[sheet: Cover & Summary]
Field | Value
Document Title | Fee Estimate & Budget Memorandum — Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement
Date Prepared | 2024-09-12
Prepared By | Linda Osei (Billing Partner) / Hannah Brinkley (Lead Associate)
Approved By | Samuel Eklund (Responsible Partner)
Classification | PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL — Internal Work Product
Matter | Thalassa Shipping & Logistics SA v. Korinthian Maritime Holdings Ltd.
Matter Reference | Enforcement of LCIA Award No. 224718
Client | Thalassa Shipping & Logistics SA
Client Address | 14 Akti Miaouli, 4th Floor, Piraeus 185 35, Greece
Client Tax ID (AFM) | EL-801456729
Client Contact — General Counsel | Ioanna Christodoulou
Client Contact — CFO | Elena Stavridis
Award Date | 2024-06-28
Total Award | £96,450,000
Total Costs Awarded (85% to KMH) | £12,150,000
Grand Total (Award + Costs) | £108,600,000
USD Equivalent (at £1 = USD $1.2441) | ~USD $135,107,460
Post-Award Interest Rate | 5.25% per annum simple on £96,450,000 from 2024-06-29
Respondent | Korinthian Maritime Holdings Ltd. (HE 387421)
Respondent Address | 28 Themistokli Dervi Avenue, Suite 601, Nicosia 1066, Cyprus
Respondent Counsel | Harkness Whitford & Co. (SRA No. 614823), 12 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1JP
Enforcement Jurisdictions | England & Wales, Cyprus, Singapore, UAE
Engagement Phase | Phase 2 — Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement
C&H Fee Cap (Phase 2) | £4,200,000 (excluding disbursements and local counsel fees)
Success Fee Trigger | 2.5% of amounts recovered in excess of £80,000,000
Total Estimated C&H Fees (this budget) | £3,950,000
Total Estimated Disbursements | £425,000
Total Estimated Local Counsel Fees | See Local Counsel Fees sheet
Total Estimated Third-Party Advisor Fees | See Advisors sheet
Estimated Overall Enforcement Costs (all-in) | See Grand Total sheet
[sheet: C&H Team & Rates]
Team Member | Role | Practice Group | Hourly Rate GBP | Est. Hours — England & Wales | Est. Hours — Cyprus | Est. Hours — Singapore | Est. Hours — UAE | Est. Hours — Cross-Jurisdictional / Strategy | Total Est. Hours | Total Est. Fees GBP
Samuel Eklund | Responsible Partner | Litigation (General) | 850 | 180 | 60 | 80 | 60 | 120 | 500 | 425000
Linda Osei | Billing Partner | Litigation (General) | 825 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 40 | 120 | 99000
Hannah Brinkley | Lead Associate | Litigation (General) | 540 | 650 | 280 | 350 | 200 | 320 | 1800 | 972000
Patrick Gallagher | Working Associate | Litigation (General) | 420 | 800 | 380 | 480 | 320 | 400 | 2380 | 999600
TOTAL | 1670 | 735 | 925 | 590 | 880 | 4800 | 2495600
C&H Fee Cap (Phase 2) | 4200000
Budget Estimate | 3950000
Remaining Under Cap (Headroom) | 250000
[sheet: England & Wales Budget]
Phase / Task | Description | Court / Case Reference | Estimated Partner Hours | Estimated Associate Hours | Estimated Partner Fees GBP | Estimated Associate Fees GBP | Total Est. C&H Fees GBP | Estimated Disbursements GBP | Notes
1. Application to Enforce (s. 66 Arbitration Act 1996) | Prepare and file application notice, supporting witness statement of Nikolaos Papadimitriou, exhibits, attend hearing | CL-2024-000487, Commercial Court | 30 | 80 | 25500 | 38400 | 63900 | 5500 | Filed 2024-07-15; permission granted 2024-08-02 by Mr. Justice Ashworth
2. Worldwide Freezing Order (WFO) | Draft WFO application, skeleton argument, witness evidence re dissipation, attend ex parte hearing and return date | CL-2024-000487 | 45 | 120 | 38250 | 57600 | 95850 | 3000 | Ex parte 2024-07-16; return date 2024-07-30; WFO up to £108,600,000
3. Third-Party Debt Order (Meridian Trust Bank Ltd.) | Prepare TPDO application under CPR Part 72, witness statement of Hannah Brinkley, attend interim and final hearings | CL-2024-000487; Garnishee: Meridian Trust Bank Ltd., 50 Lombard Street, London EC3V 9EA | 20 | 65 | 17000 | 31200 | 48200 | 2000 | Interim order 2024-08-05; final order 2024-09-03; target: £18,720,000
4. Defense of KMH Set-Aside Application (ss. 68/69) | Analyze grounds, prepare skeleton argument opposing set-aside, respondent's notice, attend hearing | CL-2024-000487 | 50 | 140 | 42500 | 67200 | 109700 | 2500 | KMH application filed 2024-08-19; risk assessed at <10%; dismissed 2024-10-11
5. Costs Application (Indemnity Basis) | Prepare costs schedule and submissions following set-aside dismissal | CL-2024-000487 | 10 | 30 | 8500 | 14400 | 22900 | 500 | Seek indemnity costs against KMH
6. WFO Compliance & Variation | Monitor WFO compliance, process asset disclosure, apply for variations as needed, eventual partial discharge | CL-2024-000487 | 25 | 80 | 21250 | 38400 | 59650 | 1500 | Includes draft partial discharge application upon recoveries
7. Correspondence with Harkness Whitford & Co. | Pre-enforcement demand, set-aside response, WP settlement proposals, voluntary payment confirmation | N/A | 15 | 40 | 12750 | 19200 | 31950 | 500 | HW at 12 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1JP
8. General England & Wales Case Management | Matter administration, court compliance, disclosure obligations, correspondence with Commercial Court | CL-2024-000487 | 5 | 15 | 4250 | 7200 | 11450 | 500 | Ongoing through matter close
SUBTOTAL — England & Wales | 200 | 570 | 170000 | 273600 | 443600 | 16000
[sheet: Cyprus Budget]
Phase / Task | Description | Court / Case Reference | Estimated Partner Hours | Estimated Associate Hours | Total Est. C&H Fees GBP | Estimated Disbursements GBP | Notes
1. Application for Recognition & Enforcement (New York Convention / Cap. 4) | Prepare draft application, supporting affidavit of Elena Stavridis, certified award copies, instruct Kyprianos Makrides & Partners | Case No. 2247/2024, Nicosia District Court | 20 | 70 | 49400 | 4000 | Filed 2024-08-09 by KM&P; enforcement order granted 2024-09-30
2. Freezing Injunction (Oceangate Ventures shares & KMH Cyprus accounts) | Draft application, evidence of dissipation risk, cross-reference WFO, instruct KM&P | Case No. 2247/2024 | 15 | 55 | 35850 | 2000 | Granted 2024-08-12; targets Oceangate Ventures Ltd. (HE 401293) and KMH (HE 387421) accounts
3. Oceangate Ventures Shareholding Analysis | Analyze corporate structure: KMH → Oceangate → Dnepr Shipholding Inc. (BVI No. 2014876); coordinate with Hartwell Pemberton LLP | N/A | 10 | 45 | 27400 | 500 | Oceangate at 28 Themistokli Dervi Ave, Suite 604, Nicosia 1066
4. Response to KMH Opposition | Analyze Vassiliadis & Economou LLC opposition (Article V grounds), prepare reply points for KM&P | Case No. 2247/2024 | 15 | 50 | 33750 | 1000 | V&E at 7 Stasinou Avenue, 3rd Floor, Nicosia 1060
5. Forced Sale of Oceangate Shares & Execution | Instruct KM&P on execution mechanism, coordinate valuation, oversee proceeds remittance to Ionian National Bank SA | Case No. 2247/2024 | 10 | 40 | 25300 | 2500 | Target recovery: £22,350,000 (EUR equivalent); completed 2024-10-22 to 2024-11-08
6. Coordination with KM&P | Ongoing liaison, review of local filings, translation and legalization of documents | N/A | 5 | 30 | 16850 | 3000 | KM&P at 15 Grivas Digenis Avenue, Nicosia 1066; Andreas Kyprianos / Nadia Makrides
SUBTOTAL — Cyprus | 75 | 290 | 188550 | 13000
[sheet: Singapore Budget]
Phase / Task | Description | Court / Case Reference | Estimated Partner Hours | Estimated Associate Hours | Total Est. C&H Fees GBP | Estimated Disbursements GBP | Notes
1. Application for Leave to Enforce (International Arbitration Act, Cap. 143A) | Prepare draft originating summons, supporting affidavit of Captain Dimitrios Kouretas, instruct Straits Meridian LLP | OS No. 872/2024, Singapore High Court | 20 | 80 | 50600 | 3500 | Filed 2024-08-14 by SM; leave granted 2024-09-06
2. Garnishee Proceedings (Pinnacle Bank (Singapore) Ltd.) | Draft garnishee show-cause application, attend hearings, coordinate with SM | OS No. 872/2024; Garnishee: Pinnacle Bank (Singapore) Ltd., 6 Battery Road, #20-01, Singapore 049909 | 15 | 60 | 37950 | 2000 | Target: SGD $31,200,000 (≈ £18,450,000); garnishee order absolute 2024-10-18
3. Vessel Arrest — M/V Crimson Horizon | Prepare in rem writ of summons, beneficial ownership analysis (Korinthian Bulkers (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. → Oceangate → KMH), instruct SM on arrest | Admiralty Division; Vessel IMO 9801334, Handymax Bulk Carrier, 37,500 DWT, Liberian flag | 25 | 90 | 59150 | 8000 | Vessel at 80 Robinson Road, #14-02, Singapore 068898 (SPV address); arrested 2024-08-20
4. Vessel Valuation (Northcape Maritime Advisory) | Instruct Captain Ian Forsyth at Northcape Maritime Advisory Ltd. for independent FMV and forced sale valuation | N/A | 5 | 15 | 10550 | 25000 | Northcape at 3 Thomas More Square, London E1W 1WY; valuation fee included in disbursements
5. Judicial Sale Process | Prepare application for appraisement and sale, monitor advertising and bidding, attend sale, distribution of proceeds | Admiralty Division | 20 | 75 | 48500 | 5000 | M/V Crimson Horizon sold 2024-11-15; USD $22,800,000 (≈ £18,330,000); proceeds received 2024-12-02
6. Beneficial Ownership Analysis | C&H / Hartwell Pemberton joint analysis linking Korinthian Bulkers (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. to KMH for associated ship doctrine | N/A | 10 | 40 | 25300 | 500 | Corporate chain: Korinthian Bulkers (Sing.) → Oceangate Ventures (HE 401293) → KMH (HE 387421)
7. Coordination with Straits Meridian LLP | Ongoing liaison, review of local filings, attendance at hearings via video | N/A | 10 | 35 | 23200 | 4000 | SM at 1 Raffles Place, #44-01, Singapore 048616; David Teo Wei Lin / Priya Subramaniam
8. Proceeds Remittance | Instruct SM on distribution and transfer of all Singapore proceeds to TSL at Ionian National Bank SA | N/A | 5 | 15 | 10550 | 1500 | Wire to Ionian National Bank SA, 22 Stadiou Street, Athens 105 64
SUBTOTAL — Singapore | 110 | 410 | 265800 | 49500 | Total Singapore recovery target: £36,780,000 (garnishment £18,450,000 + vessel sale £18,330,000)
[sheet: UAE Budget]
Phase / Task | Description | Court / Case Reference | Estimated Partner Hours | Estimated Associate Hours | Total Est. C&H Fees GBP | Estimated Disbursements GBP | Notes
1. Application to Enforce (UAE Federal Law No. 6 of 2018 / New York Convention) | Prepare draft enforcement application, assemble supporting documentation package, instruct Al-Rashid Hatem & Associates | Case No. 1893/2024, Dubai Court of First Instance | 15 | 65 | 39950 | 3500 | Filed 2024-08-22 by ARH; enforcement order granted 2024-11-20
2. Precautionary Attachment (Korinthian DMCC at EGCB) | Draft precautionary attachment application over Korinthian DMCC accounts at Emirates Gulf Commercial Bank PJSC | Case No. 1893/2024; EGCB Dubai Branch at Gate Village 3, DIFC | 10 | 50 | 29500 | 2000 | Korinthian DMCC at Unit 3407, Almas Tower, JLT, Dubai; granted 2024-08-28
3. Arabic Translations & Legalization | Coordinate certified Arabic translations of LCIA award, charter-party arbitration clauses, LCIA certificate; legalization via UK FCO and UAE Embassy | N/A | 5 | 30 | 16850 | 15000 | Translation and legalization costs in disbursements
4. Execution Against Korinthian DMCC Receivables | Analyze attachable receivables owed to Korinthian DMCC by sub-charterers and trade counterparties; instruct ARH on third-party attachment | Case No. 1893/2024 | 10 | 40 | 25300 | 1500 | Estimated recoverable receivables: AED 53,400,000 (≈ £11,340,000)
5. Coordination with Al-Rashid Hatem & Associates | Ongoing liaison, review of local filings and court orders, attendance at hearings | N/A | 10 | 35 | 23200 | 3000 | ARH at Office 1802, Emirates Financial Towers (South Tower), DIFC, Dubai; Tariq Al-Rashid / Leila Hatem
6. M/V Volga Spirit Monitoring (Fujairah) | Monitor location of M/V Volga Spirit (IMO 9756892, Panamax Bulk Carrier, 76,400 DWT, Cyprus flag, owned by Dnepr Shipholding Inc.) at Fujairah anchorage; assess arrest prospects in UAE or other ports | N/A | 10 | 30 | 21100 | 2000 | Vessel last reported at Fujairah; potential additional recovery asset
SUBTOTAL — UAE | 60 | 250 | 155900 | 27000