Event Report

It was a pleasure for The Legal 500 to host the 2023 edition of the Greece Merger and Acquisitions Roundtable in Athens, alongside Pavlos Masouros, Managing Partner at Masouros and Partners.

The discussion spanned key sectors driving economic development in Greece, offering invaluable insights into the country’s evolving business landscape.

The roundtable opened with a focus on the energy sector. Argyris Economou, Chief Legal Officer at PPC (Public Power Corporation), set the tone by delving into the integration of ESG standards into M&A and Due Diligence, underscoring its growing significance.

Konstantina Soultati, Senior Legal Counsel at Lightsource BP, then shed light on the challenges and opportunities facing Greek companies in the renewable energy solutions (RES) sector, particularly with regard to the influx of foreign investors. This led to a dynamic discussion on sustaining small RES players and navigating the sector’s ever-changing dynamics.

Shifting gears to M&A in the hospitality sector, Charis Anastaselos, Chief Legal Officer at Grivalia, shared insightful considerations on selecting outside counsel for deals, and explored the impact of M&As on large-scale and greenfield developments with the rest of the panel.

Amalia Balla, Senior Legal Counsel at Everty, delved into the shifting attitudes of banks towards M&A financing, emphasising Greek banks’ willingness to provide commitment letters. Her intervention extended to the nuanced decision-making between share deals and asset deals in the hospitality and real estate industry.

Catherine Karanikola, Chief Legal Officer at YNV Group, joined the conversation by addressing the linguistic aspect of Greek M&As, noting a rising trend of documentation in English. She extended the discussion to the involvement of international counsel in large Greek deals, underlining the complexity and global nature inherent in such transactions.

Pavlos Masouros then steered the conversation toward M&As in the technology industry, prompting Kostas Argyropoulos, General Counsel at Space Hellas, to explore the influence of technological advancements on deal processes. Mr. Argyropoulos’ insights included the prevalence of virtual closings and AI-based solutions for document review, offering a glimpse into the industry’s near- and mid-future.

The roundtable closed with Orestis Omran, Partner at DLA Piper, providing a comprehensive overview of M&A trends across diverse sectors in response to Mr. Masouros’ insightful questions, offering a fitting conclusion to an insightful event.