Stella is a dual-qualified lawyer who specialises in international dispute resolution, with particular reference to dry shipping and commercial disputes that contain a cross-border element. She is particularly experienced in dealing with claims over unpaid hire, underperformance such as speed and consumption claims, stevedore damage, the quality of supplied bunkers and in disputes arising under bills of lading. She has experience in conducting arbitrations under the LMAA, ICC and LCIA rules and regularly assists in matters before the English High Court.
Stella is a native Greek speaker and is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Expertise
- Shipping and maritime
- Marine insurance
- Charter party disputes including NYPE, SHELLTIME and GENCON
- International arbitration
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Experience
- Acted for a Turkish shipyard in a complex multimillion-dollar dispute with a company serving offshore industries, in an LCIA arbitration, over the building of a special-purpose barge.
- Assisted in the negotiation of a multimillion-dollar settlement between numerous claimants and a Ukrainian state entity with multiple vessels detained in India.
- Assisted in several multimillion-dollar offshore oil and gas-related disputes and arbitrations on behalf of a Mexican company.
- Acted for the shipowners in a dispute with cargo receivers and charterers, over a claim of cargo contamination, in separate LMAA arbitrations and injunction proceedings to obtain security for the claims in Croatia.
- Acted for the shipowners to secure a multimillion-dollar claim against charterers for unpaid hire and bunkers, by intercepting freight down the charter party chain.
- Assisted charterers with securing, via ship arrest, and successfully settling a substantial claim for overpaid hire and hold cleaning expenses with the shipowners.
- Acted for numerous shipowners and charterers in charter party disputes over unpaid hire, underperformance (speed and consumption claims), stevedore damage, the quality of bunkers supplied and others.
- Assisted in the sale and purchase negotiations of a super yacht between the head of a state and a Turkish millionaire, through to the successful conclusion of the transaction.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in The Legal 500 2020 for Shipping
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
Member of the Piraeus Bar Association
Member of the Law Society of England and Wales
Career
Stella qualified as a solicitor in 1992. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2018, she worked at the following firms:
- Thomas Cooper
- Dimitrios Peppas and Partners