Dana S. Merkel

Counsel at Blank Rome LLP

Dana S. Merkel is of counsel in Blank Rome’s Washington D.C. office with a concentration in maritime regulatory work. Major areas of practice include compliance counseling, coastwise trade, offshore construction, oil and gas, wind farm development, and crew citizenship, including U.S. visa and entry issues. Additionally, she works on defense of enforcement actions, internal investigations, pollution response, vessel construction and flagging, and international trade and sanctions issues. Clients include ship owners, operators, and managers; offshore construction companies; charterers; and terminals. Prior to joining Blank Rome in 2011, Dana worked as a marine controller at Valero Energy. She graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and worked for several international shipping companies in deck and engine positions. Dana also served in the Naval Reserve.