Victor Ivan Koock

He earned his BS degree from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa and his Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University, New Orleans, finishing in the Top 10% of his class., He served as Law Review Business Manager; Editor of the Law School newspaper, and earned various academic honors including Outstanding Senior Law Student.

Koock began his career as an Associate in the law firm Nelson and Nelson, of New Orleans.

In 1967, joined Tidewater Inc. (formerly Tidewater Marine Service, Inc.), the world’s largest provider of marine equipment to the offshore oil industry, [NYSE: TDW], then located in New Orleans. Koock retired from Tidewater Inc.in 1995 as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and, thereafter, served as a consultant to Tidewater for a period of time.

He joined Tidewater as a staff attorney, and then became manager of the contracts department where he was responsible for the drafting, negotiation, administration and interpretation of vessel charters, operating agreements, towing agreements, oilfield service agreements, and other contracts involving the company and its vessels.

Koock became manager of the Legal Department in 1978, Chief Legal Officer in 1980, and General Counsel in 1983 and was responsible for the entirety of the company’s legal affairs including: mergers and acquisitions; securities and corporate matters; contracts; international legal matters; claims and litigation; and labor and personnel.

He became a Vice President in 1983 and Senior Vice President in 1986 and acted as the company’s principal administrative officer and was responsible for insurance, human relations, public affairs, shareholder relations, and real property management including the company’s headquarter building, Tidewater Place.

During his tenure he led the Tidewater team responsible for accomplishing the merger of Zapata Gulf Marine Corporation into Tidewater Inc.; directed the legal team responsible for negotiating and acquiring the assets of Halliburton Company Compression Services Division; provided legal leadership in the five plus years that Tidewater faced a threat (which was ultimately thwarted) from the Irwin Jacobs Group, a notorious corporate raider; led the Tidewater team responsible for accomplishing the divestiture of the stock of the Irwin Jacobs Group; led the Tidewater team responsible for a 5.5 million share public stock offering; managed Pental Insurance Company Ltd. a captive insurance company which insured the Tidewater vessel fleet; was responsible for the structuring of the Tidewater welfare benefit plans and Restructured Retiree Medical Program; led the Tidewater team responsible for the "wind up" or disposition of several Tidewater businesses; provided the legal leadership in a serious organized labor threat against Tidewater by the Inland Boatmen's Union in Alaska; directed and provided the legal leadership for numerous pieces of complex litigation involving Tidewater; directed and provided the legal leadership dealing with the nationalization of Tidewater's business in Iran and Venezuela, including dealing with the Arbitration Tribunal in The Hague and with the Company's insurance

underwriters; conceived of and led Tidewater's effort which, combined with its industry, successfully caused the legislation that restricted access of foreign seamen to Jones Act remedies in U.S. courts; provided legal direction and leadership in several public solicitations, including preferred stock offering, primary and secondary equity offerings, debenture swaps, preferred stock repurchase, and controversial proxy solicitations.

Following retirement from Tidewater, in 1996, Koock became certified in ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) and joined The Martin Mediation Group Inc. (later The Mediation Group Inc.) as a mediator and arbitrator and successfully presided over numerous mediations and arbitrations.

In 2000 First American Corporation [NYSE: FAF] sought his service to help expand their real estate title insurance business by insuring non-real estate property, and, in particular, vessels, boats and ships. He joined a subsidiary, First American Transportation Title Insurance Company as Vice President of the company and General Counsel of its Marine Division. He remained with First American until 2008 when the Company made the decision to exit the business of vessel title insurance and retired once again.

He was involved in many professional organizations including the Maritime Law Association, the Southeastern Admiralty law Institute, the Society for Professionals in Dispute Resolution, American Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, and Louisiana Bar Association. Victor also served on the boards of Congregation Gates of Prayer, the Louisiana chapters of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, the American Corporate Counsel Association, and the American Society of Corporate Secretaries. He was a member of the YMBC (Young Mens Business Club) where he served as editor/publisher of their monthly news magazine and was the recipient of the James Kraus Award, silver pitcher, as the most active new member that year.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Victor and Klara Koock and survived by his wife of 62 years, Barbara “Bunny” Koock, two children, Barrie Koock Stevens (Neal) and Gregory Koock; two delightful grandchildren, Isadora Stevens Althans (Michael) and Klara Stevens; two fantastic great-grandchildren Harrison Rogers Althans and Theodore “Teddy” Koock Althans; sister, Lesley Koock Boone (Daniel) and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 1, 2024 at Congregation Temple Sinai, 6227 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans. Visitation will begin at 11:00AM followed by a service at 12:00PM. Interment will follow at Hebrew Rest Cemetery No. 3 in New Orleans. Memorial may be made to the charity of your choice.