More than 80% of world trade moves by water, making maritime transport the single most important channel for the movement of goods worldwide. Seaborne trade volumes have grown by roughly 3% annually over the past three decades, placing ever-increasing demands on ports, terminals, and intermodal networks that connect ships to trucks, trains warehouses and other logistics hubs. At the center of this supply chain eco-system is the coordinated management of cranes, berths, waterways, roadways, storage facilities, technology systems, and labor required to move cargo efficiently and minimize the time vessels spend in port.
EKA Partner Alex Cherin brings nearly two decades of high-level public- and private-sector experience in port operations, intermodal transportation, freight logistics, and clean technology policy to expert witness engagements. His background provides litigators, insurers, and corporate clients with authoritative, real-world insight into how ports, terminals, and trucking networks actually operate and where liability, causation, and industry-standard practices intersect.
Alex Cherin heads EKA’s Transportation and Clean Tech practices. His career spans nearly two decades of active engagement across the public and private sectors, culminating in an executive role at the Port of Long Beach, the fifth-largest container port in the world. As the port’s Managing Director of Trade and Operations, Alex helped shape and implement some of the industry’s most consequential policy initiatives in international goods movement, regional transportation, infrastructure development, and clean technology, including the Clean Trucks Program, the Middle Harbor redevelopment project, and the Long Beach oil tax ballot initiative.
Alex regularly briefs decision-makers at all levels of the federal government, including Congress and the U.S. Trade Representative, on global trade forecasts, regional infrastructure projects, and World Trade Organization matters. A featured guest on CNN and Fox Business News, his insights on trade, international business, and public policy have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the Los Angeles Times.
Before entering public service, Alex practiced law as a senior associate at Flynn, Delich & Wise, specializing in international trade and maritime law. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a JD from Loyola Law School.
- Port Operations — Terminal operations, berth and crane management, cargo flow coordination, port authority governance, and public vs. privately operated port structures.
- Intermodal Transportation — Coordination between ship, rail, and truck movements; drayage operations; corridor planning; and freight network connectivity.
- Freight Logistics & Trucking — Trucking industry standards and practices, 3PL and freight-forwarder operations, drayage compliance, and intermodal conference leadership.
- Clean Technology & Emissions Policy — Zero- and near-zero-emission truck fleet adoption, clean air action planning, and environmental compliance in maritime and trucking operations.
- Regulatory & Public Policy Analysis — Federal, state, and local regulatory frameworks governing port, rail, and trucking operations, including engagement with regulatory agencies (Federal, State and regional), elected officials and decision makers throughout government;
- Infrastructure & Development Projects — Large-scale terminal redevelopment, public-private partnerships (P3s), and major capital infrastructure programs.
- Managing Director of Trade Relations and Port Operations, Port of Long Beach — developed and implemented communications for the San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan.
- Executive Director, California Trucking Association’s Intermodal Conference (5+ years).
- Communications consultant to multiple trucking entities on adoption of zero- and near-zero-emission fleets (TTSI/IMC Group).
- Strategic communications lead on the Port of Los Angeles’ Harbor Performance Enhancement Center (HPEC) Project.
- Primary communications manager for the Long Beach Container Terminal Middle Harbor Project, a $2.1 billion joint LBCT / Port of Long Beach construction program.
- Extensive engagement with the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA), the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Gateway Cities Council of Governments and the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.
- Regular presenter at industry forums, including the Port of Long Beach’s annual “Pulse of the Ports” event.
Litigators, insurers, and corporate counsel retain Alex Cherin for matters requiring credible, well-documented testimony on how ports, terminals, and freight networks function in practice. His direct executive experience at one of the world’s largest container ports, combined with active leadership roles in trucking and intermodal trade associations, gives him rare standing to speak to industry custom and practice, regulatory compliance, and operational causation in disputes involving cargo delay, terminal performance, environmental compliance, and clean technology implementation.