Julie M. Araujo

Julie Araujo is known for navigating clients through their most critical and high-stakes contractual challenges. With over 20 years of experience in reviewing, negotiating, drafting, and litigating complex commercial contracts on both domestic and international stages, Julie brings a strategic approach to every matter. She has worked extensively with clients in the oil and gas, energy, shipbuilding/repair, construction, shipping, and engineering industries, assisting with a broad range of agreements, including:

•  Vessel and offshore structure construction and repair contracts
• Master service agreements
• Subcontracts and Vendor Agreements
• EPC/EPIC Contracts
• Teaming agreements
• Charterparties
• Indemnity contracts
• Non-disclosure agreements

Julie is a skilled problem-solver who thrives in high-pressure situations. She has extensive transactional experience and has successfully resolved numerous contractual claims in state, federal, international, and arbitral forums, as well as through strategic “out of court” resolutions.

Julie has a deep understanding of both contractor and project owner perspectives. She has experience handling claims involving delays, disruption, loss of productivity, inefficiency, acceleration, design, and workmanship defects.

Julie takes pride in understanding each client’s core business, culture, and objectives to deliver tailored, cost-effective legal solutions. Long-standing clients frequently rely on her experience to guide them through their most complex commercial decisions and contractual negotiations.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Louisiana State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Habitat for Humanity – volunteer

• Worked with executive-level personnel of an offshore drilling company on drafting and negotiating a $220M jack-up drilling rig construction contract with a Singaporean shipyard.
• Worked with executive-level shipyard personnel in drafting and negotiating $90M contract for the construction of logistic support vessels for a Middle Eastern country’s Ministry of Defense.
• Successfully defeated a maritime lien claim asserted by a Cypriot charterer against a Greek shipping company in litigation before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
• Worked with executive-level personnel of a shipyard to draft and negotiate a new build construction contract for up to 30 offshore service vessels.
• Successfully achieved a $24M arbitral award on behalf of a shipyard for delay and disruption claims against a vessel owner. This involved close collaboration with project personnel and experts in System Dynamics modeling to quantify inefficiencies and the disruptive impact of design changes and change orders.