Odyssey Marine chairman dies

TAMPA -- David Bederman, chairman of the board at Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. (symbol: OMEX), died Dec. 4. He was 50 years old.

"David was a personal friend, mentor and a highly respected member of our Board of Directors who, along with his wife Lorre and daughter Annelise, have been much-loved members of the Odyssey family for many years," says Greg Stemm, CEO at Odyssey, in a statement from the company. "His passion for our mission and his unparalleled sense of fairness and understanding of international law has guided us through many situations that really had no legal precedent. David's wisdom, strength, courage and brilliant mind will be missed so much by all of us."

A director with Odyssey since 2006, Bederman was also an active member of the Emory University School of Law faculty. In 2008, he was named the K.H. Gyr Professor in Private International Law. He also led a private practice.

Odyssey's Governance Committe will meet “in due course,” a statement says, to identify a new nominee for chairman.