MLA IN-HOUSE COUNSEL COMMITTEE

Virtual Committee Meeting & Program

October 7, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. ET | Virtual

The MLA In-House Counsel Committee invites members to join us for a virtual Committee meeting and educational program in advance of the Fall Meeting at The Greenbrier.

In-House Counsel Committee Meeting

We will begin with a brief update on the Committee’s 2026–2027 Strategic Plan and upcoming programming, including projects currently in development for the Spring Meeting and beyond. We also want to hear from our members. This will be an opportunity to suggest emerging issues and practical topics for future programs and publications and to learn about ways to become more actively involved in the Committee as speakers, writers, program contributors and project participants.

All MLA members interested in the work of the Committee are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Featured Program: Smart on SASH (Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment) — A Working Session

The Committee is delighted to welcome Rear Admiral Melissa Bert, USCG (Ret.), former Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel of the United States Coast Guard, for a 60-minute interactive working session addressing the legal, regulatory and practical challenges surrounding sexual misconduct at sea.

Sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) at sea sit at the intersection of federal criminal law, Coast Guard regulation, Title VII, Jones Act negligence, the Unseaworthiness Doctrine and Port State Control. Despite the serious consequences when these matters are mishandled, addressing sexual misconduct can remain difficult and uncomfortable for company leaders, their staff, officers, crews and the lawyers who advise them.

Admiral Bert will walk participants through a practical legal, policy and responsibility roadmap, including the Safer Seas Act’s reporting mandates; the Coast Guard’s August 2026 MSIB 03-26 and the updated reporting requirements for sexual misconduct and harassment on U.S. vessels; parallel criminal, administrative and regulatory investigation tracks; and the evidentiary consequences of how a company responds after receiving a report. The discussion will also examine the leadership habits and communication practices that can help reduce risk before an incident occurs and as an organization responds.

The discussion will give particular attention to the issues confronting counsel within the organization, while remaining relevant to the broader maritime bar, including the practical judgment calls that arise when legal, management and operational considerations converge.

This will not be a traditional lecture. Admiral Bert has designed the program as a working session, divided between substantive content and open discussion. Participants will work through real fact patterns and gray-area hypotheticals together, with ample opportunity for questions and discussion.

Bring Smart on SASH

Admiral Bert will refer during the program to specific passages, checklists and templates from her book, Smart on SASH: The Definitive Guide to Drive Down the Risk and Consequences of Sexual Misconduct at Sea. The session is intended to hit the “wave tops” rather than provide a comprehensive review. Participants are encouraged to have a copy available during the discussion if they would like to follow along with the passages, checklists and templates Admiral Bert will reference.

Purchase Smart on SASH:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3RBJJGV

About Rear Admiral Melissa Bert

Rear Admiral Melissa Bert, USCG (Ret.) is a recognized authority in maritime law and regulation, crisis prevention and response, enterprise risk management, and operational leadership. Through her maritime consulting practice, she advises industry and individual clients on strategic and legal risk.

Her Coast Guard career began with four years at sea and culminated in service as Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel, where she advised the Commandant and senior agency leaders on litigation, operations, cybersecurity and national security matters. Among her accomplishments, she led legislative efforts to protect mariners from assault. She is the author of Smart on SASH (Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment), a leadership handbook for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct at sea.

A former Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, Rear Admiral Bert is an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States and President of the Judge Advocates Association of America.

Advance registration will be required. Click here to register today.

We hope you will join us for this timely, practical and highly interactive program.