John is the founding partner of Libra Law Greece. He is a highly experienced shipping and commercial lawyer with significant exposure to both litigation and shipping related transactions.

John has worked for over twenty-five years as a solicitor and Greek lawyer for leading international law firms in London and Piraeus, such as Holman Fenwick & Willan, Clyde & Co, Theo V. Sioufas & Co and then at Norton Rose Fulbright (for 17 years), as a partner and Head of the Norton Rose Fulbright Greece litigation team. He has significant experience in ship casualties, cargo claims and charterparty disputes, sale and purchase, shipbuilding, bill of lading and marine and non-marine insurance contracts and has handled hundreds of shipping and trading disputes in London arbitration, the English High Court and the Court of Appeal. He has led negotiations and advised on numerous non-contentious ship sale and purchase, shipbuilding and shipping finance transactions and has substantial exposure in general commercial litigation before the ICC and LCIA. John has also good working knowledge and experience of Greek shipping law and the Piraeus Courts both as a lawyer and as an expert on English law.

His reputation, in-depth knowledge of the shipping market and competitive pricing makes him his clients’ first port of call to advise on complex legal issues and everyday case handling.

Reported Case Law

The Lady M – successfully represented Freeport Holdings Ltd (and Atlas Maritime Limited), Owners of the vessel, the “LADY M” in Glencore Energy UL Ltd & Anr v Freeport Holdings Ltd (The Lady M) [2019] EWCA Civ 388 in the Court of Appeal (CoA).

Who feels the burn? | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright

Accreditations

John is recognized as a Leading Individual for Shipping Litigation in Greece by the Legal 500, previously quoted as being a “hardworking lawyer with bags of potential” who has “considerable experience of areas such as charterparty and commodity disputes as well as ship sale and purchase and shipbuilding litigation”.

John is also ranked in Band 2 by Chambers Europe where he is described as “an esteemed lawyer who acts for ship owners and P&I clubs on demurrage claims, MOA disputes and charter party breaches.” One client quoted “he has huge knowledge on shipping law and guided us in a very nice way”.

John has also been recently recognized as one of the 10 most influential shipping lawyers in Greece for 2023 by “Business Today”.