Phoenix Shipping & Trading

Pacific Gulf Shipping is accusing Protection and Indemnity Club for purportedly attempting to hold back documents in a court case involving George Gourdomichalis. Pacific Gulf Shipping is accusing the American Club of rounding up Chairman George Gourdomichalis and keep Pacific Gulf Shipping from securing a $22 million arbitration award that was obtained in a ship abandonment case.

American Club is accused of assisting Chairman George Gourdomichalis in a lawsuit On January 2019. Pacific Gulf Shipping claimed the American Club was leading an effective role in its legal action toward American Club Chairman George Gourdomichalis. At the end of 2018, George Gourdomichalis led Phoenix Shipping & Trading’s 2005 built supramax dry bulk carrier 52K DWT MV Vigorous was arrested in Oregon Port in an attempt to convince George Gourdomichalis to repay.

The legal battle originates from the 2015 abandonment of 1995 built 73K DWT bulk carrier MV Adamastos off the coast of Brazil. In December 2018, Pacific Gulf Shipping prosecuted a slew of companies connected to George Gourdomichalis and his brother Stathis Gourdomichalis. In Portland federal court, Pacific Gulf Shipping won the attachment of MV Vigorous. Legal case’s targets included Greek George Gourdomichalis’ Phoenix Shipping & Trading and Blue Wall Shipping. Just before 2019, the American Club moved in Brooklyn to revoke a warrant requiring documents related to insurance for the MV Vigorous and MV Adamastos in the Portland suit, debating the request was overbroad and the documents include confidential information. In January 2019, Brooklyn judge approved the motion to revoke.

Pacific Gulf Shipping ultimately won the arbitration award against Adamastos Shipping & Trading in London. Pacific Gulf Shipping argues that the company is controlled by the George Gourdomichalis brothers and Pacific Gulf Shipping can seize MV Vigorous to make them pay. Lawyers of Adamastos Shipping & Trading have disputed in Portland that Pacific Gulf Shipping merely represented a typical shipping business, rather than the alter ego of either Phoenix Shipping & Trading and Blue Wall Shipping. Lawyers of Adamastos Shipping & Trading challenged that should not be adequate to seize the ship. Judge allowed more time for Pacific Gulf Shipping to justify its claims.