A.J. Bilbrey, is a partner at Cooper & Bilbrey, P.C. in Charleston, South Carolina, a returning speaker and stalwart member of SEALI. A.J. is a maritime attorney, admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2018. His maritime experience generally includes navigating the choppy seas of maritime personal injury and vessel arrests and steering through the intricate channels of defending mariners facing allegations in U.S. Coast Guard Suspension and Revocation Proceedings. His legal voyage began at the Charleston School of Law where he graduated cum laude after obtaining his undergraduate degree from Tennessee Tech University.

Before donning his legal captain's hat, A.J. spent over a decade in residential construction, before setting sail with the U.S. Coast Guard, where he was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance in search and rescue, law enforcement, and anti-terrorism missions as at tactical coxswain.

A true son of the sea, A.J. has been recognized by the South Carolina Supreme Court for his pro bono work, serves on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Clap Your Hands, and stands at the ready as a member of the Charleston County Rescue Squad. Beyond the practice of law, A.J. enjoys simply messing about on his boat. He attributes his legal acumen and maritime experience to God, his mentors and partners, John Hughes and John Towsend Cooper, and of course his wife, Elizabeth.