Peerless capability
We are the only local corporate specialist you need to know.
Seasoned operators you can trust to get the job done. We live and breathe the industry, giving us an unrivalled network of contacts, up-to-the-minute market information and a compelling reason for clients to choose us collectively.
Corporate advisory
Mergers and acquisitions
Over the years, we have supported some truly groundbreaking M&A deals. And we take great pride in the fact that we are frequently asked by our clients to identify opportunities for them through our domestic and international networks, bringing parties together as true initiators of the transaction.
Uniquely positioned to advise on all aspects of M&A transactions, we are experienced in structuring deals in the optimal way from a governance, financial, competition and tax perspective. Our corporate finance practice assists us in tackling acquisition finance issues and integrating them effectively into the deal structure. We also have a large network of financial advisors and other M&A vendors that deal with the non-legal parts of a deal, from accounting, taxation and valuation to fairness opinions.
Corporate finance
Our team has advised on high-profile Greece-related financial transactions. From large scale private placements of securities to high- yield/investment grade debt offerings and issuance of hybrid securities with a particular emphasis on structured finance (securitizations) and loan portfolio transfers. Our corporate finance practice benefits from our strong expertise in corporate governance, often advising on governance rights attached to the securities issued in finance transactions.
We also work effectively with finance professionals to deliver comprehensive security design structures representing either the capital contributor or the business issuing the securities. Our corporate finance practice complements our insolvency practice, which leads on business restructuring, refinancing and recapitalisation.
Corporate governance
Our corporate governance services are designed to assist shareholders, directors and managers in the creation of sustainable value in listed and nonlisted companies. We improve the governance within companies and frequently act as a bridge for the enhancement of communication between the various stakeholders of a business.
We put special emphasis on the protection of minority shareholder interests and in the structuring of shareholder engagement practices. It means that we are frequently called upon to draft or advise on the amendment of shareholders’ agreements or relationship agreements. We also conduct corporate governance research and provide advice as to best practices in order to enhance credit ratings, help a corporation prepare for an IPO or a private placement.
Employment
Our corporate practice has always gone hand-in-hand with employment advice. Key to any system of corporate governance is how a business deals with its employees and any labor law issues. We advise clients routinely on both day-to-day management of their labour law relations, as well as the dealings with employees and trade unions in connection with fundamental transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions and spin-offs. Maintaining peace in the work environment is key to our client’s success and we take employment law advice as seriously as we deal with our core, corporate/M&A, expertise.
Recent deals
Masouros & Partners – Attorneys at law advised Everty in relation to the multi-million acquisition of Elounda Gulf Villas in, a 5-star hotel, member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection.
Advised the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in relation to the opening of its first resort in Greece in Costa Navarino.
Advising the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator S.A. (“HEDNO”) in relation to the EUR 2.1bn sale and purchase of 49% of its equity stake in an international tender ran by its holding company, the Public Power Corporation.
Advised Veltia Labs for Life (member of the Tentamus Group) in connection with the cross-border buyout of STA Kalite Kontrol Gida Laboratuvari A.S. in Turkey.
Advised Petrolina (Holdings) Public Ltd, Cyprus’s largest oil company), in connection with the cross-border buyout of Silk Oil S.A. in Greece.
Advised Hive Energy Ltd in connection with the cross-border buyout of a 240MW RES-licensed Greek company.
Advising the Public Power Corporation S.A. (“PPC”) in connection with its JV with Motor Oil Hellas to bid for the majority stake in DEPA Commercial S.A. in the international bidding contest ran by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (“HRADF”).
Advised Deutsche Bank acting as arranger in the EUR 325mn energy receivables securitization program of PPC.
Advised the Finacity Corporation acting as arranger in the EUR 200mn energy receivables securitization program of PPC.
Advised Viva Wallet S.A. in relation to a cross-border share subscription agreement in Netherlands-based AML solutions provider, Fraudio b.v.
Advised Gazpromneft in relation to various issues relevant to marine oil and lubricants trading in Greece.
Advised Juul Labs, Inc. in relation to all aspects relevant to the Greek part of its international restructuring.
Advising the Four Seasons Astir Palace in connection with a variety of employment law matters.
Advising the Government of the Republic of Serbia in relation to corporate matters arising in connection with BIT proceedings brought against it by Cypriot company before the ICSID. § Acted as Greek law expert on corporate matters in connection with arbitration proceedings before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
Advised the Public Power Corporation S.A. (“PPC”) in connection with the international public tender and the attempted share purchase agreement for the 100% acquisition of the two (2) subsidiaries that operate two (2) spun-off lignite-fired power plants of overall 670MW capacity
Advised Philips Lighting Hellas S.A. (now Signify) in relation to a variety of corporate matters in Greece.
Advised MoneyGram International, Inc. in relation to the global Brexit-related corporate restructuring of its operations
Advised Hyatt Corporation, Inc. in relation to the franchise agreement for the Grand Hyatt Athens.
Supporting services
Insolvency
As a result of turbulent economic conditions, we have advised on a range of insolvency proceedings. At the same time, our exposure to these cases has equipped us with a unique expertise in advising our clients as to how to build bankruptcy-proof structures when extending credit to Greek debtors.
International creditors continuously seek our engagement to protect their interests in connection with domestic insolvent debtors, but also to advise them in the shadow of forthcoming insolvency proceedings. We represent creditors on a continuous basis in domestic insolvency proceedings and we are frequently key shapers of bankruptcy reorganisation or pre-bankruptcy reorganisation plans. Our major specialty in the insolvency area of practice is cross-border insolvency. Through our unique network internationally we are able to co-ordinate asset tracing globally and have, together with international law firms, advised in relation to Chapter 11 reorganisations and English schemes of arrangement, thus having a one-of-a-kind experience among our local peers.
Tax
Tax law in Greece is subject to continuous change and requires a Counsel to take a dynamic approach to the issues at hand. Our tax law practice goes hand in hand with our corporate practice; the tax treatment of a corporate deal is frequently the real driver of the structuring of the transaction and we never deliver advice without pricing in the tax effects. In the framework of our practice in the field of international taxation, we also work closely with advisors in other jurisdictions in order to set up the optimal holding and investment structures for our clients.
Competition
Our commitment to providing full service to our corporate clients has led us to develop a solid competition law practice. We handle cartel cases (and advise on complaints about cartel infringements before the national competition authority and before the European Commission. We also act for companies under investigation in abuse of dominant position proceedings, involving issues like discriminatory pricing, discriminatory discounts and rebates and refusal to supply customers, to give access to essential facilities, or to license intellectual property. The members of our team also have experience in private competition litigation cases, where antitrust damages are sought.
Dispute resolution
The hallmark of our dispute resolution practice is the firm commitment to established legal project management techniques. Before the initiation of every large litigation we engage in process mapping, defining and documenting each step of the litigation process, integrating quality assurance procedures and control mechanisms into every step. Through process mapping we are able upfront to improve legal performance, while at the same time help in budget management, eliminating wasteful steps, develop process controls, right-size staffing and meet the statutory or agreed-upon deadlines. Apart from the domestic litigation that we handle ourselves, we often work as part of teams in the context of multi-jurisdictional litigation. The members of our team also have experience in international commercial arbitration and in proceedings for setting aside arbitral awards.
Intellectual property
We are well-positioned to advise on a wide range of IP law matters, particularly in the media and creative industries. We have advised on licensing agreements, sales agency agreements and distribution deals, and our team advises clients on all aspects of rights exploitation that go beyond mere distribution of productions and recordings and includes the synchronisation of content in media and the usage thereof in live events.
Apart from rights exploitation we also act with regard to rights protection thus offering an end-to-end service to our clients in this sector. Our IP practice also includes advising clients with regard to trademarks and industrial designs in both contentious and non-contentious matters.
Real estate
We provide an all-round service with regard to real estate law and finance. Our clients include large international real estate funds active in both commercial, as well as high-end residential, properties, while from time to time we also advise HNWIs and UHNWIs in connection with the acquisition of prime real estate in the Greek islands and the mainland.
Our real estate services includes advising on acquisitions, search titles, zoning applications and restrictions, forestry and archaeological clearances, establishing horizontal and vertical property ownerships. We also undertake work with regard to real estate finance, particularly with regard to hotel acquisitions and retail chain leases.