George J. Tsimis

Director/ Board Member at GJT Marine Consultants LLC /Society of Maritime Arbitrators, Inc.

George Tsimis graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Tufts University in 1988 and subsequently earned a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1992 where he received the Moore-McCormack Award for excellence in admiralty law. From 1992 until 2002, George practiced all aspects of maritime law in the New York area, primarily as an associate at Chalos & Brown, P.C. Most notably, George was part of the legal defense team for Capt. Joseph Hazelwood in connection with the EXXON VALDEZ oil spill litigation before the Alaska State and Federal Courts.

Between 2002 and 2018, George held several senior management positions at Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. (“SCB”), the Manager of the American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. (“the American Club”), as Manager of the Freight Demurrage & Defense Department (2002-2007); Managing Director of Shipowners Claims Bureau (Hellas) Inc. (2005 – 2008), Global Claims Director (2007 – 2018); and General Counsel (2007 – 2018). During this tenure, he managed SCB’s global claims team totaling 40 people in New York, Houston, London, Piraeus and Shanghai; he oversaw and settled all categories of P&I claims worldwide with aggregate exposures in excess of $1 billion; he established SCB’s claims liaison office in Piraeus, Greece and lived there for three years managing that office and acting as market liaison; and he sat on various subcommittees of the International Group of P&I Clubs on maritime claims, sanctions, piracy and maritime security. As General Counsel, George was responsible for and managed the Club’s domestic and international legal matters including coverage disputes, OFAC and international sanctions regulations (compliance and policy), vessel arrest and debt collection, toxic tort claims, and contract review, as well as the Club’s compliance with international conventions regarding marine pollution, salvage, wreck removal, and maritime labor.

In July 2018, George founded GJT Marine Consultants LLC to provide maritime related risk management, claims consultancy, arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution services for vessel owners, charterers, insurance companies and other entities and organizations worldwide. He is also an economic sanctions specialist and assists domestic and international companies in the shipping, insurance, and construction industries with the creation, development, and implementation of sanctions compliance policies.

George is a member of the Board of Governors of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators, Inc. (SMA) in New York, where he chairs the SMA’s Offshore Wind Committee and is co-editor of the SMA’s quarterly publication, The Arbitrator. He is also a member of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), a member of the Houston Maritime Arbitrators’ Association (HMAA), a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), and a member of the China Maritime Arbitration Commission. George is a member of the New York and Connecticut State Bars, as well the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second and the Ninth Circuits. Additionally, he is a Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists, and the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce.