Pav Samothrakis

Partner

Pav joined BDM in 2020 having spent 13 years at an international law firm and after being based in the Middle East region for over a decade.

Pav has many years’ experience advising offshore contractors and service providers, shipowners, charterers, cargo interests and insurers in the offshore energy, shipping and international trade sectors in both disputes and transactional matters, in addition to marine casualties and investigation.

Pav has particular expertise in energy and offshore matters and negotiates and advises on all the main forms of industry contracts including under the BIMCO, LOGIC and FIDIC suite of contracts, as well as assisting clients with bespoke contractual arrangements and solutions. Pav advises on EPC and EPCI contracts, pre-bid agreements, framework agreements, joint ventures, cost sharing agreements, as well as shipbuilding contracts, charterparties, contracts of affreightment, sale of goods contracts and vessel sale and purchase agreements. Pav also advises on contracts for the shipment, handling and transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas including FSRU related agreements, LNG term sheets and master sales agreements, and agreements relating to gas up cool down and heel operations.

On the contentious side, Pav has handled a number of complex and high value disputes under the various contract forms in the shipping and offshore industries, involving issues relating to termination, delays, variation orders, prolongation costs, hire adjustments clauses, non-payment of hire, off-hire and issues relating to force majeure. Pav has handled arbitrations under various arbitration rules including LMAA, ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, UNCITRAL and ADDCAC.

Clients value Pav’s approachable and straightforward manner, as well as his responsive and commercial approach to contractual issues and disputes.

Recent cases include:

  • Advising on the landmark SEE MONSTER project, which saw a decommissioned North Sea gas platform transformed into one of the UK’s largest art installations in Weston-Super-Mare.
  • Advising Owners in a high value offshore dispute under UNCITRAL arbitration rules in relation to termination of a marine services contract involving three offshore vessels for a significant project in the Caspian region.
  • Handling several related LMAA arbitrations, with claim amounts of around US$12m, relating to the termination of BIMCO Supplytime charterparties, entered into for the deployment of vessels to offshore projects in West Africa.
  • Representing shipowners in arbitration proceedings in relation to termination of a series of high value shipbuilding contracts for offshore support vessels, with claim amounts of approximately $130m.
  • Advising Dubai based charterers in relation to the drafting and negotiation of a 10 year LNG storage and regasification agreement and ancillary contracts, with a value of approximately US$450m.

Pav has been recognised as a “Next Generation Lawyer” in the Legal 500.

+44 203 968 0500
+44 7887 710 950