Mr. Wernicke is a Senior Associate and his practice area focuses on defense of the firms’ clients in insurance, transportation, trucking, freight and cargo, property damage, premises liability, and maritime litigation.
Prior to joining Callahan & Fusco in 2023, Mr. Wernicke acted as In-House Counsel to a large United States East Coast tugboat company where he specialized in maritime regulatory compliance and maritime transactional matters concerning tugboat operations, marine terminals, offshore wind operations, and maritime regulatory compliance.
From October 2019 to May 2022, Mr. Wernicke was an Associate Attorney in the Wall Street based law firm of Hill, Betts & Nash, LLP., where he practiced solely in the realm of maritime litigation related matters concerning the Jones Act, Seaman and Passenger personal injury defense, Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act defense, complex oil and gas quality and quantity disputes, charter parties and contracts of affreightment disputes, marine pollution, and compliance with United States Coast Guard, Federal Maritime Commission, and Maritime Administration regulations including vessel inspections, certificates of foreign responsibility, and foreign build determinations.
Prior to attending college and law school, Mr. Wernicke enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 2006. While in the United States Coast Guard, Mr. Wernicke served aboard the Coast Guard Cutter JUNIPER assisting in the maintenance of aids-to-navigation from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Additionally, after achieving the rank of Gunners Mate Third Class, Mr. Wernicke served at Maritime Safety and Security Team New York – a deployable specialized forces counter-terrorism team of the United States Coast Guard, tasked with the protection of maritime assets through port waterway and coastal security operations. During his enlistment, Mr. Wernicke assisted in some of the largest maritime operations in the country, including the clean-up efforts surrounding the Deepwater Horizon disaster, United Nations General Assembly security, Fleet Week security, and POTUS operations.
Education
Centenary College of New Jersey (B.A. Criminal Justice, 2016)
Roger Williams University School of Law (J.D. 2019)
Bar Memberships
New Jersey, 2019
New York, 2021
Court Admissions
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Professional Activities
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit