José Cot has litigated maritime and insurance matters throughout the Gulf South for more than 35 years. His maritime clients range from domestic to international private corporations and insurers, including those in the London insurance market. José also represents state agencies and instrumentalities, including in connection with U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations and formal proceedings. From maritime claims surrounding ports, terminals, rivers, and bridges in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, to claims arising from operations in the offshore oil patch, there is rarely an accident, property damage claim, or natural disaster that José has not encountered.
In his insurance coverage practice, José is adept at navigating direct actions brought against insurers in first-party and third-party claims, as well as coverage analysis and litigation. José handles primary, excess, and umbrella coverage issues, allocation and cost sharing agreements, bad faith claims, disputes involving retro premium agreements, reservation of rights and declaratory judgment actions.
José’s broad experience also includes Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) matters, indemnity and contractual disputes, subrogation, and recovery actions. He also handles construction defects, expropriation and inverse condemnation proceedings, premises and product liability claims, asbestos, silica, and toxic tort claims. As a certified mediator, José also handles private mediations and has extensive experience in various Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) modalities, including arbitration.
José is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico and fluent in Spanish. He views problems from a global perspective and from there develops a practical, effective, and cost-efficient strategy. His goal is to bring people together to find a path forward that eliminates the ongoing cost, dispute, or hardship.
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana 1988
- Texas 1995
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Education
- J.D., Tulane University Law School, 1988
- B.A. in Political Science and International Relations, cum laude, Tulane University, 1985
- University of Madrid, 1983-1984 (Junior Year Abroad)
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- American Inn of Court
- Defense Research Insitute
- Eastern District of Louisiana, Lawyer Disciplinary Committee
- Engage Cuba Coalition – Louisiana State Council
- Federal Bar Association, New Orleans Chapter Board of Directors
- Inter-American Bar Association
- Louisiana Bar Association
- Marine Insurance Claims Association
- Maritime Law Association of the United States
- Maritime Protection & Indemnity Annotation Project
- New Orleans Bar Association, Fleur de Lis Leader
- Southeastern Admiralty Law Insitute
- Texas Bar Association
- Tulane University School of Law, (Adjunct Faculty, Lecturer in Law)
- Tulane Admiralty Law Institute, National Advisory Board
Professional Recognition
- Federal Bar Association, President’s Award, New Orleans Chapter, 2020
- Louisiana Super Lawyers, Admiralty and Maritime Law and Litigation – Insurance, Insurance Coverage, 2007, 2022-present
- Martindale-Hubbell™, AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated Lawyer
- New Orleans Bar Association, Admiralty and Maritime Law and Litigation – Insurance, Fleur de Lis Leader
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Admiralty and Maritime Law and Litigation – Insurance, 2026-present