We are delighted to announce that Dionysis Flambouras has joined our firm’s banking and finance group as a Senior Counsel!

Dionysis has extensive experience in the finance and debt markets, having advised numerous national and international investors and financial institutions on a wide range of complex and innovative transactions.

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Dionysis and look forward to his invaluable contribution to our team and clients.

We are very proud to once again be ranked as Top Tier in the IFLR1000 2023 Europe Rankings and for the areas of Banking & Finance, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Project Development.

We are thankful to our clients and our peers who recognize the excellence of our lawyers and endorse our leading position.

Congratulations to our hardworking teams, their forefront thinking and on-going commitment is the key to our success.

Celebrating Energy Excellence!

We are thrilled to announce that our Partners, Christina Faitakis and Valia Apostolopoulou, have been recognized by Business Today as two of the Top 10 Most Influential Energy Lawyers actively shaping the energy legal landscape in Greece!

Their remarkable dedication, paired with their legal acumen, has not only earned them this prestigious honor but has also accelerated our company’s mission to drive a sustainable energy future.

This acknowledgment underscores their exceptional legal expertise, their profound understanding of the regulatory landscape along with the complexities of the energy sector project financing, driving progress across a broad spectrum of energy sources and industries.

Congratulations to all other recognized peers!

We are delighted to announce our official participation in this year’s Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide on Merger Control for 2023.

Within the guide’s Greek chapter on Mergers Control Law and Practice, our partner, Anna Manda, along with Senior Associate Maria Kallidopoulou and Associate Maria-Christina Raptopoulou, have made significant contributions.

This stimulating guide provides expert insights on the basic legal framework for mergers in Greece, the jurisdictional thresholds and the notification procedure, gun-jumping, review powers of the Hellenic Competition Commission, remedies, and FDI/ foreign subsidies control.

Read our chapter by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

Navigating Corporate Governance: We are pleased to share that our firm is once again the exclusive contributor to the Chambers and Partners Corporate Governance Global Practice Guide for 2023.

Our partner Alexandra Kondyli, along with our Senior Counsel Eleana Rouga and Senior Associate Maria Chronaki, have made significant contributions to the Greek chapter of this comprehensive guide.

Within its pages, you’ll find a wealth of insights into the intricacies of the Greek corporate governance framework and the specific disclosure requirements that hold relevance for listed companies in Greece.

Read our chapter below.

We are delighted to share that during the past month our firm had the pleasure of hosting a team of 5 law students, from Greek and international law schools, who attended an enriching internship program.

During this period, our interns were fully integrated into the daily operations of our firm and had the invaluable opportunity to gain insights into the inner workings of various departments including IT, Marketing, and HR, enhancing their understanding of our organization.

They worked side by side with our lawyers and trainee lawyers, gaining hands-on experience across various legal practice areas and also had the opportunity to participate in an original K&P moot court competition, which was held in our offices. The fictitious case, based on the current cinematic landscape, focused on the divorce between Ken and Barbie and the complaints she faces from their neighbor Oppenheimer for causing noise nuisance by playing music boisterously.

Their unwavering enthusiasm, dedication, and remarkable teamwork left a lasting impression on our firm’s culture, and we are confident that they have a promising future ahead as outstanding legal professionals.

Stella-Eleni Christoforidou, Anna Kordellidou, Charis Mitrelia, Rafaela Tsotra and Athina Vyrgioti we want to express our deepest appreciation for choosing our law firm for your internship journey. We are excited to remain connected and witness your continued growth and success!

For aspiring legal professionals, we encourage you to keep an eye out for future internship opportunities at K&P!

We are honored to have advised HELLENiQ ENERGY in a groundbreaking transaction for the financing of Renewable Energy investments: HELLENiQ ENERGY, through its 100% subsidiary HELLENiQ Renewables, National Bank of Greece S.A., and Eurobank S.A. have forged a pioneering financing framework agreement of up to €766 million one of the largest long-term financing agreements for RES in Europe. The financing will contribute significantly to HELLENiQ ENERGY’s growth in green energy and support the national effort to meet climate targets.

At K&P, we are wholeheartedly committed to partnering with our clients in shaping a cleaner, greener future for generations to come!

Congratulation to all teams involved HELLENiQ ENERGY, National Bank of Greece S.A., Eurobank S.A., Koutalidis Law Firm.

For more information: https://www.helleniqenergy.gr/en/media/press-releases/pioneering-financing-framework-agreement-eu766-million-between-helleniq-energy

The European Commission has recently adopted a new Adequacy Decision on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) in relation to data transfers to the US. The adoption of this Adequacy Decision follows years of negotiations between the EU and the US, after the invalidation of the Privacy Shield. For the new provisions of the EU-US DPF and its implementation, read our article by clicking on the Continue Reading button below:

We are delighted to announce that Nikos Askotiris has been named our newest partner.

In the past 4 years with the firm, Nikos’ talent, expertise, tireless work ethic, and commitment to excellence have made him an invaluable member of our team, trusted by clients and colleagues alike.

We would like to congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to continuing to work together in this new role.

The new Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) started its application on 12 July 2023. The FSR allows the European Commission to investigate financial contributions granted by non-EU countries to companies operating in the EU and establishes a new set of notification obligations to these companies when these are involved in concentrations or public tenders.

In light of these developments, our firm contributed with an article on the Lawyer legal magazine, authored by Partner, Anna Manda, and Associates Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria-Christina Raptopoulou.

The article provides an overview and practical considerations on key issues regarding inter alia the powers of the European Commission, the obligations of the companies to notify concentrations or their involvement in public procurement procedures, and the notification thresholds.

You can read the article (content in Greek) below.

Our firm has advised Eurobank, National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank and Piraeus Bank, in their capacity as Joint Coordinators and Bookrunners, in connection with the offering of €500 million bonds issued by MYTILINEOS S.A. and listed on the Athens Exchange.

The offering received an outstanding positive response especially by retail investors with the overall offers reaching circa €1 billion, an oversubscription by 2.01 times, and priced at 4%, at the lowest end of the interest range.

The transaction signals the dynamics of the Greek capital market, marked by the remarkably swift process of the Prospectus review by the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission.

We thank all teams for their excellent cooperation and confidence shown to our firm.

The corporate and capital markets law issues were handled by Alexandra Kondyli, Partner, Eleana Rouga, Senior Associate, Iliana Ioannou, Associate and Dimitris Passas, Associate.

The finance law issues were handled by Nikos Fragos, Partner, Anastasia Mourmouti, Associate and Sergios Charalambous, Associate.

The energy law issues were handled by Valia Apostolopoulou, Partner, Anastasia Petta, Associate and Sophia Papasimakopoulou, Associate.

The tax law issues were handled by Georgios Minoudis, Partner, Eleonora Ligoutsikou, Senior Associate and Katerina Stathakarou, Trainee Lawyer.

The real estate law issues were handled by Athena Economou, Senior Associate and Alexandros Anagnostopoulos, Senior Associate.

Last week, we had the honor and the pleasure to host the first K&P Alumni event, at the amazing rooftop garden of our offices, at The Orbit.

Οur esteemed Alumni network came together to celebrate and reconnect, sharing memories and making new friends.

We would like to thank all who attended and promise to keep you connected with more exciting alumni initiatives on the horizon!

If you are one of K&P’s Alumni and haven’t registered yet in the K&P Alumni network, you can join here: https://alumni.karatza-partners.gr/ 

We are happy to announce that our firm is the exclusive contributor to the Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide on Cartels for 2023.

Our partner Anna Manda, and associates Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria-Christina Raptopoulou contributed to the Greek chapter of Cartels Law and Practice

This stimulating guide provides expert insights in Q&A format on the basic legal framework for cartels in Greece, cartel enforcement, leniency programs, commitments, dawn raids, liabilities, sanctions, remedies, and civil litigation.

Read our chapter below.

In the general context of flexicurity in employment, the Supreme Court of Greece ruled in favor of the validity of an outsourcing contract, contributing key assumptions regarding the outsourcing practice.

Our firm contributed to issue no.156/2023 of “Sinigoros” Magazine by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI , where our Partner and Head of Employment dpt. Angeliki Tsatsi and Associate Anna Pechlivanidi share their thoughts and comments on judgement no. 2041/2022 of the Supreme Court of Greece.

Read below our contribution in Greek.

We are thrilled to share that our firm is continuing its successful initiative of Remote Working Fridays during summer for the second year in a row!

After the incredible response and positive feedback we received last year, we are delighted to offer our people this valuable opportunity again. As we prioritize work-life balance and flexibility, this initiative allows us to make the most of our summer while maintaining our productivity and dedication throughout the week.

Let’s embark on another incredible summer!

Our firm is the exclusive contributor of the Greek Chapter of Lexology getting the Deal Through Public M&A 2023 Guide.

The chapter authored by Catherine Karatzas Managing Partner, Alexandra Kondyli Partner, Eleana Rouga Senior Associate and Iliana Ioannou, Associate, shapes the key structural, corporate and procedural aspects of public M&As in Greece.

Read our contribution below.

Our firm sponsored the 15th National Conference of Corporate In-house Counsel by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Counsel Europe (ACCE) and under the auspices of the Athens Bar Association. Our partners Anna Manda and Vassiliki Salaka together with Antigoni Papanikolaou, Legal & Corporate Affairs Director, Greece, Cyprus & Malta, Microsoft and Christos Paraskevopoulos, Senior Legal Manager, M&As and Strategic Projects, Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems, delved into the groundbreaking advancements of AI in the legal sector.

During our session, our speakers explored the tremendous potential that AI offers today, transforming the way legal professionals operate. From contract analysis to legal research, AI has revolutionized efficiency and accuracy in the legal landscape. They also highlighted the visible limits of AI, acknowledging that while it can handle routine tasks and data-driven analysis remarkably well, complex decision-making and nuanced legal judgment still require human expertise. Additionally, they discussed the impact of Generative AI on key categories of legal actions, emphasizing how this cutting-edge technology has enabled us to draft high-quality legal documents, automate document assembly, and generate personalized legal advice, thus empowering law firms’ clients with unprecedented speed and precision.

Congratulations to NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI for organizing such an interesting conference at the Zappeion Megaron and for curating a thought-provoking agenda that explored the possibilities and limitations of AI in legal services.

On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on the 14th of June, our law firm hosted a successful blood donation event, collaborating with Free Now and Diageo, our neighbors at the Orbit, to support this important cause.

Our goal was to raise awareness about blood donation and encourage our people to make a life-saving impact. The response was overwhelming, with numerous volunteers from all three organizations stepping forward to donate. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved, including the donors and medical professionals for their dedication.

This event exemplifies our commitment to social responsibility and inspires us to continue making a positive difference together.

Let’s unite in acts of kindness and create a better world!

View our video here.

What artificial intelligence can do today in relation to legal services, what are its visible limits and how key categories of legal actions are affected in the age of Generative AI?

Our Partners Anna Manda and Vassiliki Salaka are participating in the 15th National Conference of Corporate In house Counsel by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI , in a workshop about “Legal departments in the face of a Brave New World. Artificial Intelligence: Threat to the Legal Profession’s Survival or Means of Prosperity?” on Tuesday June 13th, together with Antigoni Papanikolaou, Legal & Corporate Affairs Director, Greece, Cyprus & Malta, Microsoft and Christos Paraskevopoulos, Senior Legal Manager, M&As and Strategic Projects, Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems.

For more information & registration: https://www.nb.org/15-panellinio-synedrio-dikigoron-nomikon-iperisiwn.html

A few days ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming Charalambos Vergadis, Anastasia Drosou, Akrivi Chrysi Oikonomou and Despina Polizoi from Athens Law School, who participated in the 16th International Roman Law Moot Court Competition, hosted by Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, under the supervision of Professor Athina Dimopoulou.
The team won the first award (Palma Victoriae) and Ms Anastasia Drosou won the 3rd prize for best orator.

Our firm once again proudly supported the Athens Law School as we believe in the importance of nurturing young legal minds.
Congratulations to the team for their excellent performance and for their dedication and hard work that set an inspiring benchmark for the future!

Our Partner, Nikos Fragos, is participating as a moderator in the NPL Greece conference by SmithNovak on June, 8th in the roundtable discussion: “The Secondary Market”, with the distinguished professionals Yiannis Sakarelis, Business Development Manager Greece/Cyprus, Debitos, Stamatis Foteinogiannopoulos, MBA, Operations Manager, Sioufas & Associates Law Firm, Paul Tzelepis, Head of Business Development, Copernicus Hellas, Panagiotis Gkioumes, Partner, Financial Services, Grant Thornton and Nikos Voudouris, Senior Partner, SME Remedium Capital.

For more information and registration: https://www.smithnovak.com/conferences/npl-greece-2023.html#register

Our firm is the exclusive contributor of the Greek chapter of Lexology – Getting the Deal Through, Fintech 2023 Guide.

Our core fintech team, including our Partner Aleka Kondyli, our Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris, our Senior Associates Eleana Rouga and Maria Chronaki, and our Associate Dimitris Passas provide an overview on the Greek fintech landscape, with a particular focus on financial regulation and innovation in the areas of crypto-assets, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Our Associates Dimitra Karampela, Anna Pechlivanidi and Sergios Charalambous have also contributed to this chapter in relation to IP protection, employment law and investment funds law respectively.

Read below our firm’s contribution to the “Business Law Insights 2023” special edition, published yesterday in the newspaper Kathimerini, in cooperation with NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI .

More specifically:
✒ Real Estate Law: our article entitled “Property Management Companies: Challenges and Operating Framework”, written by our Senior Counsel Sophia Mavridou.

✒ Competition Law: our article entitled “Hellenic Competition Commission: Fines, powers and control tools”, written by our Partner Anna Manda, our Senior Associate Marina Chronaki and our Associate Maria-Christina Raptopoulou.

✒ Employment Law: our article entitled “Digital era obligations of the employer: the new violence and harassment regulation and the right to disconnect”, written by our Partner and Head of our Employment department Angeliki Tsatsi.

? all articles are in Greek.

Supporting Mental Health: Our Commitment to Well-being

May is Mental Health Month, and we stand united in advocating for mental well-being. At K&P we recognize the importance of Mental Health, and we take action to support and promote it throughout the year! As a result, not only have we established a staff welfare committee, but we also offer to our people and their families access to a Hotline for Psychological Support and Counseling.

Let’s join hands to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and prioritize mental well-being throughout the year.

What should employers do to comply with Law 4990/2022 on the protection of persons who report breaches of EU law? How will the new provisions affect employment relations?

Our Partner and Head of Employment Dpt., Angeliki Tsatsi will elaborate on the employment law aspects of the matter during the Whistleblowing 360ᵒ educational program organized by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI .

The program will take place on June 6 & 7, at NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI ’s HQs. Live streaming is also available.

For more information and registration: https://www.nb.org/whistleblowing-360-ekp-programma.html

We are pleased to announce that our Senior Counsel, Sophia Mavridou, is participating as a speaker at the 2nd Real Estate Law Conference organized by Nomiki Bibliothiki, on May 24th in a discussion about “The legal and procedural treatment of the State as a property owner” where she will elaborate on particular issues pertaining to disputes between the State and individuals.

Join us!

For more information & registration: https://www.nb.org/2-sinedrio-dikaiou-tou-xoru.html

We are proud to announce one more transaction reflecting our firm’s commitment to supporting the green transition and sustainable growth of our economy.

Our firm advised Alpha Bank on a groundbreaking project, in connection with the signing of an RRF co-financed loan for the construction of five PV farms in Western Macedonia, as part of a larger solar park in the former lignite mine of Ptolemaida. With a total capacity of 960 MW, this solar park becomes the largest in Greece and one of the largest in Europe!

The financing includes funds sourced from the “Greece 2.0” National Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRF), seamlessly blended with Alpha Bank’s resources to further support the private investment in the RES sector.

It is a great privilege to be part of this innovative collaboration with Alpha Bank and PPC Renewables. As a team, we are driving positive change, contributing to tackling climate change and a greener future.

Our team was led by our partner Valia Apostolopoulou, assisted by our Associates Anastasia Petta, Konstantina Meletiadou, Sophia Papasimakopoulou, Mara Skiada, Sergios Charalambous and Trainee Lawyer Tina Sofianou.

Congratulations to all parties of this landmark transaction!

The protective legal framework for intellectual property rights in Greece was recently upgraded and expanded, to align with the requirements of the new digital era and grant extended rights to authors.
In this article, the IP team of our firm explores on the innovations introduced and explains the rationale of the new provisions.

Read our article below.

We are pleased to welcome Nikolaos Zachos as Senior Counsel at our firm!

Nikos is a talented practitioner with extensive experience in several of the firm’s market leading practices. With his track record, he will bring diverse skills and insights to our team.

Nikos will contribute to the efforts to strengthen our offering to our clients and to the long-term success of our firm.

Our firm has advised National Bank of Greece in connection with the acquisition of a minority shareholding of 7,5% in EPSILON NET with the option to acquire a further 7,5% three years after completion of the initial transaction.

The acquisition is part of a long term exclusive strategic partnership agreement between National Bank of Greece and EPSILON NET for the joint design, development, and distribution of products and services focusing on strengthening and supporting entrepreneurship in Greece with a view to address the modern needs of Greek businesses and drive their digital transformation.

Our core team was led by Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Associates Olga Vinieri and Maria Chronaki

Out team also included:
For corporate, commercial law: Associates Dimitra Vytogianni, Isidora Vythoulka and Apostolos Latsonas
For capital markets: Senior Associate Eleana Rouga
For employment law: Partner Angeliki Tsatsi and Trainee Pinelopi Anyfanti
For competition law: Associate Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria-Christina Raptopoulou, who also assisted on trademarks and software intellectual property issues
For financing documents: Associate Tina Sofianou
For real estate: Associates Mara Skiada and Christina Zevla
For GDPR issues: Associate Dimitra Karampela

One day left for the 1st Women in Law Conference, organised by Nomiki Bibliothiki.

Our Managing Partner, Catherine Karatzas will be sharing her personal experience in a discussion with John Apsouris, Group General Counsel at HELLENiQ ENERGY HOLDINGS S.A. and Thanos Bourlos, Junior Partner at Bourlos-Koutava & Associates Law Firm.

Join us tomorrow, Tuesday 9 May at Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation.

For more information and registration: https://www.nb.org/1o-sunedrio-women-in-law.html

We are proud to announce that our firm was nominated in five categories at the IFLR Europe Awards 2023 and won two: the National Law Firm of the Year for Greece and the Deal of the Year: Securitization and Structured Finance – B2Holding NPL Securitization.

We would like to express our gratitude to our clients for their support and to our people for their unwavering effort and commitment to excellence.

We are thrilled to have advised the ad-hoc group of noteholders of the 260 million senior secured notes due 2025 on all Greek law aspects of the landmark consensual recapitalization and restructuring

(the Restructuring) of the ATHEX-listed Frigoglass S.A.I.C. and the group of companies formerly controlled by it (Frigoglass Group).

The Restructuring is one of the largest and most complex transactions of its type relating to a Greek-based multinational group, which is a manufacturer of commercial refrigerators and a leading manufacturer of frozen packaging, with operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The Restructuring was completed on April 27, 2023 and was implemented by way of a consensual and coordinated security enforcement process, including a Dutch law share pledge enforcement (following Dutch court approval obtained on April 12, 2023). The Restructuring included the transfer through a special succession process governed by Greek law of substantially all of the remaining assets and liabilities of Frigoglass SAIC to a newly established Greek entity.

Following implementation, 85% of the share capital of new Frigoglass Group is ultimately owned by the former noteholders through certain newly incorporated U.K. companies, and the remaining 15% of the share capital will remain owned by Frigoglass S.A.I.C.

As part of the Restructuring, certain of the former noteholders elected to participate in €75 million of first ranking new senior secured notes due 2026, and €150 million of second ranking senior secured second lien notes due 2028 were distributed in partial repayment to the former noteholders. The new senior secured notes were underwritten by the ad-hoc group of noteholders. The €260 million senior secured notes due 2025 were cancelled in full as part of the restructuring.

The restructuring provides the new Frigoglass Group with improved liquidity, extended maturities and reduced cash interest costs to enable the group to continue its ordinary course operations and deliver on its business plan.

Our core team was led by Partner Anna Manda, assisted by Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris and Senior Associate Olga Vinieri. Partner Aleka Kondyli and Senior Associate Maria Chronaki handled all capital markets’ matters, Partner Vassiliki Salaka and Senior Associate Ilia Polyzoidi handled all insolvency and litigation matters, Partner Angeliki Tsatsi and Trainee Pinelopi Anyfanti handled all employment law matters. Senior Associates Eleonora Ligoutsikou (Tax) and Alexandros Anagnostopoulos (Real Estate), Associates Dimitra Karampela (IP and GDPR) and Matina Xirogianni (Corporate) and Trainee Katerina Stathakarou (Tax) were also involved in the transaction.

Our team worked with Weil, Gotshal and Manges, LLP who acted as international counsels of the ad-hoc group of noteholders in this transaction.

View the company’s press release here: https://www.frigoglass.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Frigoglass_Press-Release_28-04-23_En.pdf?x15238

Our Partner, Christina Faitakis, stated during the discussion about “Unlocking Financing in Infrastructure” at the Delphi Economic Forum VIII: “Following the adversities faced during the years of the economic crisis and the pandemic, Greece has set ambitious targets and has expeditiously moved to modernise its infrastructure. I am confident that the lessons we learned during turbulent times of the past two decades will serve as the foundations for Greece’s sustainable development”.

On the occasion of Earth Day, we at K&P reaffirm our commitment to our firm’s ESG policy.

We are fully determined to actively contribute to a more sustainable environment. We encourage our people to adopt day-to-day office routines to reduce our environmental footprint and are proud to have acted as advisors in transactions which substantially contribute to tackling climate change and promote a greener future.

Sustainability is the path to prosperity so every one of us should strive towards a more environmentally sensitized world!

Another year, another distinction for our firm!

K&P has been ranked once again Top Tier Firm at The Legal 500 (Legalease) EMEA 2023 edition!

Our firm has been ranked Tier 1 firm in the following practices:
➡️ Banking, Finance & Capital Markets,
➡️ Commercial, Corporate and M&A,
➡️ Energy,
➡️ Real Estate & Construction,
➡️ TMT
and Top ranked in
➡️ EU & Competition,
➡️ Projects & Privatisation,
➡️ Restructuring & Insolvency and
➡️ Dispute Resolution.

Congratulations to our Partners Catherine Karatzas, Christina Faitakis, Anna Manda, Alexandra Kondyli, Nikos Fragos, VALIA APOSTOLOPOULOU, Vassiliki Salaka and Georgios Minoudis, our Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris and Sophia Mavridou, our Senior Associates Athena Economou, Argyro Vagia, Alexandros Anagnostopoulos, Vassilis Goulielmos, Marina Chronaki and our Associates Anastasia Petta and Maria Kallidopoulou.

Most importantly, we would like to thank our valuable clients for their support and trust all these years, who contribute to our success by acknowledging the high quality of our people and services.

For more information about our firm’s rankings, you may visit the following link: https://www.legal500.com/firms/11850-karatzas-partners/12925-athens-greece/

One day left for the Delphi Economic Forum VIII, which our firm once again proudly sponsors.

Our Partner, Christina Faitakis is participating in a discussion about “Unlocking Financing in Infrastructure”, on Thursday, April 27, together with the distinguished professionals, Spyros Venetsianos, Deputy General Manager, Head of Structured Finance, Corporate & Investment Banking, Eurobank, Nikos Nezeritis, Head of Structured Finance Division, Alpha Bank, Ilias Tsintavis, Partner, Michael Kyprianou – Advocates & Legal Consultants.
The panel will be moderated by Harris Ntigrintakis, Journalist, Alpha 989 (Radio Station) and Eleftheros Typos.

For more information and registration: https://defviii.delphiforum.gr/register

On the occasion of Earth Day, we at K&P reaffirm our commitment to our firm’s ESG policy.

We are fully determined to actively contribute to a more sustainable environment. We encourage our people to adopt day-to-day office routines to reduce our environmental footprint and are proud to have acted as advisors in transactions which substantially contribute to tackling climate change and promote a greener future.

Sustainability is the path to prosperity so every one of us should strive towards a more environmentally sensitized world!

Enjoy our video here.

One more successful Easter bazaar week, hosting four charity organizations and their beautiful Easter creations, has come to an end.

ELPIDA Association, EEA Margarita, Make-A-Wish Greece and ELEPAP accepted our invitation and gave to our people and our neighbors at The Orbit the opportunity to support their great cause.

We would like to thank Noval Property for embracing our firm’s initiative and allowing us to use The Orbit’s premises for yet another charity bazaar.

ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer was founded in 1990, and since then it has actualized a comprehensive framework of treatment and support for children suffering from cancer and for their families. More information: https://elpida.org/en/

EEA Margarita vision is the equality of people with intellectual disabilities within the community by offering them the methods, tools, and support to live their lives to the fullest. More information: https://lnkd.in/gRrVYjjy

Make-A-Wish Greece grants wishes that have the power to transform the lives of children with critical illnesses. More information: https://makeawish.gr/en/

ELEPAP is the oldest charitable organization in the country, with more than 80 years of service. Their vision is to offer to all children with disabilities the care they need. More information: https://elepap.gr/en/

What actions should an employer take after receiving a complaint by an employee?

Our firm is the exclusive contributor of the Greek chapter for International Employment Lawyer on the Guide to Workplace Investigations 2023.

Our Partner, Head of Employment, Angeliki Tsatsi together with Associate, Anna Pechlivanidi and Trainee Lawyers, Pinelopi Anyfanti and Katerina Basta provide their insights on key issues that organisations need to consider as they initiate, conduct and conclude investigations in Greece.

Our contribution can be found below.

We are delighted to represent BC Partners on yet another acquisition in Greece and the first such transaction in the private education space.

In particular, we advise BC Partners in connection with the acquisition of a majority stake in Metropolitan College and IEK AKMI group, leading providers of post-secondary education in Greece.

The group operates a network of 27 educational establishments throughout Greece offering a wide variety of courses across multiple disciplines to over 22,000 students.

This transaction marks the second investment of BC Partners GR Investment LP, the BC Partners Greece-focused fund, after its acquisition of the PetCity Group, and follows a series of successful investments of BC Partners in high growth companies in Greece.

Closing is subject to receipt of merger clearance.

Our core team is led by Partner Anna Manda, assisted by Senior Associate Vassilis Goulielmos and Associates Dimitra Vytogianni and Isidora Vythoulka. Our team also includes:

For corporate, commercial law and intellectual property:
Associates Dimitra Karampela, Matina Xirogianni and Vassiliki Nikolaou

For litigation: Associates Alkmini Basakarou and Konstantinos G. Bairaktaris.

For employment law: Partner Aggeliki Tsatsi and Associate Anna Pechlivanidi.

For real estate: Senior Associate Argyro Vagia, Associates Christina Zevla, Maria Asimeli, Mara Skiada, Pantelis Zalokostas and Trainee Lawyers Aspasia Stellakatou Loverdou and Vasiliki Maria Papanastasiou

For competition law: Senior Associate Marina Chronaki and Associate Maria-Christina Raptopoulou.

For the acquisition financing: Partner Nikos Fragos and Associate Iliana Ioannou.

Greece wants to build at least 2 GW of offshore wind generating capacity by 2030. Given the characteristics of Greek waters, much of it will be floating offshore wind farms.

If you are interested in learning which are the optimal opportunities to meet that ambition and which are the best ways of mitigating key bottlenecks that may hinder it, join us at the Renewable Greece Conference 2023 on Friday, April 7.

Our Partner & Head of Energy, VALIA APOSTOLOPOULOU, is participating as a moderator in a roundtable discussion about “Greek offshore wind – potential, bottlenecks and lessons learned”, together with the esteemed professionals Nikolaos Alagialoglou, Senior Director, Head of COP Greece, Spyros Kiartzis, Manager, New Technologies and Alternative Energy Sources, Helleniq Energy Holdings, Carlotta Gradissimo, Offshore Wind Technical Development Manager, Mainstream Renewable Power, and Bruno G. Geschier, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, BW Ideol.

For more information and registration: https://lnkd.in/gDAF-P7S

Are you interested in learning more about CPPAs?

Join us at the 3rd Energy Law conference, on April 5, where our Partner and Head of our Energy dpt., Valia Apostolopoulou will participate as a speaker and elaborate on the Bankability issues that arise in an ever-changing energy environment.

The conference is organised by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI and you can find more information and register here: https://lnkd.in/dKzPyYmA

We are happy to share that following our firm’s donation to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), nine students from Ukraine benefited from the University’s scholarship and now continue their studies and progress towards their goals, despite the difficulties they face due to the ongoing war in their country.

During a celebration ceremony of the Department of International Relations, the Rector of the AUTH, Professor Nikolaos G. Papaioannou awarded the nine scholarships to the students.

If you also wish to support the AUTH’s initiative, you may contact the Special Support Committee at [email protected].

For more information: https://lnkd.in/dncuCQCx

? Photopress© Yannis Tsouflidis

Karatzas & Partners advises on another landmark transaction!

Our partner Nikos Fragos assisted by Georgios Zervakis and Matina Xirogianni acted for SMERemediumCap, Latonia Enterprises and WHG Europe Ltd on the joint acquisition of the Tethys Portfolio, the first hotel sectoral loan portfolio to be transacted on the secondary market, with a legal claim value of approx. EUR 255m. The Tethys portfolio perimeter, serviced by Intrum Hellas and offered by the special purpose entities Sunrise I NPL Finance DAC, Sunrise II NPL Finance DAC and Vega II NPL Finance l DAC, comprise of 72 hotel units with 4,000 beds that operate, among other regions, in the Cyclades, Dodecanese and Chalkidiki.

Congratulations to all the parties and teams involved in this highlight transaction!

We are pleased to announce that our Senior Associate, Vassilis Goulielmos, is participating as a speaker in the 9th Conference on Technology and Communications law by Nomiki Bibliothiki on March 29th and will discuss about “Law firms of tomorrow: How Artificial Intelligence is changing the legal profession”.

For more information and registration: https://www.nb.org/9o-synedrio-gia-to-dikaio-texnologias-kai-epikoinonias.html 

We are happy to announce that our Partner, Head of Employment, Aggeliki Tsatsi, will participate as a moderator in the 1st Conference on Contemporary Employment Relations by Nomiki Bibliothiki on March, 28th in the panel: “Violence and harassment in the workplace: issues from practical application”.

In a roundtable with the distinguished professionals Calypso Goula, Secretary General for Demography, Family Policy and Gender Equality, Georgia Vazaki, Head of the Labor Inspectorate’s Independent Department for Workplace Violence and Harassment, Alexiou Maria Christina, HR Operations Expert, INTERAMERICAN Group of companies, and Marina Vergou, HR Director, Groupama, the discussion will center around the implementation issues that arise from modern practice.

For more information and registration: https://www.nb.org/1o-sunedrio-sugxrones-ergasiakes-sxeseis.html

A few days ago, we had the amazing opportunity to participate in the 1st Job Fair, organized by ELSA Athens, European Law Students’ Association.

During the first day of the job fair, the students had the chance to learn from our Partner, Nikos Fragos, our Senior Counsel, Sophia Mavridou and our HR Manager, Aimilia Antonopoulou, about the activities, culture, and values of our firm. Our trainee lawyers, Katerina Stathakarou, Tina Sofianou, Athanasios Christou, Vasiliki Maria Papanastasiou and Aspasia Stellakatou Loverdou, enriched our presentation by sharing their personal experience of working with us.

During the second day, along with our Partner, Vassiliki Salaka, we had plenty of fruitful discussions with law students who explore their career opportunities and are eager to develop further their skills.

Both days filled us with hope and optimism for the next generation of lawyers in our country.

We would like to congratulate ELSA Athens for such a successful event! See you all next year!

What caused the recent crises in the US and in Switzerland? What are the lessons learned from them?

Read more on the file below.

For 17 years our firm and partners are top ranked in Chambers and Partners Europe 2023!

Congratulations to our Managing Partner, Catherine Karatzas, named for third consecutive year as “Eminent Practitioner”, our Partners Christina Faitakis, Vassiliki Salaka, Anna Manda, Alexandra Kondyli, Nikos Fragos, Top Ranked in Banking & Finance, Corporate/Commercial, Real Estate, Competition law and TMT. We also proudly announce, the entry of our Partner Valia Apostolopoulou, Head of our Energy team, in the Energy practice rankings.

We are honored to receive our clients’ feedback proving our firm’s dedication and commitment for yet another year. Most importantly, we thank our people for their professionalism and hard work, as they are an integral part of our success.

When “nice to have” becomes “must have”, our Partner Christina Faitakis discusses the challenges of ESG rules’ implementation in the corporate structure, during the The Legal 500 (Legalease) GC Summit 2023 Greece, on Wednesday 15 March, at St. George Lycabettus Hotel.

We look forward to hearing the views and experience of Dimitris Tzavaras, Senior Manager, Tax & Legal – ESG Services, PwC Greece, Stamatis Varsamos, Senior Legal Advisor, Athens International Airport and Spyros Venetsianos, Deputy General Manager, Eurobank.

For more information: https://www.legal500.com/events/gc-summit-greece-2023/#overview

K&P is participating in the 1st Job Fair organized by ELSA Athens on 10 & 11 March at Serafio, in the city of Athens!

During the job fair, the law students will have the opportunity to meet our people (Partners, Associates, Trainees and HR) and learn more about our firm’s culture, working environment and day to day practice.

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

For more information: https://lnkd.in/dJMdf7dV

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2023, K&P proudly reports that 77% of our people are women and our managing partner and majority of partners are women.

Equal opportunities and an inclusive environment represent fundamental principles for K&P. We embrace diversity and strive on creating an even more inclusive world where all genders will be treated equally without any discrimination.

In tribute of IWD2023, our firm, for a second consecutive year, reinforces the action of Diotima Centre, through a donation to support the program of legal aid for low-income women survivors of gender-based violence.

Diotima Centre, is a non-profit organization which provides a series of services aimed at supporting and empowering women.

Our firm has advised Österreichische Post AG in connection with the acquisition of an 80% stake in the Greek technology services provider Agile Actors and the strategic cooperation between them.

Agile Actors is one of Greece’s largest and most dynamic software development and data engineering organisations.

With annual revenue of about € 2.5 billion, Austrian Post is Austria’s leading logistics and postal service provider, with an ambitious digital transformation plan. The Austrian Post Group is also active through its subsidiaries in the areas of telecommunications, e-commerce, financial services through bank99 and now with Agile Actors in technology services.

Our core team was led by Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris, our Senior Associate Olga Vinieri and our Trainee Pinelopi Anyfanti. Our team has also included:
–          for corporate, commercial and financing matters: our Associate Vassiliki Nikolaou and our Trainee Tina Sofianou;
–          for employment law matters: our Partner Aggeliki Tsatsi and our Trainee Katerina Basta;
–          for real estate matters: our Associate Mara Skiada.

Explosive growth in the logistics sector!

Our real estate team is proud to have advised PRODEA Investments, regarding the acquisition of Thetis Ktimatiki-Emporiki S.A., owner of an energy efficient logistics complex of 59,015 sq.m., in an area of 146,000 sq.m. in Aspropyrgos, Attica.

Our team was led by our Senior Associate Alexandros Anagnostopoulos, assisted by our Associates Pantelis Zalokostas, Maria Asimeli, Christina Zevla and Maria Vamvaka.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/dg5iF3qk

We are proud to have advised Kpler, the leading provider of commodities data, analytics and market insight, on all Greek law aspects relating to the acquisition of MarineTraffic, the Athens-based provider of global ship-tracking data and maritime analytics. The deal follows an earlier acquisition of FleetMon, a well-known AIS data service provider, by MarineTraffic, resulting in a coordinated double acquisition for Kpler in the maritime analytics space.

Our team was led by our Partner Anna Manda, assisted by our Associates Stavroula Simitzi, Dimitra Vytogianni, Regina Keramida, Maria-Christina Raptopoulou and our Trainee Lawyer Mariana Gravani. Aggeliki Tsatsi, Partner and head of Employment, supported by our Associate Anna Pechlivanidi, advised on all employment aspects of the transaction while our Associate, Alkmini Basakarou, advised on Real Estate law matters.

Congratulations and many thanks for the excellent cooperation to all legal teams involved in the transaction: Cooley LLP (UK), the lead advisors of Kpler, and Lambadarios Law Firm and Reed Smith LLP (UK) who advised the shareholders of MarineTraffic.

For more information: https://www.kpler.com/blog/kpler-acquires-marinetraffic-and-fleetmon-for-maritime-sector-expansion 

“A great success comes along with a great team.”

Having these words in our mind as an inspiration, we aim to create an ever-growing team of valuable professionals!

More specifically, in 2022, we added 25 new members to our team, who have already contributed to a large number of innovative and ground-breaking projects.

We would like to thank them for their inspiration, new ideas and enthusiasm!

Would you like to be part of our amazing, award-winning team? Check our openings and apply now!

Learn more: https://karatza-partners.gr/careers/

Our firm proudly acted as legal advisor to REDS S.A., a subsidiary of the ELLAKTOR GROUP, in connection with the issuance of a secured bond loan of up to EUR 71 million by its 100% subsidiary GYALOU EMPORIKI KAI TOURISTIKI MONOPROSOPI A.E., for the purchase of the land in Gournes, Heraklion, Crete from the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF / ΤΑΙΠΕΔ).

The acquisition and development of the Gournes seaside property, former US base, which covers an area of 345,567 square meters, is one of the largest and most significant investments, which is planned to be completed by REDS S.A. together with international and domestic investors within the next five years. This project paves the way for the remarkable tourist and commercial development in Crete expecting to generate enormous benefits to the local society and the Greek economy in general.

Our team was led by our Partner Nikos Fragos, assisted by our Associate, Evanthia (Evi) Dimou and our Trainee Lawyers Tina Sofianou and Eleni-Amalia Giannakopoulou. Real estate issues were handled by our Associate Pantelis Zalokostas.

Our firm contributed to issue no. 12/2022 of “Theory and Practice of Administrative Law” (in Greek, Θεωρία και Πράξη Διοικητικού Δικαίου) law journal (see p. 1419 et seq.), published by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI (content in Greek).

Our Senior Cοunsel Sophia Mavridou, specialized in Public Procurement, shares her thoughts and comments on judgement no. 470/2022 of the Thessaloniki Administrative Court of First Instance under the subject “Proceedings of articles 105 and 106 of Introductory Law to the Civil Code (ΕισΝΑΚ) against a municipality as a contracting authority”.

The “skyline” of the Greek real estate market changes and we are thrilled to participate in what is considered to be the largest open market real estate portfolio transaction in Greece in recent years!

Our firm advised Alpha Bank in forming with DIMAND S.A. and Premia Properties REIC an equity partnership in real estate investment, through the sale of a EUR 438 million real estate portfolio (Project Skyline), comprising of 573 assets of multiple types, including offices, commercial real estate, residential and industrial/logistics assets, with a gross area of c. 500,000 sq.m.

Our team was led by our Real Estate Partner Vassiliki Salaka, assisted by Sophia Mavridou, Senior Counsel, Alexandros Anagnostopoulos, Senior Associate, Aristides Makripodis, Associate, and Katerina Stathakarou, Trainee Lawyer.

Specific tax law matters were handled by our Tax Partner Georgios Minoudis, assisted by Eleonora Ligoutsikou, Senior Associate.

Our Partner Alexandra Kondyli advised on capital markets’ matters, assisted by Maria Chronaki, Senior Associate.

Due diligence matters were handled by Senior Associates Argyro Vagia and AIKATERINI TOUMPANOU, and Associates Maria Asimeli, Alkmini Basakarou, Apostolos Latsonas, Mara Skiada and Christina Zevla.

Competition law issues of the project were handled by our Competition Partner Anna Manda, assisted by Associates Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria-Christina Raptopoulou.

Other matters were handled by our Partners Christina Faitakis and Nikos Fragos, our Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris and our Senior Associate Vassilis Goulielmos.

For more information:
https://lnkd.in/dnn4p2tH

Our firm acts as legal advisor to Eurobank and Alpha Bank, in connection with the financing of Meton Energy S.A., a joint venture of RWE Renewables and PPC Renewables – ΔΕΗ Ανανεώσιμες, for granting a long-term financing of €144 million, regarding the implementation of a 210MW PV portfolio in Amyntaio, located in the Western Macedonia region, Greece.

The financing includes funds sourced from the “Greece 2.0” National Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRF), seamlessly blended with the Greek Banks’ resources to further support the private investment in the RES sector.

We would like to thank our clients for their trust and cooperation.

We are delighted to be nominated for the GCR Award for Regional firm of the year – Europe by the Global Competition Review.

In a very active past year for competition law in Greece, our team has been involved in a large number of cases and has stood out thanks to its creative, strategic and innovative work.

We are honoured to be listed in this impressive list of nominees and would greatly appreciate your support.

You can view the nominees and cast your vote until the 6th of February using the link below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZNtbBvRY0hwbO1f_80pGwX4zp4vtxvmW5ZKfwGz5KHY/viewform?edit_requested=true  

We have advised Cepal Hellas Financial Services S.A. with respect to Project Rebound, the sale and transfer of large corporate reperforming loans from securitisation vehicles benefiting from the provisions of the Hellenic Asset Protection Scheme (”Hercules”) to Optima bank, being the first transaction in the Greek market entailing the sale of reperforming securitized loans back to a credit institution.

Our team was led by our Partner Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Christos Paraskevopoulos and our Trainee Lawyer Mariana Gravani.

We are glad to have worked with our client for the completion of this value adding transaction.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/dZ2dypT4

Our firm proudly acts as legal advisor to European Investment Bank (EIB), Eurobank and National Bank of Greece, in connection with a secured bond issuance by the 100% subsidiary of PPC Renewables – ΔΕΗ Ανανεώσιμες, for the construction of a photovoltaic park with a total installed capacity of 200 MWp in Kozani, Western Macedonia, Just Transition region.

This financing is part of a wider funding cluster for the construction of a portfolio of photovoltaic parks with a total installed capacity of 230 MWp in Western Macedonia, backed up by the InvestEU Programme, in support of the ambitious Greek National Energy and Climate Plan.

This investment is one of the largest and most significant solar energy projects in Greece, paving the way for the phasing out of the coal-fired power plants of PPC. Another step towards Greece’s green recovery and reduction of its carbon footprint to meet the European Union climate targets by 2050.

Our team was led by our partner Valia Apostolopoulou, assisted by our associate, Anastasia Petta. Real estate issues were handled by our team led by our partner Vassiliki Salaka, assisted by our senior associates Argyro Vagia, Athena Economou, Ilia Polyzoidi and Alexandros Anagnostopoulos. Our teams were also assisted by our trainee lawyers Tina Sofianou, Eleni-Amalia Giannakopoulou, Athanasios Christou and Georgios Zervakis.

Congratulations to all the teams:
European Investment Bank (EIB), Eurobank, National Bank of Greece, PPC Renewables – ΔΕΗ Ανανεώσιμες, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Norton Rose Fulbright, TÜV HELLAS, Deloitte, Howden Hellas

For more information: https://lnkd.in/d8kt8vk3

Our firm is the exclusive contributor of the Greek chapter of the Lexology Getting The Deal Through Labour & Employment 2022 guide.

Our Partner & Head of Employment dpt., Angeliki Tsatsi, provides her insight on recent Greek employment law developments and trends, including on the impact of the MeToo movement on workplace investigations of harassment and discrimination cases, as well as on restrictive covenants on departing employees.

Read our contribution by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

We are delighted that our competition team, led by Anna Manda, has once again been recognized as a Recommended law firm in the GCR 100 annual rankings of the leading competition practices in Greece for 2023.

We would like to thank our clients for their ongoing trust and support and reiterate our commitment to maintain the high level of services that they are used to from our practice.

We would also like to express our gratitude to our people, who are an integral part of our success, for their hard and exceptional work throughout 2022.

We advised Wirtgen Invest Energy GmbH, an international investor in the Energy market, on the acquisition of the company FOTOVOLTAIKOS STATHMOS MARGARITI SINGLE MEMBER S.A., a substantially licensed Greek SPV for the development and operation of a photovoltaic power plant portfolio of 50 MWp, it being the first investment of Wirtgen Invest Energy GmbH in the Greek RES market.

Our team was led by our Partner, Nikos Fragos and our Senior Counsel, Sophia Mavridou, assisted by our Senior Associate, Ilia Polyzoidi (on real estate matters), our Associates, Konstantina Meletiadou, Anastasia Petta, Nikos Stefas (on regulatory matters), Anastasia Mourmouti (on financing matters), Maria-Christina Raptopoulou (on corporate matters), and our Trainee Lawyer, Tina Sofianou. The tax matters of the transaction were handled by our Senior Associate, Eleonora Ligoutsikou and our Trainee Lawyer, Katerina Stathakarou.

Our firm has proudly advised J.P. Morgan (JPM) in connection with the Greek law aspects of closing a transaction for the acquisition of a 48.5% ownership stake in Viva Wallet S.A. (Viva), a leading European cloud-based payments fintech company and the first “unicorn” in Greek history.

This strategic investment of JPM in Viva is a groundbreaking deal, which reinforces confidence in the Greek economy and Greece’s thriving technology ecosystem. Viva is an innovator in digital payments with omnichannel merchant acquiring capabilities. It holds a banking and an electronic money institution license in Greece and operates local branches in 24 European markets.

Our team was led by our Partner Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris, our Senior Associate Olga Vinieri and our Associate Iliana Ioannou.

Our team has also included:
– For corporate law and general legal matters: our Partner Vassiliki Salaka, our Senior Associates Vassilis Goulielmos and AIKATERINI TOUMPANOU, our Associates Stavroula Simitzi, Vassiliki Nikolaou, Regina Keramida, Angela Boletsi, Konstantinos G. Bairaktaris, and our Trainee Lawyers Apostolos Latsonas, Mariana Gravani, Thanasis Christou, Eleni-Amalia Giannakopoulou, Georgios Zervakis and Vassiliki Papanastasiou,
– For regulatory matters: our associate Sergios Charalambous,
– For tax law matters: our Partner Georgios Minoudis, our Senior Associate Eleonora Ligoutsikou and our Trainee Lawyer Katerina Stathakarou,
– For employment law matters: our Partner Aggeliki Tsatsi and our Trainee Lawyer Pinelopi Anyfanti,
– For real estate matters: our Senior Associate Alexandros Anagnostopoulos and our Associate Mara Skiada.

Our firm advised ELLAKTOR GROUP in the context of the sale of 75% of the Renewable Energy Sources division to Motor Oil Renewable Energy (MORE). The RES division of Ellaktor Group consists of operating parks with a total capacity of 493 MW as well as a pipeline of parks with a total capacity of 1,6 GW.

The transaction constitutes one of the largest acquisitions in terms of enterprise value in the Greek Energy market, valued at approx. EUR 995m. Within the context of this transaction, the Ellaktor Group refinanced several of its debt obligations and secured new financing.

Our team was led by our partner Alexandros Metallinos, assisted, in the context of the M&A transaction, by our senior associate Marina Chronaki and our associate Regina Keramida and in the context of the finance transaction, by our senior associate, Vassilis Goulielmos and our associate, Konstantina Chiotis. Our partner Aggeliki Tsatsi advised on the employment law matters of the transaction.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the Christmas bazaar of 4 charitable organizations, Make-A-Wish Greece, ELEPAP, EEA Margarita and ELPIDA Association. Our people along with our neighbors at The Orbit were delighted to support the humanitarian work of these organizations and at the same time to contribute to their cause by purchasing the amazing creations of their beneficiaries that add a heartwarming touch to Christmas Holidays.

Make-A-Wish Greece grants wishes that have the power to transform the lives of children with critical illnesses. More information: https://makeawish.gr/en/

ELEPAP is the oldest charitable organization in the country, with more than 80 years of service. Their vision is to offer to all children with disabilities the care they need. More information: https://elepap.gr/en/

EEA Margarita vision is the equality of people with intellectual disabilities within the community by offering them the methods, tools, and support to live their lives to the fullest. More information: https://lnkd.in/gRrVYjjy

ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with cancer was founded in 1990, and since then it has actualized a comprehensive framework of treatment and support for children suffering from cancer and for their families. More information: https://elpida.org/en/

We have advised PAPOUTSANIS SA in connection with receiving a €12 million loan provided by EBRD’s Greek RRF Co-Financing Framework.

PAPOUTSANIS SA is a leading Greek manufacturer with a rich heritage and one of the largest manufacturers of soap and liquid cosmetics in Europe.

The loan granted by EBRD aims at enabling the company upgrade its production system and reduce energy consumption and is under the EBRD’s Greek RRF Co-Financing Framework and will be implemented as part of the Greece2_0, funded by Next Generation EU.

Our team was led by our Partner, Georgios Minoudis, assisted by Katerina Dalamara, Senior Counsel, Vassiliki Nikolaou, Associate and Tina Sofianou, Trainee Lawyer.

K&P team led by Christina Faitakis acts as Greek law legal advisor to Hellas Gold S.A. in a €680 million project financing facility for the full restart of the development of the Skouries Project, a world-class gold and copper asset.

This transformational project, which will create significant social and economic value for Greece and the local communities, is the first project finance mining deal in Greece.

Last week, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that is marked on the 25th of November, we had the pleasure of welcoming to our offices Ms. Calypso Goula, Attorney at Law and Secretary General for Demography and Family Policy and Gender Equality in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and Ms. Thouli Parasoglou, Attorney at Law, LL.M, member of the Greek Family Law Association.

During our fruitful discussion we elaborated on issues that relate to the social causes of domestic violence incidents, which have increased during recent years, with the aim of raising awareness regarding the protection tools that the state offers to domestic violence victims.

It was a great opportunity for our people to find out how they can intervene if they witness an incident of gender-based or domestic violence, or how they can protect victims of such incidents.

We would like to thank Ms. Goula and Ms. Parasoglou for the inspiring and motivational discussion!

For more information: https://lnkd.in/duyRC6qh

We have advised National Bank of Greece in relation to the sale of 51% of the share capital of NBG Pay S.A. to EVO Payments Inc, for a cash consideration of €158m, valuing NBG’s Merchant Acquiring Business at €310m. NBG Pay S.A. forms the basis of the Joint Venture partnership between the National Bank of Greece and [EVO Payments, Inc.], a leading payment technology and services provider in relation to merchant acquiring and payments solutions with a presence in over 50 markets worldwide.

NBG previously contributed the payment acceptance business to NBG Pay through a spin-off. In addition, it is noted, a long-term exclusive commercial agreement was signed between NBG, NBG Pay and EVO.

Τhis partnership is expected to create significant value from synergies that will arise through the combination of NBG’s large customer base and EVO’s technological expertise in payment services.
It is significant that all transaction documents are governed by Greek law.

Our team was led by our Managing Partner, Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel, Christos Paraskevopoulos and Associates, Iliana Ioannou and Aris – Nikolaos Papadopoulos, whereas our Partner, Aggeliki Tsatsi, advised on all employment law aspects of the transaction.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/dmrXzVZ5

We are very happy to announce the successful completion of a GBP 200 million senior preferred bonds issuance by National Bank of Greece (the Bank) under the GMTN Program of the Bank which was successfully placed in the international capital markets (the Notes).

The deal is the first offering in this currency from a Greek bank since 2009 with 70% of the Notes allocated to foreign investors.

The issuance is part of the Bank’s strategy to increase its Minimum Required Eligible Liabilities (MREL), which is a supervisory requirement for all systemic banks.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. acted as joint bookrunner of the issuance.

The capital markets and financial regulation matters were handled by our partner Alexandra Kondyli assisted by our Senior Associate Maria Chronaki and the tax matters were handled by our tax team (Eleonora Ligoutsikou, Georgios Minoudis, Katerina Stathakarou).

Many thanks to our client for giving us the opportunity to participate in fascinating transactions all these years.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/dM3CgVJA

Our firm is very proud to have supported the publication “The Jews of Greece”, a collective volume published by “Alexandria Publications”, in collaboration with the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).

In the context of our country’s Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2021, which also coincided with the 200th anniversary of the Greek revolution of 1821, our firm took the initiative to sponsor the writing of this collective volume in order to honor the Jewish presence in Greece.

The book launch of “The Jews of Greece” took place on Tuesday 29th November at the The Benaki Museum. Our partner Georgios Minoudis addressed a greeting during an emotional gathering including academics, journalists, authors, representatives from the political and cultural sectors of Greece and Jewish community members.

Read more about “The Jews of Greece” here: https://lnkd.in/dZcVuSXU

We are proud to have advised Waterwheel Capital Management, LP in relation to Sunrise III, the latest HAPS securitization transaction originated by Piraeus Bank, involving an NPE portfolio of €0.5 billion GBV.

Our client has agreed to purchase 51% of the mezzanine and junior notes, subject to customary conditions precedent.

Our team was led by our Partner, Christina Faitakis and our Senior Associate, Sonia Saranti.

We are very happy that we have advised National Bank of Greece in relation to the very successful issuance of the €500m senior preferred bonds with a coupon of 7.25% and a yield of 7.50% and its placement with the internal capital markets. The bonds issued mature in five years and are callable in four years. The issuance took place as part of the Bank’s strategy to increase its Minimum Required Eligible Liabilities (MREL), in the context of the supervisory requirement which applies to all systemic banks.

The transaction attracted interest in excess of €1.1 billion, with the participation of more than 100 institutional investors. More than 60% of the bond was allocated to international institutional investors.
BofA Securities, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE, IMI Intesa Sanpaolo, Nomura and UBS acted as joint bookrunners of the issuance.

Our Capital Markets and Financial Regulation team was led by our partner Alexandra Kondyli and our Senior Associate Maria Chronaki, assisted by Sergios Charalambous and Dimitris Passas. The tax matters of the transaction were handled by our partner, Georgios Minoudis, assisted by our Senior Associate Eleonora Ligoutsikou and our Trainee Lawyer Katerina Stathakarou.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/deGZfkjF

We have advised National Bank of Greece on the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with EPSILON NET and its main shareholder, for the conclusion of a strategic cooperation agreement as well as for the acquisition of a minority stake in EPSILON NET, implementing the bank’s strategy to expand operations through collaborations in the field of fintech.

The MoU with EPSILON NET foresees the conclusion of a long-term, exclusive cooperation between EPSILON NET and NBG with the aim of joint design, development and distribution of products and services, whereas the MoU with the main shareholder, Mr. Ioannis Michos provides for the acquisition by NGE of a minority interest of 7.5% of the total share capital of EPSILON NET held by the main shareholder, as well as the possibility of obtaining from the same a further stake of 7.5% after three years.

Our team was led by our Partner Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Christos Paraskevopoulos and Senior Associates Eleana Rouga and Olga Vinieri. Our competition team was led by our partner, Anna Manda, assisted by our associate Maria Kallidopoulou.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/gWVZRGqr

We are pleased to be sponsoring the 2nd panhellenic conference on public contracts and concessions, organized by «Theory and Practice of Administrative Law» and NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI , under the auspices of the Hellenic Single Public Procurement Authority (“H.S.P.P.A”), which is taking place on November 23rd.

Our senior counsel, Sophia Mavridou, is participating as a speaker in “The need for rapid contracting, in relation to the need to protect the interests of economic operators and provide effective legal protection” panel, addressing issues that concern article 368 of Law 4412/2016 (recourse for the annulment of a contract).

For more information and registration: https://lnkd.in/dS2j6J6p

Our firm is for the fourth consecutive year,  the exclusive contributor of the Greek chapter of the Lexology Getting The Deal Through Private Mergers & Acquisitions 2023 guide.

The authors of the chapter Catherine Karatzas, Partner, Anna Manda, Partner and Olga Vinieri, Senior Associate, provide their insights into the legal framework for Private M&A in Greece, including structural considerations, filing and consent requirements, developments and trends in M&A transactions and other special considerations.

Read our contribution by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

We are excited to be sponsoring the 5th Compliance conference by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI , which is taking place on November 10th.

Our partner and Head of our Employment Department, Aggeliki Tsatsi, is participating in the “Workplace Violence and Harassment Regulations (L. 4808/2021), Diversity & Inclusion Issues” panel, addressing issues that concern shaping the ethical corporate culture and the consequences of non-compliance with the regulatory framework.

For more information and registration: https://lnkd.in/drqV9R_v

Our firm is a proud sponsor of the 6th Competition Law & Policy conference by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI which is taking place on November 3-4.

Our partner and Head of our Competition department, Anna Manda, is participating in the “Merger Control” panel and will speak about the interplay between the merger control rules and the rules pertaining to control of foreign investments and subsidies.

For more information and registration: https://www.nb.org/6th-international-competition-law-conference.html

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Irene Chartzi, Chrysoula Petroulaki and Sara Tzouvani from the Athens Law School who participated in The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition hosted by ELSA and the World Trade Organization, under the academic supervision of Assistant Professor of International Law, Anastasios Gourgourinis.

The team with their excellent performance, won the Best Written Submissions Overall Award, the Best Written Submission for Complainant, the Best Written Submission for Respondent, as well as the 2nd place of the Second European Round in 2022 and qualified among the four best teams for the Semi-Finals of the Final Oral Round in Geneva.

We always feel extremely proud and happy to support law students through our firm’s sponsorship programs and we commit to continue offering them the chance to pursue their dreams and advance their academic knowledge.

If you wish to participate in next year’s The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition: https://lnkd.in/dgGaJZyJ

Our firm successfully advised the lenders of Schur Flexibles Group, an international sustainable custom packaging solutions manufacturer with presence in Greece through two Greek subsidiaries, in the context of its lender-led financial restructuring.

The deal included the restructuring of the group’s existing debt, the write-down of 75% of its existing debt and the provision of a new financing of EUR 160 million, resulting at the reduction of the group’s leverage.

The lenders legal team included advisors from multiple jurisdictions working in an often-demanding project, with a tight timeline. Our firm advised on Greek corporate and tax law matters with respect to the negotiation of the finance documents and the Greek law governed securities.

Our finance team was led by our partner Nikos Fragos and was assisted by our senior associate Zissis Papazissis and our trainee lawyer Georgios Zervakis. Our tax law team was led by our partner Georgios Minoudis and assisted by our senior associate Eleonora Ligoutsikou and our trainee lawyer Katerina Stathakarou.

Our firm advised Eurobank S.A. on the granting of a bond loan financing of up to EUR 580 million to DEPA Infrastructure, the leading Greek gas distribution operator that recently became part of the Italgas’ Group. The Bond Loan shall be mainly used to finance investments under the infrastructure development plan of DEPA Infrastructure and its subsidiaries in Greece.

Our team advising on this matter included our partner Nikos Fragos, our senior associate Zissis Papazissis and our trainee lawyer Eleni-Amalia Giannakopoulou.

We advise Antenna Group, the international media and entertainment organization and the largest Greek media group, with respect to its participation and successful selection as the preferred bidder in a tender process organised and conducted by Eurobank S.A., concerning the acquisition of a 100% equity stake in the company Village Roadshow Operations, Greece, the leading multiplex cinema chain in Greece, operating under the Village Cinemas trademarks, that mainly shows blockbuster, mainstream, children and family films.

This is a significant M&A transaction in the TMT market given the importance of Village Cinemas and the compatibility of the cinema business with the overall business strategy of Antenna Group.

Our team was led by our partner Anna Manda, assisted by our senior associates Vassilis Goulielmos and Maria Chronaki, our associates Matina Xirogianni, Maria-Christina Raptopoulou and Regina Keramida and our trainee lawyer Georgios Zervakis. Employment matters were handled by our partner Aggeliki Tsatsi, assisted by our trainee lawyers Pinelopi Anyfanti and Katerina Basta, while our Real Estate team was led by our partner Vassiliki Salaka, assisted by our associates Christina Zevla and Maria Asimeli.

For more information: https://antenna-group.com/news/antenna-group-acquires-cinema-chain-village-roadshow-operations-greece/

Our firm participated once again in the Race for the Cure® 2022, organized by the Hellenic Association of Women with Breast Cancer, Alma Zois, raising awareness for breast cancer.

Yesterday, our people, along with their families and friends, embraced this important cause by showing solidarity with all women who have survived and supporting all women who are currently fighting this disease.

Until we meet again next year, to run side by side with all of you!

Our firm proudly supports for the 4th consecutive year the Hellenic Association of Women with Breast Cancer, Alma Zois, through the participation of our running team in the Greece Race for the Cure 2022!

Race for the Cure, represents one of the biggest awareness events in Europe that supports through its fundraising cause breast cancer organizations and hospitals to create awareness and bring together survivors.

Our firm supports through its presence, for yet another year, this great cause and encourages everyone to join this special race this Sunday, October 2nd, at Zappeion.

We are proud to announce that we have responded to the excellent initiative of the vocational training center “Margarita”, offering through the platform “Ergasiamou.gr”, opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities to become part of the active labor market and to integrate into society in an equitable and productive manner.

Our new colleague joined us in June and is already a valuable member of our team!

We remain committed to our Corporate Social Responsibility program and actions, aiming at creating an inclusive society of equal opportunities.

For more information about the platform ergasiamou.gr: https://youtu.be/wugiCCjst1g

We are delighted to be an official contributing firm to this year’s Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide on Merger Control. Our partner Anna Manda, and associates Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria-Christina Raptopoulou contributed to the Greek chapter of Mergers Control Law and Practice. Our competition team is renowned for its merger control practice and has been involved in five (5) out of the (15) concentrations that were notified to the Hellenic Competition Commission in the preceding year.

This stimulating guide provides expert insights on the basic legal framework for mergers in Greece, the jurisdictional thresholds and the notification procedure, gun-jumping, review powers of the Hellenic Competition Commission, and remedies.

Read our chapter by Clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

We’re delighted to announce that once again our firm’s Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Mergers and Acquisitions and Project Development practices have been recognised in Tier 1 in the IFLR1000 rankings.

IFLR1000 rankings reflect our firm’s reputation as one of the leading law firms in Greece, as well as the commitment of our people to provide our clients with the highest quality legal services.

For more information: https://www.iflr1000.com/Jurisdiction/Greece/Rankings/160#rankings

Our firm advised Bespoke SGA Holdings S.A. and EOS Hellenic Renaissance Fund on the acquisition of the company Hellenic Juices Société Anonyme, a Greek company active in the field of production of fruit and vegetable juices, as well as on the financing of the transaction. The acquisition of 100% of Hellenic Juices Société Anonyme took place through a newly established entity founded by Bespoke SGA Holdings and EOS Hellenic Renaissance Fund and is a strategic step for Bespoke SGA Holdings to enter the sector of fruit juices production while it will also expand the participation of EOS Hellenic Renaissance Fund in entities active in the Greek food and beverage industry.

Our team was led by our partner, Alexander Metallinos, assisted by our senior associates Olga Vinieri and Ioanna Stamou, our associates Vassiliki Nikolaou, Katerina Basta, Christina Zevla, and our trainee lawyer Pinelopi Anyfanti. Our Banking and Finance team was led by our partner, Christina Faitakis, assisted by our trainee lawyer Georgios Zervakis. Our competition team was led by our partner, Anna Manda, assisted by our associates, Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria – Christina Raptopoulou.

We are proud to have advised our client, Athens International Airport S.A. (“AIA”), in connection with its financing amounting to circa €1.1billion through the issuance of two Greek law governed senior secured bond loan facilities. The proceeds of the bond loans, which were subscribed by a syndicate of all four Greek systemic banks, namely National Bank of Greece S.A., Piraeus Bank S.A., Alpha Bank S.A. and Eurobank S.A., are used to refinance existing indebtedness of AIA made available by the same syndicate and for Capex funding purposes.

The transaction, which is the biggest project and corporate financing in Greece to-date for 2022 was structured and implemented against a very aggressive timeline.

Our team was led by our partners Alexander Metallinos and Anna Manda, assisted by our Senior Associate, Sonia Saranti, Associates Iliana Ioannou and Nikos Stefas and Trainees, George Zervakis and Tina Sofianou.

Our firm advised Italgas S.p.A. on the acquisition of DEPA Infrastructure S.A., the largest gas distribution operator in Greece form the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund S.A. and the Hellenic Petroleum Holdings S.A. The acquisition marks the successful outcome for Italgas of its participation in the international tender launched in 2019 by the HRADF and the return to Greece of one of the largest gas distributors in Europe.

Our team was led by our partner Christina Faitakis assisted by our senior counsel Katerina Dalamara and our associates Konstantina Chioti and Vaso Nikolaou. Competition clearance of the acquisition was successfully undertaken by our competition partner Anna Manda with the assistance of senior associate Μarina Chronaki and associate Angela Boletsi, while regulatory issues and due diligence were successfully tackled by our energy partner Valia Apostolopoulou, employment partner Angeliki Tsatsi, senior associates Argyro Vagia, Alexander Anagnostopoulos, Athena Economou, Ilia Polyzoidi, and our associate Christina Zevla.

We are delighted to be an official contributing firm to this year’s Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide on Merger Control. Our partner Anna Manda, and associates Maria Kallidopoulou and Maria-Christina Raptopoulou contributed to the Greek chapter of Mergers Control Law and Practice. Our competition team is renowned for its merger control practice and has been involved in five (5) out of the (15) concentrations that were notified to the Hellenic Competition Commission in the preceding year.

This stimulating guide provides expert insights on the basic legal framework for mergers in Greece, the jurisdictional thresholds and the notification procedure, gun-jumping, review powers of the Hellenic Competition Commission, and remedies.

Read our chapter for more expert commentary on Merger Control by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

Our partners, Catherine Karatzas and Alexandra Kondyli and our senior associates, Maria Chronaki and Eleana Rouga are the contributing editors of the Greek chapter in Chambers and Partners Corporate Governance 2022 Global practice guide.

In the Greek chapter you may find an in-depth analysis of the Greek corporate governance framework and the relevant disclosure and reporting requirements.

Read more by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

We have advised National Bank of Greece on the signing of Project Frontier II, a multi-asset securitization of NPEs with a gross book value of c. €1 billion. 95% of the Mezzanine and Junior notes will be sold to investment funds managed by Bracebridge Capital, LLC. National Bank of Greece will retain 100% of the Senior notes, utilizing the provisions of the Hellenic Asset Protection Scheme (”Hercules”) and 5% of the Mezzanine and Junior notes.

The transaction, which received two preliminary credit ratings for the Senior notes, will boost NBG’s total capital by c. 25bps, with the pro-forma 1H.22 Total Capital ratio increasing to 17.5% and decreases net NPEs to €0.4b, near that of European peers.

Our team was led by our Partner Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Christos Paraskevopoulos,  our Associate Stavroula Simitzi and our Trainee Mariana Gravani.

We are glad to continue working with our client for the completion of this complex and value adding transaction.

For more information: https://www.nbg.gr/-/jssmedia/Files/Group/Press-office/Press-office-releases/R-29-07-22-frontier-en/NBG_Frontier-II_Signing_Press-Release_EN.pdf?rev=82a0893107d64dd39eced97db36f1442

Our firm advised the Joint Coordinators and Bookrunners (Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank S.A. and Euroxx Securities S.A.) in connection with the bond issuance of €100,000,000, by CPLP Shipping Holdings PLC, with the guarantee of its parent entity, Capital Product Partners L.P., an international shipping company engaged in seaborne transportation of natural gas, containerized goods and dry cargo. The proceeds will be used to either repay debt or/and to finance the acquisition of new vessels and the remainder of such proceeds, if any, will be used to finance working capital needs.

The listing of the bonds in the Athens Exchange on the 27^th of July marks the second successful bond issuance of CPLP within less than a year. The offering received an overly positive response by investors by being over 3.5 times oversubscribed and priced at 4.40%, at the lower end of the interest range.

Our Financial Regulation and Capital Markets team was led by our Partner Alexandra Kondyli assisted by Senior Associate Eleana Rouga and Associate Iliana Ioannou. Our Banking and Finance team was led by our Partner Nikos Fragos assisted by Senior Associate Zisis Papazisis and the Trainee lawyer Georgios Zervakis.

We are proud to have advised Eurobank S.A. and National Bank of Greece S.A. on the issue by Hellenic Open Fiber S.A., a subsidiary of the Nova-Wind group of companies, of a total financing package amounting to EUR 100 million.

This landmark transaction marks the first application of a Greek entity to obtain funding from the Greek Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) Co-Financing Framework. The proceeds of the transaction will be used for the acceleration of the deployment of Hellenic Open Fiber’s Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Greece, contributing as such to the upgrade of infrastructure networks and connectivity across the country and to the country’s wider digital transformation.

Our team, which was led by our partner Anna Manda, assisted by our senior associate Sonia Saranti, our alumni associate Alexandra Agorastou and our junior associate Nikos Stefas and trainee lawyers George Zervakis and Tina Sofianou, advised the lenders in all stages of the transaction, ie. in respect of the hybrid infrastructure and corporate financing from the banks, as well as in respect of the RRF financing, including in particular in the drafting of the entire package of financing documentation for this model transaction for the Greek Recovery and Resilience Fund’s digital transformation pillar.

Explore our fully updated contribution of the Greek chapter of the Lexology Getting The Deal Through – Initial Public Offerings 2023 guide.

Catherine Karatzas, Partner, Alexandra Kondyli, Partner, Nikos Askotiris, Senior Counsel and Aristides Makripodis, Associate, provide their insights into the regulatory and legal requirements for an initial public offering and listing of securities to take place in Greece.

Read our contribution by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

Reproduced with permission from Law Business Research Ltd. This article was first published in Lexology GTDT – Initial Public Offerings 2023. For further information, please visit: https://www.lexology.com/gtdt

On Wednesday 13^th July, our four interns had the pleasure of participating in an original K&P moot court competition which was held in our offices. They argued on issues of employment law and freedom of speech.

The scenario was about the mysterious leak of a comedic video filmed by an employee, which goes viral and then becomes a deal-breaker for an important transaction. The employer loses the opportunity to acquire a key asset, the employee is fired, and the question remains: was there an unfair dismissal?

The story was inspired by the Harry Potter movies, which made the experience fun for our youngest K&P members!

We are thrilled to announce that our brand-new Alumni Network, the first alumni network of a Greek law firm, has been launched!

At K&P we owe our success to our people; we highly value our Alumni and therefore pursue a lifetime connection with them.

If you are a K&P Alumni and haven’t registered already in our Network, you may join us here: https://lnkd.in/dP2Q_nU6

Our firm advised NOVAL Property, the 2nd largest REIC in Greece, in the process of its share capital increase by the amount of € 21,346,259 through the in-kind contribution of both real estate properties and shares of companies holding real estate properties, enriching its portfolio with high quality new real estate of various commercial uses.

Our team was led by our Partner Vassiliki Salaka, assisted by our Senior Associate Argiro Vagia and our Associate Maria Asimeli, in cooperation with Deloitte’s Business Tax Services and Financial Advisory Services teams, as tax and financial advisors.

Our Tax team was led by our Partner Georgios Minoudis assisted by our Senior Associate Eleonora Ligoutsikou and our Trainee Lawyer Katerina Stathakarou.

Our firm proudly sponsored the 14th National Conference of Corporate In-house Counsel by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI which took place on June 29th and 30th. During the conference our firm held a workshop “The challenges and opportunities in retaining and developing legal talent in a new era, “Life-work balance”, sense of community and sense of purpose in a law firm and in a corporate legal department”, where οur partners, Catherine Karatzas and Alexandros Metallinos were joined by Antigoni Papanikolaou, Legal & Corporate Affairs Director, Microsoft Hellas S.A. and John Apsouris, Group General Counsel, HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group of Companies for an interesting and more relevant than ever discussion.

You may view the video of our workshop here (available only in Greek): https://lnkd.in/ev73C4s2

Our firm, through its corporate social responsibility program, proudly supports the Ukrainian students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).

Today, approximately 100 undergraduate and post-graduate students from Ukraine are enrolled at AUTH. Through our donation, we aim to help them continue their studies by covering part of their living expenses, such as rent and gas.

On Wednesday June 29th, the AUTH organized an information and awareness event where the Rector, Professor Nikolaos Papaioannou, and the members of the Special Support Committee announced the University’s actions in solidarity with the Ukrainian students.

Our aim is to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and support the young Ukrainian students living in our country.

If you also wish to support the AUTH’s initiative, you may contact the Special Support Committee at [email protected].

?: Photopress© Yannis Tsouflidis

We are delighted to be an official contributing firm to this year’s Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide on Cartels. Our partner Anna Manda, and associates Maria Kallidopoulou and Angeliki Boletsi contributed to the Greek chapter of Cartels Law and Practice.

This stimulating guide covers in Q&A format the basic legal framework in Greece, the procedural framework for cartel enforcement, leniency programs, commitments, dawn raids, sanction and remedies, and civil litigation.

Read our chapter for more expert commentary on Cartels by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

Our firm has advised, as to matters of Greek law, Power Factors a leader in renewable asset management software, on the acquisition of Inaccess, a leading provider of integrated mission critical software and hardware solutions for renewable power plants, battery energy storage systems, hybrid plants, and virtual power plants (VPPs).

When the transaction is closed, subject to customary closing conditions, Power Factors will expand its customer asset management portfolio to nearly 200 Gigawatts, serving more than 300 customers worldwide, positioning Power Factors as one of the world’s largest renewable energy software companies.

Our team was led by our Managing Partner Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Christos Paraskevopoulos and our trainee lawyers Mariana Gravani, Apostolos Latsonas and Matina Xirogianni. Our employment law team was led by our Senior Counsel Aggeliki Tsatsi, assisted by our trainee lawyer Katerina Basta, whereas our energy law team was led by our Partner VALIA APOSTOLOPOULOU, assisted by our Associate Konstantina Bantavi.

Our firm sponsored the Athens EU State Aid Conference 2022: Key Issues for Greece, which took place on Thursday, June 23rd at the Ioannis Drakopoulos Amphitheater, University of Athens and was organized by the The CIEEL – State Aid Unit and the Hellenic Association for European Law.

Our partner, Alexandros Metallinos presented the State Aid Framework in Support of Renewable Energy Sources, during the Energy & Environment State Aid Panel.

You may watch the conference here: https://lnkd.in/e_UuiJ8Y

Our firm advised PPC Renewables on the acquisition of Volterra RES portfolio of 112 MW.

This landmark and complex acquisition is part of PPC Renewables’s overall strategy to lead in the green energy transition and a major step towards the phasing out of the coal-fired power plants of PPC S.A.

Our firm, which supported PPC Renewables in-house legal and business development teams, was led by our Partner VALIA APOSTOLOPOULOU, assisted by our Associates Anastasia Petta and Konstantina Bantavi, our Senior Associate Alexandros Anagnostopoulos and our Associates Mara Skiada and Maria Asimeli (on real estate issues), our Senior Counsel Aggeliki Tsatsi and Associate Ilia Polyzoidi (both on employment issues), along with our dedicated lawyers Alkmini Basakarou, Associate and our Trainee lawyer Georgios Zervakis in cooperation with PWC deals and tax teams as exclusive financial advisors.

Advancing diversity and inclusion for all is a key part of our DNA. We celebrate PrideMonth and honour our commitment to these values.

This summer, on Fridays we work from…anywhere!

The well-being of our people is very important to us; as an extension to our remote working policy, we offer to our people the possibility of working on Fridays from wherever they wish.

Today we honour the World Blood Donor Day by organising a blood donation in our offices.

We would like to thank our people who embraced this initiative and became volunteer blood donors. Ιf 2% of a country’s population were regular volunteer blood donors this country would cover all its blood needs.

Our firm supported once again the 8th National Moot Court Competition, which was held between May 20-22 in Athens and was organised by ELSA Greece.

At Karatzas & Partners we believe in the new generation of lawyers and thus we strongly support their activities and initiatives.

Our Capital Markets Law Alert is released, providing a briefing on new rules on the cross-border distribution of funds in Greece.

Read more by clicking on the Continue Reading button below.

Our firm is a proud sponsor of the 10th Athens Energy Dialogues “Energy Security Strategies” Conference, which is taking place on May 26-27, at the Athenaeum Intercontinental Athens.
Our partner, Christina Faitakis, will moderate the Energy Financing and Funding panel, on the second day of the Forum.

For more information and registration: https://lnkd.in/eujGnk8J

Our firm has once again been recognised as a Top Tier firm by The Legal500 in the following practice areas: Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Energy, Real Estate & Construction and TMT, and has been recommended in: Dispute resolution, EU and Competition and Projects & Privatisation.

We would like to congratulate our partners Catherine Karatzas and Christina Faitakis,  ranked once again in the “Hall of Fame” and “Leading Individuals”, Alexandros Metallinos and Anna Manda, ranked as “Leading Individuals” and Alexandra Kondyli, ranked as “Next Generation Partner”.

We thank our clients for their continuous trust and feel grateful to our people whose unprecedented resilience and commitment have defined our firm’s reputation:

“Excellent and creative ideas combined with a pragmatic approach that really differentiates them from other legal firms.”

“The quality of the service provided by the firm is second to none and this applies across seniority levels: they have top-quality, extremely knowledgeable and accessible partners, supported by a hardworking, deep bench, resulting in a well-rounded team and robust legal knowledge across all sectors of the Greek economy.”

Our firm had the pleasure of hosting Choose Life and Χάρισε Ζωή, two organisations that fight blood cancer by raising awareness and increasing the global bone marrow registry. Our people embraced this initiative and their enthusiasm to become volunteer bone marrow donors made us very proud.

Visit Choose Life and Χάρισε Ζωή to find out how to become a bone marrow donor:

https://lnkd.in/ddrpCc-W

https://www.xarisezoi.gr/

Watch our video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUtrLgxVDIA&t=9s

Our firm is a proud sponsor of the 1st Real Estate Law conference which is taking place on Friday 13th May and is organised by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI. Our Senior Associate Eleonora Ligoutsikou is participating in the panel “Aspects of the tax treatment reserved for real estate properties, with reference to the special real estate tax and the various investment tools currently available.”

Eleonora will be presenting the tax incentives for investments in real estate within the Strategic Investments environment (pursuant to the new law 4864/2021).

To view the conference agenda: https://www.nb.org/1o-syn-dikaou-tou-xwrou.html

Our firm advised Ideal Holdings S.A. on the signing of the SPA for the acquisition of 100% of Netbull IT Services Ltd through its subsidiary ADACOM Cyber Security S.A. and for an agreed consideration of €6.3 million.

Netbull was founded in 2013 and provides cybersecurity services with emphasis on Incident Response and Cyber Security Incident Monitoring & Prevention services, through a – Security Center (SOC- Security Operation Center) that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

Our team was led by our partner Nikos Fragos and was mainly assisted by Georgios Zervakis, trainee lawyer, Angela Boletsi, associate and Pinelopi Anyfanti, trainee lawyer. Our senior counsel Aggeliki Tsatsi advised on all relevant employment matters.

We’re delighted to announce that our firm has won the award for Law Firm of the Year in Greece, at the Chambers Awards 2022, which were held on Friday, 22^nd of April in Madrid.

According to Chambers & Partners, “Karatzas & Partners is a transaction powerhouse, acting for high-profile clients on the most complex mandates in the Greek market, while its clients enthuse their significantly high level of service in terms of response time, business acumen, industry knowledge, appropriateness of advice, strength-in-depth of team and value for money. The depth and breadth of its partners’ knowledge ensures that it is able to support every client’s business needs successfully and provide high-quality, innovative legal solutions.”

Our Managing Partner, Catherine Karatzas, commented “We feel proud and grateful for winning once again the Award for Law Firm of the Year in Greece; It always fills us with honor and a sense of responsibility towards our valuable clients and their continuous trust. But mostly towards our people, whose remarkable efforts have made this unique achievement possible. We’re looking ahead towards new challenges to overcome and new goals to achieve”.

The Chambers Awards recognise a law firm’s pre-eminence in key jurisdictions in the region. They also reflect achievements over the past 12 months including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and excellence in client service. They honor the work of national and international law firms across the continent based on the research for the recent edition of Chambers Europe.

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting the Make-A-Wish Greece Easter Bazaar. The K&P team, along with our neighbours at The Orbit, embraced this initiative and had a chance to actively support Make-A-Wish Greece by purchasing Easter gifts for friends and loved ones.

To learn more about Make-A-Wish Greece and their important cause visit: https://makeawish.gr/en/

Our energy partners, Christina Faitakis and Valia Apostolopoulou participated in the Renewable Greece 2022 Conference which will took place on April 14-15 at the Divani Caravel Hotel, in Athens and was organised by The Voice of Renewables. Christina Faitakis chaired the “Financing Greek renewable energy projects” panel discussion, while Valia Apostolopoulou moderated the “Developing offshore wind farms in Greek waters – potential, options, bottlenecks” panel discussion.

It is with great pleasure to announce that our Managing Partner, Catherine Karatzas and our Partner, Christina Faitakis have been once again named IFLR1000 Women Leaders in Europe Middle East and Africa for 2022.

The IFLR’s Women Leaders are selected as the most prominent female lawyers in their jurisdictions and respective practices. It is an elite group of lawyers with outstanding reputation within their markets who either have expertise and experience of
working on complex deals, or who have risen to hold leadership roles with their firms or their practices.

For more information: https://lnkd.in/d5ixnr_n

Catherine Karatzas, our Managing Partner noted at the Delphi Economic Forum VII

“There has been quite some investment momentum built around Greece recently and it’s important to maintain that. In addition to ensuring predictability and legal certainty, we must be proactive in creating an investor-friendly environment that fosters innovation. Regulatory sandboxes that allow firms and regulators to test ideas and collaboratively develop the appropriate legal framework have proven to be very powerful tools in this regard”

Catherine Karatzas participated in the panel “Investing in Greece: Prospects and Challenges”. You may view the video by visiting the following link (available only in Greek): https://lnkd.in/dukbQKJ7

We are proud to announce that we have advised, as Greek legal counsel, the National Bank of Greece (NBG) in relation to the completion of the divestment of 90.01% of Ethniki Insurance to CVC Capital Partners’ Fund VII (CVC), through the transfer of all of the shares of Ethniki to a newly established subsidiary of CVC (Ethniki Holdings S.à r.l.) and NBG’s purchase of 9.99% of the shares in this new entity.
Our advice included assistance of NBG and Ethniki in relation to the merger control clearance by the European Commission, which included an in-depth analysis of potential vertical concentration effects (foreclosure of rival insurers and/or hospitals) and which led to the unconditional clearance of the transaction on 23 February 2022.

The successful completion of this transaction allows NBG to satisfy its last commitment under the restructuring plan agreed between the Hellenic Republic and the European Commission (DG Competition) following the receipt of state aid by NBG in 2012. Moreover, the transaction is expected to be capital accretive for NBG by approx. 90 bps in the Total Capital Ratio as of 31.12.2021.

Our team was led by our Partner Catherine Karatzas, assisted by our Senior Counsel Nikos Askotiris, our Senior Associate Vassilis Goulielmos and our Associate Aris – Nikolaos Papadopoulos. Our competition law team was led by our Partner Anna Manda, assisted by our Associates Marina- Sofia Chronaki and Gina Goudoulia.

We’re delighted to announce that our firm has been once again recognised as a Top Ranked firm in Chambers and Partners Europe 2022 ranking guide.

Our Managing Partner, Catherine Karatzas, is named for a second consecutive year as “Eminent Practitioner” and our Deputy Managing Partner Alexandros Metallinos, as a “Star Individual”. Our partners Christina Faitakis, Head of our Energy department, Vassiliki Salaka, Head of our Real Estate dpt. and Anna Manda, Head of our TMT dpt. have been ranked in Band 1, while our partners Alexandra Kondyli and Nikos Fragos have been ranked in Banking & Finance and Georgios Minoudis in Corporate/Commercial practice areas.

We would like to thank once again our clients for their ongoing trust and support and reiterate our commitment to maintain the high level of services that they are used to.
We would also like to express our gratitude to our people whose hard work and resilience are an integral part of our success.

Our firm strongly believes that the world around us can change for the better through action.
In this spirit, in 2021 Karatzas & Partners supported causes and foundations that advocate for a better world.

More specifically:

Chatzikiriakeio Foundation of Child Protection

We made sure that the girls, supported by Chatzikiriakeio, and their families enjoyed a warm Christmas dinner. Moreover, we undertook the role of Santa by offering the girls that remained at the foundation the Christmas gifts that they wished for.

ELEPAP – Rehabilitation for the Disabled

We offered to our people Christmas gifts from ARTemeis, the art workshop of ELEPAP hosting creations and generating job opportunities for Disabled People.