by the end of this century. This means that its members should be informed, be ethical, and have the tools available to represent their clients. They should also be addressed on legislative concerns when they arise.

"We work for a unique brand of law in a unique industry and our aim should be for uniformity nationally and internationally - this is the goal of the USMLA. For instance, we support Intertanko and are challenging the imposition of oil pollution regulations from Washington that will make it almost impossible for foreign owners to want to operate in US waters."

Bill Dorsey could be described as a natural leader. But he says, "I don't take myself too seriously - there are lots of other people who could do this job as easy as rolling off a log'. Yet the man who got his first taste of maritime law as an officer on ship defending a seaman on board is extremely focused. When pressed, he describes his leadership style as 'out front and up front'. This means, he says, "I am not afraid to make decisions and not afraid to speak up. I learned a lot about listening as a young naval officer, but I am candid and straight-talking. This can lead me into trouble, and I have to be careful because sometimes I am not as diplomatic as I should be".

Bill has the advantage of coming to the USMLA presidency having retired from active practice, with the support of an office and a secretary at Semmes, Bowen & Semmes. Outside of the law, he has a broad scope of interests ranging from reading biographies and historical novels (he is currently reading one on the Pelopenese Wars) to playing golf with his wife, with whom he has had three grown-up children and three (and a half) grandchildren. "I also used to play a lot of tennis," adds Bill, "but when Anne began to ask, instead of who won today, who got injured, I knew it was time to stop."

Our light breakfast is finished and we hail a black cab in Pall Mall. Bill tells a nice story on our way to the Mansion House in the City for the launch of Maritime London. Some years ago on a visit to London, he took his sons to Lord's to watch a cricket match. He explained to them that they would have to show reserve and restraint because the English do not act like Americans at a baseball game, so getting up and cheering in their seats was out. They ended up sitting in the middle of a raucous and enthusiastic group of West Indian cricket supporters. His son turned to Bill and said, "Nice and quiet, eh dad?"

Bill Dorsey's presidency of the USMLA is unlikely to be nice and quiet - more 'out front and up front'. Under his leadership, the MLA will clearly be decisive, straightforward and focused.