Combining strong litigation smarts with ‘exceptional understanding and knowledge of commercial shipping’, HFW is well-placed to provide ‘dynamic, strategic and results-oriented’ advice to P&I clubs and shipping companies across a wide range of disputes, including as it relates to charterparties, bills of lading and shipbuilding contracts. Dimitri Vassos and Dimitris Exarchou  are both the main contacts for this dry shipping work (which accounts for a substantial volume of the deal flow), with Vassos also adept at handling more wet mandates, including as it relates to salvage, groundings and collision cases. Clients also benefit from the firm’s integrated approach and ability to co-ordinate with key international offices, including London, on large scale arbitrations, in particular.

 

Strengthened by some recent hires, including Dimitris Anassis and Martin Hall from Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP and Clyde & Co, respectively, Hill Dickinson LLP‘s five-partner team has the strength-in-depth to handle a tremendous volume and range of disputes, including a significant number of major multi-jurisdictional mandates – where it is able to draw from the expertise of lawyers based in other key offices, including London. Hall’s arrival further strengthens the team’s ‘highly skilled and experienced marine casualty’ offering, which not only includes ‘very knowledgeable and talented’ lawyers, including Ian Teare (who like Hall splits his time between London and Piraeus) but also some expert master mariners. On the dry shipping front, dual UK and Greek-qualified partner Maria Moisidou is adept at handling a myriad litigation, mediation and arbitrations relating to, inter alia, P&I matters, marine insurance, charterparty disputes and cargo claims. Timon Karamanos, who co-heads the team alongside Moisidou, has a similarly broad dry offering and has developed a particularly strong reputation for his ability to successfully conduct negotiations to avoid unnecessary escalation. The ‘highly skilled and commercial’ Alexander Freeman, who was recently promoted to partner, continues to grow his reputation in the sector, including as it relates to matters impacting the tanker industry. At an associate level, Mara Zermasli, who recently joined from Reed Smith LLP, and Vassilis Mavrakis are also recommended.

‘Locally rooted but with an international mindset’, Timagenis Law Firm has developed a strong reputation among domestic and foreign stakeholders, including owners and insurers, across a myriad of litigation and arbitration, where it is appreciated for its ‘relentless and dogged drive’ to obtain a favourable result. As well as conventional wet and dry disputes, including charterparty matters and marine pollution cases, the firm is also well-versed in handling finance and commercial disputes in the sector, including for banks on debt enforcement issues and for parties engaged in shipping shareholder disputes. Drawing upon his ‘exceptional’ knowledge of both English and Greek laws and procedures, ‘outstanding’ dual qualified partner Yiannis Timagenis is a firm favourite among clients and provides ‘commercially oriented and practical solutions’, including on asset tracing and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. Gregory Timagenis, who co-heads the team alongside Yiannis, has ‘built a track-record of international proportions’, and as well as making regular appearances before the Greek Supreme Court has also successfully appeared in cases spanning ‘almost every continent, as well as in the open waters where International Law prevails’. US and Greek-qualified partner Christos Timagenis, who ‘knows the shipping industry inside out’ is another practitioner within the team with outstanding international exposure, and provides ‘tailored and practical advice’ across a range of multi-jurisdictional disputes and is also qualified to practice before the Supreme Court of Greece.

Combining ‘deep legal knowledge and a commercial approach’, nascent commercial and shipping boutique LCI Law has quickly made in-roads into the market since establishing in May 2022, picking up new clients as well as leveraging existing relationships gained through the experience of the founding partners’ strong individual practices at their previous firm Ince & Co. Now also aided by a new office in London, the team provides a wide range of shipping disputes expertise in relation to contracts governed by both Greek and English law. Dual qualified managing partner Antonis Lagadianos heads up the English law litigation facet of the practice and has ‘impressive experience’ representing P&I Clubs and ship owners across a range of high-profile contractual disputes and casualty matters, and is noted for his ability to provide guidance not only on purely legal matters but also in a strategic context. George Iatridis co-heads the team alongside Lagadianos and is in charge of the Greek law part of the practice.

Although it is better known for its financing prowess, particularly since the recent departure of John Liberopoulos to set up his own firm Libra Law, the 'very knowledgeable' team at Norton Rose Fulbright is able to harness deep industry knowledge and leverage wide-ranging overarching disputes and commercial/financing prowess to good effect across a myriad contractual disputes for owners and financial institutions in the sector. In this context, the team, which can leverage vast international resources, is particularly effective representing clients in multi-jurisdictional disputes excelling in providing 'global advice which is co-ordinated locally'. Yianni Cheilas heads up the overarching shipping group and although he is primarily a transactional lawyer, does handle work for banks and funds for example on enforcement matters and vessel arrests. 

Acting on its own and also forming a part of an integrated global team that includes key offices in London and Singapore, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP has good traction among P&I clubs, shipowners and operators, representing them across a range of cross-border disputes relating to marine casualties, charterparties, bills of lading, cargo claims, sanctions, sale and purchase disputes. The team is currently led from London by Darryl Kennard following the sad and untimely death in June 2023 of former team head and shipping luminary Douglas Bateson.

Reed Smith LLP provides ‘practical and business savvy advice’ to domestic and international clients, including owners, P&I clubs, trading companies and shipyards, both in cases before the Greek and English courts, and in large international arbitration hearings. Splitting her time between London and Athens, ‘technically brilliant’ team head Sally-Ann Underhill leads from the front, providing ‘an excellent and cost-effective service’ to clients in relation to charter party disputes and insurance claims, among others.