By Dan McCue
Staff Writer

Of the individuals CaroLinks has identified as members of its corporate advisory board, the one with the most varied background appears to be Stephen Honigman, a partner in the New York-based law firm Fox Horan & Camerini LLP.

As an attorney, his law practice has focused on commercial, securities and class-action litigation; government affairs and public policy; and even nuclear energy regulation.

Among the roles he’s played for business clients has been serving as an intermediary between private enterprise and government and representing companies seeking legislative amendments from federal lawmakers.

Honigman also served as General Counsel for the U.S. Navy from 1993 to 1998, having been appointed to the post by President Bill Clinton.

As its General Counsel, Honigman ranked as the third highest civilian in the Navy, responsible for a staff of 650 lawyers worldwide and oversight of criminal investigations, contractor suspension and debarment and agency ethics.

It was during this time, he said, that his relationship with Lucy Duncan-Scheman’s husband, Ronald Scheman, solidified.

“I’ve known Ron Scheman a long time, our having both attended Yale Law School at different times, but I think we really got to know each other well after our respective appointments during the Clinton Administration,” Honigman said.

Clinton appointed Scheman to serve as executive director of the Inter-American Development Bank in 1993, about the same time as Honigman’s appointment to his Navy post, and later appointed Scheman to represent the United States on the board of the Inter-American Investment Corporation.

Honigman said his experience with the Navy “gave me a full appreciation of the importance of maritime commerce.”

So serious is he about his role on the CaroLinks board that he even professed to have read “The Box that Changed the World,” a history of containerized shipping.

But if he’s a friend and supporter of the project, Honigman also was forthright in admitting his involvement represents a business opportunity for his client, EWA Information and Infrastructure Technologies Inc.

In early July, just a week after announcing Honigman’s advisory board appointment, CaroLinks announced it had formed a strategic partnership with EWA that would allow the two companies to demonstrate new approaches to transportation security in conjunction with inland port operations.

“Why do I find this project interesting, personally?” he asked. “I think you have to look at this intermodal project as having two interrelated parts.

“First, of course, there’s the intermodal operation itself, which I find very interesting, and then there’s risk assessment, vulnerability assessment and actionable response needs that have to be addressed in a project like this. Given that EWA is my client and that I am a member of its board of directors, that makes for a good fit.”

EWA, a relatively young company, has worked extensively with the rail industry analyzing critical infrastructure security, and also with a “cluster of ports in Italy” on port security issues, Honigman said.

“This will be our first opportunity to link up with an intermodal port facility operator,” he said.

Honigman said as CaroLinks’ facilities and processes come online, EWA will be conducting sophisticated risk and vulnerability analysis of its operation and will develop a strategy for addressing apparent needs.

“In some respects, this will be a launch for us into another aspect of the Homeland Security industry,” Honigman said. “Because of its scope, CaroLinks will inspire a whole new level of sophistication when it comes to cargo security.”

But Honigman hastened to add that his relationship isn’t just a way to enhance a client’s standing in the security industry.

“I think what I bring to the table is a cluster of expertise and potential relationships in the security sector,” he said. “Some of these companies may be customers and some providers, but they will be in the mix.”

He also didn’t rule out using his experience in influencing legislation in Washington on CaroLinks’ behalf.

“I don’t know if I will be involved in that, but if they need that kind of help, I’ll be very proud to play that role,” he said. “Especially in regard to infrastructure and national security issues.”

Dan McCue is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail him at dmccue@charlestonbusiness.com.

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