Skip to Content
Adams and Reese attorney Matthew O. Paxton’s leadership in the field of transportation and logistics was recognized recently as the firm’s Washington, DC, office Partner in Charge was elected secretary of the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the organization announced on Wednesday, Jan. 10.

As the elected secretary, Paxton will continue his role on the AMP Board of Directors having participated as a board member since 2006. He is also currently serving as president of the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) – a position Paxton has held since 2007 – and the federal lobbyist for the Coastal Conservation Association.

The AMP’s 450-plus members span the United States and its territories and include a diverse membership of vessel owners and operators, shipbuilders and repair yards, dredging and marine construction contractors, trade associations, pro-defense groups, and more. These diverse but allied interests all recognize that a strong domestic maritime industry is critical for America’s economic, national, and homeland security, and is best supported by maintaining the Jones Act as the basis of America’s domestic maritime policy.

Paxton joined Adams and Reese in 2015 and has been practicing law since 2001. He is an attorney and lobbyist whose practice focuses on maritime law and policy, fisheries issues, natural resources development, and environmental and energy policy issues.

With five years of legislative and policy experience as a staffer in the U.S. Senate, Paxton has a strong focus on the legislative process, including appropriations and authorizations committees of Congress. A 1997 graduate of the University of Washington, he earned his J.D. from Williamette University College of Law in 2001.