The American Club claims it came to the defence of a member as it would any other in litigation over Gourdomichalis brothers-linked bulker seized on the Columbia River.
The comments came after the New York protection and indemnity mutual was accused in court papers filed in Brooklyn federal court last week of bolstering the defence of the club's chairman, George Gourdomichalis, by fighting against subpoenas for documents in the case.
The allegations had emerged in litigation launched by Denmark's Pacific Gulf Shipping against companies linked to the Greek shipowner and his brother, Stathis, including Phoenix Shipping & Trading and Blue Wall Shipping.
"The club is simply supporting a member in good standing as it would any member, regardless of whether that member was represented on the board, under the terms of the member's insurance coverage," American Club chief executive Joseph Hughes wrote in a letter to TradeWinds.
"The American Club's position in these proceedings has been motivated by the desire to support its member and, in doing so, defeat vexatious applications in both Oregon and New York to broaden discovery to no proper or useful purpose."
The American Club insures the 52,500-dwt Vigorous (built 2005). The ship was seized in early December after Pacific Gulf sued to collect on a $22.6m arbitration award won after the now-scrapped 73,500-dwt bulker Adamastos (built 1995) was abandoned in Brazil in 2015.
The Adamastos was also insured by the American Club.
Pacific Gulf has sought documents related to those insurance arrangements in an attempt to back its claim that several Gourdomichalis brothers' companies are alter egos of each other. But the American Club has fought the subpoenas, claiming they are overbroad and irrelevant, and that they contain confidential information.
The insurer has argued the Danish shipowner was not authorised to issue the subpoena in the first place.
On Wednesday, a judge sided with the American Club's that claim, and Pacific Gulf has since filed a motion to get authorisation.
