North of England P&I Club Announces New Appointments

The 39 million GT North of England P&I club is boosting its successful Greek office with two new appointments. Tony Allen and Helen Yiacoumis, both maritime lawyers with previous experience of working in Piraeus, are joining the office set up two years ago by Mike Salthouse and John Owen to serve the club’s substantial Greek membership. Allen and his Greek-speaking wife, Gordana, returned to Greece this month after four years in England. He formerly worked in Piraeus on P&I and FD&D matters with international maritime law firm Norton Rose before moving to the North of England’s head office in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1998, becoming involved with a wide range of P&I issues including container operations, cargo claims and oil pollution matters. He originally trained in the insurance and marine law litigation department of London law firm Simmons and Simmons. Yiacoumis, a fluent Greek speaker with Cypriot parents, joined the club this month from a U.K. commercial law firm Hammond Suddards Edge. She originally trained and worked for four years in the dry shipping litigation department of international maritime law firm Holman, Fenwic & Willan, including a spell in the firm’s Piraeus office. She plans to start work in the North of England’s Greek office at the beginning of next year following familiarization with the club’s head office procedures and systems.