Nikolinakos & Partners Law Firm

The firm: Nikolinakos & Partners is an Athens-based law firm built upon a strong regulatory, transactional and litigation foundation.

It has in-depth, genuine and proven expertise in a wide range of legal areas and specific sectors and has gained a reputation for vigorous representation of clients before courts and governmental agencies. The firm’s lawyers have substantial in-house industry experience and have filled senior positions in regulatory authorities.

The firm’s specialisation covers the following areas: telecommunications, media and technology (TMT); digital business; data protection and cyber security; antitrust/competition law; intellectual property; administrative law and litigation; agency litigation.

Areas of practice
Telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) and digital business: The TMT practice has gained a strong reputation for providing expert advice (and litigating) on a range of issues, including: electronic communications; digital business;  data protection and cybersecurity; on-line gaming and betting; electronic financial services (e-banking, e-wallets etc); e-commerce (retail, ticketing, services); artificial intelligence; cloud-related services; IoT; big data; technology-related services; digital media; interactive entertainment; computer gaming; software licensing; IT outsourcing agreements; automotive connectivity issues (regulatory, IP, consumer protection etc); network sharing agreements/projects; spectrum auctions, spectrum sharing/trading.

Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity: The data protection and cybersecurity practice works across many sectors, having a strong focus on the technology, medical, pharma and leisure areas. It offers a full complement of counseling, regulatory and litigation services. It handles data breaches, GDPR compliance and Binding Corporate Rules. It regularly appears before agencies and relevant regulatory authorities, such as the Hellenic Data Protection Authority – “DPA” and the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy – “ADAE”.

Antitrust and competition law: The practice has substantial expertise and experience in the application of competition law in specific sectors (especially in the technology-related fields and in regulated industries) and vast experience in agency litigation (ie application of competition law before National Competition/Regulatory Authorities and Administrative Courts).

It covers, inter alia: antitrust litigation; competition law compliance; anticompetitive agreements; abuse of dominance; competition and regulatory investigations; mergers, joint ventures and acquisitions; antitrust and intellectual property; cartels; state aid. It has litigated, inter alia, claims of refusals to deal; monopolization and market dominance; price discrimination; rebate schemes; predation; leveraging and bundling; exclusive dealing and tying; vertical and horizontal price fixing; non-compete agreements; interface between IP rights protection and competition law.

Intellectual property:  Due to its unique TMT and digital business expertise, the firm handles a wide range of IP matters – both contentious and non-contentious –, including complex cases related to the technology and digital business sectors. It consults on (and litigates) on the full array of IP law, such as copyright, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, IT law, IP transactions, cultural property, anti-piracy, plant variety rights, software licensing and digital platforms.

Dispute resolution and agency litigation: the practice has an impressive track record for successfully representing clients before courts and regulatory authorities. Based on the firm’s TMT, antitrust/competition law, data protection and administrative law expertise, the litigation practice focuses on: i) competition law litigation; ii) TMT / technology-related litigation; iii) data protection and cybersecurity litigation; and iv) administrative law litigation, ie litigating both before National Regulatory Authorities and Administrative courts (mainly court of Appeals and Council of State).

Administrative law and public procurement: the team represents clients seeking to challenge or defend government regulation or to bring about appropriate regulatory action. The public procurement team advises on planning; negotiation; short-listing; contract award; and contract management.

Energy:  the practice has a proven track record in energy regulatory/legislative matters, corporate transactions, litigation/arbitration and environmental matters across all segments of the sector. The team represents its clients before the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) and before administrative courts. It also provides energy law advice to international law firms, which are looking for energy regulatory experts in Greece. Apart from its ex-ante energy regulatory, competition law and administrative law expertise, the team has developed a particular strength in structuring renewable energy projects.

Corporate and commercial: the practice serves as general counsel for corporations and advises on a wide variety of commercial agreements and all aspects of trading law, including unfair contract terms, consumer law, product liability and trading standards. It is active in corporate transactions and has considerable expertise in dispute resolution proceedings.