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NICHOLAS GERASSIMOU

Nicholas (Nikos) was born in Athens, Greece. He is graduated from Varvakeios Model School and from the Athens University (Faculty of Law). He has attended postgraduate studies in the University of Southampton, England on Shipping and EU Law.

He is acting as a legal counsel in major shipowning, management, energy and insurance companies in Greece and he is an active solicitor in the every day practice before the courts. He has extensive litigation experience in all fields of marine and transportation claims (sea, road and air), commercial and corporate disputes and he is representing local and foreign clients in vessels and yachts acquisition financing, mergers and acquisitions, energy and environmental law matters.

 Nikos has also a vast experience in foreign investment programs under the existing Greek developing laws attending Private Public Partnerships and advising on local investment projects in foreign countries. 

Board Member of the Hellenic Association of Maritime Lawyers, Board Member of the Hellenic Association of Maritime Law, legal counsel of the Board of the Hellenic Maritime Environment Protection Association (Helmepa), legal counsel of the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association, member of the Piraeus Marine Club, member of the Yacht Club of Greece, member of the International Propeller Club of the United States International Port of Piraeus Greece, Former Deputy Governor of the Social Pension Fund (IKA) and regular member of the Institute of Democracy “Konstantinos Karamanlis” and the Shipping Committee of the New Democracy Party (ND).

Nikos is also member in numerous Associations, General Secretary of the Greek-Azerbaijani Chamber and member in many bilateral Chambers of Commerce, as well as in professional and scientific working committies. He has attended a great number of local and international seminars, conferences and he has published various commentaries and articles in legal periodicals.

Academic and professional qualifications

  • Varvakeios Modern School (Alumni Association Member)
  • Athens University (Faculty of Law) LL.B
  • Southampton University (Shipping / EU law) LL.M
  • Piraeus Bar Association
  • Court of Appeal, 1996
  • Supreme Court, 2002

Expertise Areas

  • Shipping
  • Aviation
  • Commercial and corporate
  • Energy / environmental law
  • Foreign investments and private public partnerships
  • Litigation and dispute resolutions
  • Privatizations

Lectures

  • “The Shipowner’s right to withdraw his vessel upon non-payment of hire in time charterparties” (IMO, Malta)
  • “Incentives for the foreign investments” (Virginia University Alumni)




Publications (indicatively)

 

  • The institutional framework of the Greek shipping – Foreign capital and foreign companies in connection with the parallel registry, 2022
  • A comparative study of the assistance and salvage of persons at sea, 1982
  • Lloyd’s Open Form 1980, 1983
  • The Hamburg Rules 1978, 1984
  • Perils of the seas, 1988
  • Lloyd’s Open Form 1990, 1991
  • The Shipowner’s right to withdraw his vessel upon non-payment of hire in the time charterparty, 1991
  • The impact of the International Safety Management Code in the legal sense of the seaworthiness of the vessel, 1994
  • The arrest of vessels owned by foreign states or by public corporations, 1994
  • The establishment of foreign industrial, commercial and shipping enterprises in Greece on an off-shore status, 1995
  • The “so-called” Maritime Courts, 1996
  • The compensation for seizure of the vessel or the provision of a guarantee to secure a non-existing claim, 2001
  • Updated comments, military disasters, effects of the War to the Persian Gulf and to the economic situation of the markets, 2003
  • Significant decisions for Perama, 2005
  • The time-bar of the claims in the carriage of goods by sea, 2013
  • The legal status of the carriage by sea of cargo and vehicles carried without the production of a Bill of Lading (based on the marine casualty of M/V Norman Atlantic), 2016
  • The great opportunity for Piraeus after Brexit, 2017
  • The USA Sanctions and their consequences to the Greek shipping as regards the oil cargo transportation in Venezuela, 2020
  • Offshore Wind Mills, 2022
  • The New Code of Private Maritime Law, 2023