Team size: Four

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense? 

The challenges that the energy market has faced during the last years have demanded the continuing contribution of Elpedison’s Legal Department to the implementation of the corporate strategy and the protection of corporate interests, bringing us vis-à-vis the task to respond efficiently to the demanding challenges of the relevant legal and regulatory framework. Having in mind this condition and taking into account the human resources of the Department (four lawyers) and the need for efficient allocation of them, I encouraged my colleagues to be involved horizontally in different projects and within all sectors of corporate activity to enhance their in-house expertise and legal skills globally. Thus, the legal team is organised in a way that each of its members is involved, in a rotation mode, in all the company’s projects to gain full knowledge of its operation and obtain the opportunity to develop strategic thinking and become familiar with the totality of the corporate activity.   

In this way and within a framework of high expectations, we managed to provide complete scale services to the company’s departments, observing to the best extent the deadlines and maintaining intact the service rendered in periods of leave. Equally, this approach led to a significant reduction in legal expenses and the orientation of our budget to tasks that necessarily demanded the engagement of external assistance. In parallel, I estimate that by this tactic, we develop skilful law practitioners with deep knowledge of the energy market legal and regulatory issues – efficient as in-house team members, but also maintaining the culture and way of thinking of lawyers – a dimension to which I also insist.   

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?  

The consequences of the energy crisis brought us face-to-face with a series of challenging legal issues. The problem concerning clients’ contracts, concerning the correct application of the respective legal and regulatory framework, has been the primary legal area of practice from 2022-2023. Within this framework, we had the opportunity to handle significant aspects of this highly challenging legal field and be engaged in judiciary and counselling practice. In parallel, I was responsible for coordinating the legal guidance and counselling to the Company’s divisions involved, along with selecting competent external law firms. Moreover, I also engaged myself in a series of public interventions in conferences, legal seminars and press publications – within which I tried to explain not only to the legal community but also to the Greek public opinion the real and accurate aspects of the energy crisis and its impact to the consumers’ rights and billing processes. Overall, the results have been mostly positive.   

Also, within 2023, we marked a considerable success regarding arbitration in the natural gas sector.   

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?   

Elpedison, as an entity, has adopted a highly sophisticated and demanding policy regarding compliance with ethical principles and regulations governing its business conduct. In this sense, such an approach is necessarily reflected in the selection process of external lawyers and law firms, and our collaborators should share our company’s values.   

The panel of law firms which collaborate with Elpedison is composed of reputable law firms and lawyers, either practising in Greece or abroad –having established with them long-term collaboration– and undoubtfully our partners not only share the principles which govern our company’s practice but also, over the time, they have proved that they actively follow our approach in the matter. A monitoring and evaluation process has also been established.   

Within the legal department, we follow a hands-on approach and together with colleagues of the external law firms, we work as a team – being actively involved in the various cases, and the to-date results of such joint effort have been primarily positive. Sharing our company’s values by our partners is a key factor for this successful and positive collaboration status.