North P&I Club Strengthens its Greek Office Claims Team

The 170 million GT, ‘A’ rated North P&I Club has significantly strengthened its Mediterranean-based claims team with the transfer of Dev Lajmi (53), one its most experienced senior claims executives, from the UK head office to its regional office in Piraeus.

North’s local director Tony Allen says, ‘Dev’s wide-ranging skills and experience will be a great asset to our Greek Members as well as other Members based in southern Europe, helping to ensure they receive the highest levels of support and advice locally.’   Lajmi was pivotal in the recent high-profile removal of the MV Smart wreck in South Africa. He worked closely with Members Unimar / NGM who have engaged fully with local authorities, contractors and other stakeholders over the past two years to ensure the 151,279 DWT grounded coal carrier was safely lightened, refloated and scuttled.

Lajmi is a master mariner with 22 years sea-going experience, including commanding vessels trading in Europe and the Mediterranean since 2002. While ashore in the UK, he also gained a teaching degree, lectured in nautical science for 10 years at South Tyneside College and served as an external examiner for the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Lajmi joined the claims department at North’s head office in 2006. Since then he has dealt with admiralty, cargo and pollution claims in the Middle East, Cyprus, The Netherlands, the UK and Greece. He also regularly provides Members with loss prevention support and advice on all claims-related issues.

North’s 15-year-old Hellenic office now has 12 full-time staff, including a director, deputy director, three senior claims executives, two freight demurrage and defence lawyers and five administrative staff. Greek owners and operators currently account for 22% of North’s entered tonnage.

ENDS  

For further information contact: Tony Allen +30 210 4283038

Note to Editors

North is a leading global marine insurer providing P&I, FD&D, war risks and ancillary insurance to 127 million GT of owned tonnage on a mutual basis and 43 million GT of chartered tonnage. Through its guaranteed subsidiary Sunderland Marine, North is also a leading insurer of fishing vessels, small craft and aquaculture risks. The Club is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK with regional offices in Greece, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore and Sunderland Marine offices worldwide. North is a leading member of the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG), with 11.6% of the IG’s owned tonnage. The 13 IG clubs provide liability cover for approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage and, as a member of the IG, North protects and promotes the interests of the international shipping industry.