Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce the expansion of its maritime dispute resolution practice in Athens with the arrival of three new partners, Jamila Khan, Aris Moschopoulos, Dimitris Giomelakis. All join the firm from the former Piraeus office of Ince, along with a team comprising four senior associates, three associates, a trainee, a paralegal and a marine manager.
Jamila has over 20 years’ experience practicing shipping law in both London and Athens. Her clients include leading ship owners, charterers, insurers and oil and gas traders. Her primary focus is on dry and wet shipping work, advising on all types of disputes arising from ship casualties and commercial transactions and contracts, including ship sale and purchase and newbuilding agreements, charterparties, MOAs and bills of lading. Jamila also acts in international trade disputes arising from contracts for the sale and purchase of commodities and the movement of goods.
Dual qualified in England & Wales and in Greece, Aris has over 14 years’ contentious experience, primarily in both dry and wet shipping matters, as well as in insurance and reinsurance disputes (marine and non-marine). He has been involved in numerous charterparty, bills of lading, international trade, casualties, worldwide ship arrests, MOA and shipbuilding, marine and non-marine insurance and reinsurance disputes. He regularly handles High Court proceedings and arbitrations under various set of rules with several of his matters being reported. On the advisory side, Aris is often also called upon to resolve time sensitive and complex disputes involving difficult jurisdictions. In recent years, he has built and developed a significant advisory and contentious sanctions practice encompassing all regimes relevant to shipping and international trade.
Dimitris has over 18 years’ experience practicing shipping law in Athens.His main area of expertise is in wet and dry shipping litigation and dispute resolution. He regularly advises leading Greek and international shipping companies, clubs, operators, charterers, underwriters and classifications societies in litigation before the Greek courts. Dimitris also represents clients in major casualties, marine accidents, salvage claims and civil disputes and has experience assisting clients on corporate due diligence related work and property related transactions.
They are the second team to join WFW Athens from Ince within the past six months, following the arrival of Asset Finance Partner Konstantinos (Dinos) Mexias and his team of five lawyers and one paralegal in October 2023.
Athens Office Head Alexia Hatzimichalis commented: “I am delighted to welcome Jamila, Aris and Dimitris and all the team to WFW. Their combined experience and expertise in shipping dispute litigation will play a crucial role in expanding and strengthening our maritime disputes practice in Athens, reinforcing our standing as the leading international maritime law firm in Greece across all key service lines and I look forward to working alongside them moving forward”.
Aris added: “I speak on behalf of the whole team when I say we are thrilled to be joining WFW, one of the preeminent names in maritime law worldwide. We are all looking forward to helping further develop the firm’s maritime disputes and litigation offering in Athens”.
