Organizing Committee
Members of the Organizing Committee
Lia Athanassiou is Professor of Commercial Law with senior full-time tenure at the Law School of the University of Athens, teaching mainly Shipping Law, Competition Law, Company Law as well as EU State Aids Law. She is also the Director of the Post Graduate Program on Business Law with a specialization in Maritime Law at the above University.
Professor Athanassiou holds a PhD Degree at the University of Paris I-Panthéon-Sorbonne as well as authorization by the University of Paris I-Sorbonne to supervise University research. She was Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School (2007-08) and Fulbright Scholar (2007-08). She has lectured and effectuated academic research in several foreign Institutions (USA, Malta, UK, Italy, France, Germany).
She is Barrister at law entitled to plead before the Supreme Court with experience in consulting and arbitration and member of member of the Central Mediation Committee.
She has been external legal advisor at the European Commission in matters concerning competition and liberalization in the transport sector, a member of the Hellenic Competition Commission and advisor of Independent Authorities. She is also an appointed member of the Committee of Experts of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Professor Athanasiou also served as President of the Legislative Committee which reformed the Greek Code of Private Maritime Law (Law 5020/2023) and as Member of many legislative committees in several fields of commercial law (corporate law, consumer protection, competition, maritime law, energy law).
She already has extended authorial activity (monographs, publications, participations in collective publications and numerous studies) on issues of European, Maritime, Commercial, Competition and Transport law in general, in English, French and Greek language. Among the more recent books and monographs, “Treatise on Maritime Law” (2nd ed., 2025, in Greek), “Maritime Cross-border Insolvency” (Informa 2018) and “Competition and Regulation in Shipping and Shipping Related Industries” (Martinus Nijhoff, 2009). She also serves as Director of two publication series for Maritime Law, in Greek.
She has made numerous interventions in international and Greek conferences in the same field.
Victoria Athanassopoulou obtained her Law Degree at the Faculty of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and her Ph.D in Commercial and Maritime Law at the University of Hamburg. In her Thesis “Schiffsunternehmen und Schiffsüberlassungsverträge” (Mohr Siebeck Verlag, Tübingen, 2005, 284 pages, Max-Planck Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht, Studien zum ausländischen und internationalen Privatrecht, 151) she introduces a fundamental new approach to the concept of the ship as an enterprise.
She is Associate Professor at the Aegean University, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport and she teaches Maritime Law, Chartering, Marine Insurance Law, Law of the Marine Environment and Sea
Labor Law at an undergraduate as well as at a postgraduate level. She has attended several international conferences and she has published widely in the area of maritime and commercial law. She has also published “The Utmost Good Faith in Marine Insurance Law – A Comparative Analysis of the Greek and the English Law” (in Greek), (Athens 2010, 300 pp.).
She is also a qualified lawyer admitted to the Piraeus Bar. Her experience includes both the commercial and the litigation aspects of her practice areas involving among others also vessel arrest proceedings and all kinds of charter agreement. She has extensive experience in all aspects of P & I and Hull Insurance. She writes and speaks fluently English, German and French.
Tryfon Alykatoras is Supreme Court lawyer. He was born in Athens in 1979. He graduated from the American College of Greece in Agia Paraskevi (Pierce College) with the grade “Excellent”. He graduated from Athens Law School in 2002. In the same year he obtained a scholarship from the Commercial Bank of Greece for acquiring outstanding grades during the previous academic year. He enrolled in the Law School of Humboldt Universität in Berlin to attend a master’s degree in Criminal Law. In 2004 he was awarded the master’s degree Legum Magister (LL.M.) of Humboldt Universität in Berlin with the grade “Excellent”.
Since 2005 he is a member of the Piraeus Bar Association as a practicing lawyer, with a specialization in Maritime Labour Law, Maritime Law, Commercial Law and Civil Law. He is a member of the international network of lawyers for the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). He also collaborates with the international legal research center for seafarers’ rights SRI (Seafarers’ Rights International), based in London.
In the context of his research work he has participated in legal projects related to the rights of seafarers on a national and international level. He has written and published various legal researches on Maritime Law in legal journals and publications (Naftiki Dikeosini, Piraeki Nomologia etc.). He is fluent in English and German.
Michael Antapassis is an experienced Counsel with a demonstrated history of working in the shipping industry. He is skilled in Shipping Law, Shipping Finance, Corporate Law and International Trade Law. He is extensively involved in contract drafting and negotiation, SnP, shipbuilding, charterparties, bills of lading etc. and also has extensive experience in shipping and commercial litigation.
He has obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) focused in Maritime Law from University of Southampton.
Vassilis Vernicos is a practicing maritime lawyer since 1987, member of Piraeus Bar Association and partner with KALOGEROGIANNIS & VERNICOS LAW.
After having experienced working at a London based maritime law firm for few years, he has been a marine litigation lawyer acting for shipowners, P&I Clubs, charterers, hull and cargo underwriters, salvors and others who provide services to shipping industry, as well as for foreign professional clients, in connection with any shipping related matter and dispute. Ηe is currently the administrator of the limitation funds set up in relation to the oil pollution caused by AGIA ZONI II in 2017, and the collision between MAERSK LAUNCESTON and the warship KALLISTO in 2020.
As member of the Law Drafting Committee, he is among the draftsmen of the new Greek Maritime Law Code. He is a member of the Board of the Greek Maritime Law Association and a regular participant in the Greek delegation in CMI conferences and events for the last 25 years. A Titulary Member of the CMI since 2022, he participates in the Law Drafting Committee set up in relation to the implementation of the Beijing International Convention on recognition of foreign judicial sales of ships, and in the International Working Group set up by CMI in connection with the amendment of the 1910 International Convention on collision of vessels. He has attended and has been a speaker in various maritime law conferences and seminars worldwide.
Nikolaos Gerassimou is a graduate of Varvakeion School, lawyer at the Supreme Court of Greece (Areios Pagos), and member of the Piraeus Bar Association. He holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton, England.
He is the Vice President of the Hellenic Maritime Law Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Association of Maritime Lawyers. He has participated in the Legislative Drafting Committee for the reform of the Private Maritime Law Code (Law 5020/2023), as well as in the Maritime Working Group of the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy. He is also a member of the International Working Group on Autonomous Ships of the Comité Maritime International (CMI), in which he frequently participates in conferences.
He is the legal advisor to the Board of Directors of HELMEPA and to the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association, and is also a board member and legal advisor to numerous International Bilateral Chambers of Commerce. His practice focuses on general maritime, corporate, and insurance law, including S&Ps and financing transactions, representing both shipping and insurance companies.
He has authored over 50 studies on issues of maritime and energy law and has participated in numerous Greek and international conferences as a coordinator or speaker. Among his recent publications are the following: “The legal regime governing the international maritime transport of cargo and accompanied vehicles without the issuance of a bill of lading” (in reference to the maritime accident of the M/V Norman Atlantic), “The time bar of cargo claims in the carriage by sea”, “The great opportunity for Piraeus after Brexit”, “Offshore Wind Farms”, and “The legal status of autonomous and unmanned ships.” He has also published a book titled “The institutional framework of Greek shipping in relation to the ‘parallel’ registry.”
Dr. Loukas Zygouros is a specialized Maritime Lawyer, entitled to plead before the Supreme Court. He is a member of Athens Bar Association. He obtained his LL.B. and his PhD in the field of Maritime Law from Athens Law School and his LL.M. in Maritime Law from Cardiff University, U.K.
He has been a visiting Lecturer of Salvage Law in the LL.M. program of Athens Law School since 2017. He has been also a visiting Lecturer of Maritime Law in Athens University of Economics and Business (MSc in International Shipping, Finance and Management) since 2017 and an Adjunct Professor of Maritime Law at Democritus University of Thrace in 2025 (Spring Semester, Undergraduate level).
The main fields of his legal practice include Litigation and Legal Consultation both to individuals and legal entities in the fields of Civil, Commercial and Maritime Law. His research interests include Admiralty Law, Carriage of Goods by Sea and Charterparties, Law of Salvage and Oil Pollution, Marine Insurance and Corporate Law.
Besides his dissertation thesis, he has published five articles in maritime law, five monographs in the field of Maritime Law (one of them in English) and one monograph in the field of Company Law. He has also been a speaker in international scientific seminars and conferences both in Greece and abroad.
George Theocharidis is a Professor of Maritime Law & Policy at World Maritime University.
Member of the Piraeus Law Bar and a qualified advocate before Areios Pagos (Supreme Court) with extensive shipping litigation practice.
Member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Roster of Experts and Member of the Working Group of its Legal Committee pertaining to “Measures to Prevent Unlawful Practices Associated with Fraudulent Registration and Fraudulent Registries of Ships”.
Special counsel to the Union of Greek Shipowners and Ordinary Member of the Law Commission that recently revised the Code of Private Maritime Law (KIND) of Greece.
Joint Rapporteur of the International Working Group of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) on “Liability for the Wrongful Arrest of Ships”.
Supporting Member of the London Maritime Association of Arbitrators (LMAA) and Member of the Hellenic Maritime Law Association.
Author of many books and articles in various fields of law, editorial board member of law journals and invited speaker in many international legal conferences.
Holder of an LL.M. degree from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a Ph.D. from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece).
George Iatridis-Ramantanis is a partner at LCI Law Firm, with a 30 years’ experience in advising Greek and international ship-owning groups, P&I clubs, banks and insurers and reinsurers.
He is especially well known for his expertise advising on cargo and charterparty claims, insurance and reinsurance disputes, litigation arising from accidents at sea, enforcements and foreclosures, and marine pollution and casualty cases. George Iatridis also has considerable experience advising on disputes arising from ship sale and purchase agreements and shipbuilding contracts, as well as in employment, aviation, administrative, commercial and civil litigation matters.
He is recognised by legal directory Legal 500 EMEA as one of Greece’s leading maritime litigators.
Michaela Petychaki is a Greek lawyer, qualified before the Court of Appeal, specializing in Maritime and Commercial Law. She graduated from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (LL.B.), and went on to obtain a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Commercial Law, specializing in Maritime Law, from the same institution.
Since 2018, she has been working with the Greek law firm “Papapetros Papangelis Tatagia and Partners (PPT Legal),” focusing primarily on maritime and commercial litigation, dispute resolution, and providing legal advice on related matters.
Dr. Manolis Konstantinidis is the manager of the Legal Department of Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited, which currently manages 80 vessels. He mainly deals with charterparty disputes, which are in principle arbitrated at LMAA and/ or before local courts all over the world, and cargo claims. He has also dealt with S&P disputes, shipbuilding contracts and corporate financing matters/ disputes.
He obtained his LLB and his PhD from the Law School of the University of Thrace and an LL.M in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton. His interest include carriage of goods by sea, charterparties, bills of lading, general admiratly law, limitation of liability, collisions and general average.
He is attorney-at-law, member of the Piraeus Bar Association, and a supporting member of the LMAA. He is also lecruring on certain aspects of Maritime Law (law of chartperties and collisions) as a guest speaker at the Maritime Law Master Degree in Athens Law School and he is the co-instructor, as external speaker, of Maritime Law at the Msc in International Shipping, Finance and Management in the Athens University of Economics and Business. He has participated in numerous international and national conferences pertaining to Maritime Law.
He has written prolifically in his areas of expertise, including his latest contribution in Maritime Law, L. Athanassiou (2025, in Greek).
Nikolaos Th. Konstantinidis, was born in Piraeus. He graduated from the Law School of Athens University. Ηe acquired a postgraduate diploma in private law «Dea de droit privé» and prepared a Doctorat at the University of Poitiers, in France, 1994, with degree «cum laude» – «très honorable» : « L’ intervention du secteur public dans les entreprises privées en difficulté», published by A. Sakkoulas – Bruylant 1996, with introduction of Prof. Thanassis Liakopoulos.
Dr. Konstantinidis is an attorney at law admitted to practice before the Supreme Court and a member of the Piraeus Bar Association. He has also been a lawyer in the Piraeus Port Authority since 1987 (since 2016, he is Deputy Manager of the Legal Department). In 2003, he represented the Piraeus Bar Association in the «Green Law» Seminar organized by the Madariaga European Foundation in Brussels, presenting the report (in French and English language): « The protection of the marine environment against maritime casualties in European and International Law ». In 2015 he was a speaker in the Conference, organized by the Hellenic Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court, which took place in the Court of Appeal in Athens, in honor of the French delegation « Institute of Higher Security and Justice Studies » (INHESJ), presenting the report in French language: «The impact of economic crisis in the Justice in Greece».
He has generally participated, as a speaker, in a great number of international Conferences of maritime law, organized by the Piraeus Bar Association. He has also published several articles on commercial, maritime and public law in law reviews.
Nikos Mathiopoulos is a litigator with extensive experience in shipping, insurance, commercial and civil law litigation and dispute resolution. He represents shipping companies, banks, international financial institutions and investment managers, P&I Clubs, insurers, bunkers’ suppliers and oil traders, charterers, shipping brokers and classification societies in litigation before Greek Courts. His main area of expertise is on ship arrest and freezing of assets, bunker claims, charterparty and bill of
lading disputes, marine accidents, casualties, crew and personal injury claims, pollution disputes and ship finance enforcement and recovery.
He also advises shipmanagement and chartering companies in connection with the establishment of Greek branches and offices under Law 27/75. Furthermore, he advises underwriters in relation to shipping and professional liability insurance policies.
George Economou is an English Barrister and an advocate of the Supreme Court of Greece. Up until 2005 he was also an advocate of Cyprus. He is fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Chartered Arbitrator. He has extensive experience in all kinds of maritime disputes and funding as well as in practicing Arbitration in a variety of places, mainly in England (maritime disputes) and in Greece (contractor disputes).
He is a contributor for international magazines in subjects concerning the area of law appliance, international investments and funding. He is a contributor for Greek and Cypriot newspapers and for local and international magazines in subjects regarding Politics and Geostrategy. He is a regular speaker in international conferences.
He serves as President of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) – Athens Chapter. He serves as President of the Civil non-profit association “CENTER FOR NEW SILK ROAD STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC STUDIES”. He serves as Vice-President of the Civil non-profit association “GREEK GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION “STRABO”.
Ioannis (Yiannis) Sarantitis is a Partner of Sarantitis Law Firm, and a member of the Piraeus Bar Association. He is a graduate of the Athens University Law School, and holds an LLB degree from Buckingham University/UK.
Since 2003, through his company W Marine, a fully integrated shipping operator of bulk carriers, he has been active in the shipping industry. In the past, he has also been an investor in the Telecommunications sector. Since 2009 he is also the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Norway in Piraeus.
George Scorinis is a lawyer before the Supreme Court and a member of the Piraeus Bar Association since 2001. He obtained his law degree from the Law School of the Athens University (1998) and then an LL.M. in International Business Law from University College London of the University of London (1999).
After receiving work experience at a law firm and a P&I Club in London, he began practicing at Scorinis Law Offices in Piraeus, a firm of which he is now the managing partner. He specialises in Maritime Law, Civil and Commercial Litigation and Arbitration in maritime and commercial disputes, Corporate and Contract Law and Ship Sale and Purchase.
He is a Member of the Board and Deputy Secretary General of the Hellenic Maritime Law Association and a Member of the Board and Treasurer of the Hellenic Association of Maritime Lawyers. George is also a member of the Editorial Committee of “Piraeus Jurisprudence”, the law journal published by the Piraeus Bar Association, an Arbitrator listed in the panel of Arbitrators of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and often participates in the conferences of the Comite Maritime International. He has been recommended by the international legal guides Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.
Lily Politsopoulou-Timageni is a Partner of Timagenis Law Firm of Piraeus, Greece. Her practice includes corporate and shipping finance and she acts for shipowners and banks in respect of facility agreements and security documents, transfer of loans and security documents. Her practice also includes matters relating to: shipbuilding contracts, charterparties (including in particular negotiations of long term timecharters and bareboat charters), agreements relating to sale and purchase of second hand or newbuilding ships, demolition of ships, joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements, corporate structure of shipping groups, establishment of Greek and foreign companies, establishment of office in Greece of foreign companies, advice on shipping related tax issues, sale and purchase of real estate and transfer of shipping property.
Lily Timageni has obtained the LL.B. from the University of Athens Law School, an LL.M in European Law and an LL.M in company law both from University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and she was trained with a Paris based law office and the Bar Association in Paris. She was a lecturer at the Economic University of Athens in European law (1980-1990). Lily Timageni has obtained a Certificate in Maritime and Export Law, City of London Polytechnic and attended an intensive Seminar in International Financial Law at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford and a training program on European Community law organised by Harvard Law School, as well as various conferences and colloquia of Comité Maritime International in Singapore 2001, Bordeaux 2003, Vancouver 2004, Cape Town 2006, Athens 2008, Hamburg 2014, Genoa 2017.
Dr. Polychronis P. Tsiridis is, exclusively, practising criminal law, being registered – since 1976 – with the Piraeus Bar Association. In 1995 he received the award of Doctor Iuris (with Distinction) from the Law School of the University of Athens for successfully defending his thesis on ‘Bankruptcy Crimes’ and Visiting Professor at European University of Cyprus. He lectures in Criminal Law and Procedure at the Piraeus Bar Association Trainee Lawyers’ Seminars, as well as at the Athens Bar Association Young Lawyers Seminars.
He has served as a Vice – President of the Hellenic Criminal Bar Association and is currently a Board Member of said. He has also participated in several congresses both in Greece and abroad. Moreover, he has represented the Ministry of Justice in an international level and he is active as a member of legislative Committees set for the drafting of criminal law legislation. Furthermore, he serves as a permanent member of the Central Legislative Committee of the Ministry of Justice. He is the author of numerous articles and of seven books, namely:
- “Bankruptcy Crimes”, Athens 1995
- “Criminal Juristiction over crimes committed on board vessels”, Athens 1998
- “Criminal Legal Studies”, Athens 2001
- “International Conventions”, Athens 2004 (as a co-editor along with Ilias Anagnostopoulos and Nicolaos Livos)
- “The new Legislation for the speeding-up of the Criminal Trial”, Athens 2005
- “The New Money laundering legislation”, Athens 2009
- “Criminal Risks for the Legal profession”, Athens 2019.
Dr. Dimitrios Ph. Christodoulou is Associate Professor of Commercial Law at the Law School of the University of Athens and partner with PH. CHRISTODOULOU & PARTNERS LAW FIRM.
He is a member of the Piraeus Bar Association (1995), qualified to appear before the Supreme Court. He regularly advises on insurance law, marine insurance, maritime law, international trade law and company law and related arbitration. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Maritime Law Association and a member of the CMI Standing Committee on Implementation and Promoting Ratification of Maritime Conventions.
His publications include monographs, chapters in collective books and articles on maritime and insurance law, company law and financial law.
He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of Southampton, Faculty of Law, a LL.M. degree from New York University School of Law, New York, NY, U.S.A. and a LL.M. degree from Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A..
