E.G. Arghyrakis & Co. is a niche Shipping Practice set up in January 2003 by George Arghyrakis, formerly a partner at Richards Butler. A year and a half later, William L. W. Cawley, a partner in the Shipping Department of Stephenson Harwood, has joined the firm as a Partner.

William Cawley had been at Sinclair Roche & Temperley for 15 years (partner since 1996) and was head of that firm's Korean and German Groups. In 1993 - 1994 he was seconded to Lee & Ko., a leading commercial and shipping law firm in Seoul, Korea. He was then appointed head of SRT's recently established Shanghai office, returning to SRT London a year later. With a practice comprising of predominantly Korean, German and Norwegian Owners and Operators, Traders and Insurance Companies he consolidated and expanded SRT's geographic client base as well as successfully promoting SRT's world-wide offices within those markets by hosting annual seminars. These responsibilities continued at Stephenson Harwood, following the merger of SRT with that firm in 2002.

A writer of articles in a number of Trade publications, William Cawley has also lectured and spoken extensively at various world-wide industry seminars and universities.

“I was becoming more and more disillusioned with the ever increasing demand to feed chargeable hours into the insatiable maw of the Leviathan” said William Cawley, whilst deriving little personal or professional satisfaction. “A small and flexible firm, with superior resources and a realistic and decisive outlook is the answer.”

Apart from Shipping, Insurance and Trade & Commodities work, William Cawley has also developed a reputation in IT matters including electronic bills of lading and project management issues related to Shipping, having recently acted for a major London P&I Club in a dispute with a listed systems development house (which was settled favourably). As he has said, however, “Although I do venture into other disciplines, there's always a shadow of a ship, somewhere.”

The two partners are no strangers, having met in 1989 and staged a number of sailing holidays and other joint marketing activities since then, even when they were at different firms. George Arghyrakis recalls one occasion when they found themselves on opposite sides of the same case: “It was very weird, psychologically” he said. “Luckily the case handler whose file William was baby-sitting returned after two weeks.”

William Cawley speaks passable French, as well as very little Norwegian and Korean. Although his wife is Norwegian, he remains fond of Korean cuisine.

The firm has recently employed solicitor Rupert Talbot-Garman who joined from Constant & Constant in May. The firm also employs two paralegals.

For further information please contact:
George Arghyrakis: ega@egalegal.com
William Cawley: wlc@egalegal.com

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