Paragon Shipping Inc. Announces Filing of IPO Registration Statement by Its Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Box Ships Inc.

ATHENS, GREECE--(Marketwire - April 4, 2011) - Paragon Shipping Inc. (NYSE: PRGN), or the Company, a global shipping transportation company specializing in drybulk cargoes and containers, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Box Ships Inc. ("Box Ships"), has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for an initial public offering (the "Offering") of 10,000,000 shares of common stock of Box Ships. Immediately following the closing of the offering, the Company will own approximately 22.7% of the issued and outstanding shares of Box Ships' common stock, assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their overallotment option.

The joint book-running managers are UBS Investment Bank and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Lazard Capital Markets LLC and UniCredit Capital Markets, Inc. are acting as co-managers of the offering.

When available, copies of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933 may be obtained from UBS Investment Bank at 299 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10171, Attention: Prospectus Department; phone: (888) 827-7275, or from Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, telephone (866) 718-1649, or by e-mailing prospectus@morganstanley.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities issuable pursuant to the registration statement, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the outcome to be materially different.

Contact Information:

Contacts:
Investor Relations / Media
Capital Link, Inc.
Paul Lampoutis
230 Park Avenue
Suite 1536
New York, NY 10169
Tel. (212) 661-7566
E-mail: paragon@capitallink.com