Today, the incident is the centrepiece aHollywood adaptation of a 2010 memoir written by the captain of the 1,068-teuvessel, Richard Phillips.
The movie, Captain Phillips, is directedby Paul Greengrass and stars two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks in the title role.
For an insider’s perspective TradeWindsWebTV caught up with an attorney who specialises in the legal aspects of modernpiracy, Bruce Paulsen of US law firm Seward & Kissel.
Paulsen has helped dozens of clients handleincidents of piracy over the years but first made headlines in 2009 afteraiding in a ransom negotiation that facilitated the release of the 27,400-dwt chemical tanker Biscaglia (built1986) and 28 crewmembers.
After catching a Columbus Day matinée in Stamford,Connecticut, Paulsen fielded questions about the accuracy of the movie and Greengrass’depiction of Somali pirates, recalled his own experiences and discussed how armedguards have changed the game.
While Phillips is portrayed as a hero on thebig screen in real life members of Maersk Alabama crew have accused thecaptain, owner and operator of putting their lives in danger by sailing tooclose to the Somali coast despite warnings.
