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?

Since I joined the company in 2020 and since it was still a start-up, there was a lot of scope to implement and integrate cost-effective and efficient solutions to improve the team’s operations. This ranged from centralising contract management through a cloud-based solution to developing an internal ‘legal manual’, ensuring standardisation of processes and clarity in handling different scenarios by leveraging the available IT ecosystem in Microsoft SharePoint. In addition, I worked on implementing various artificial intelligence (AI) solutions into the team’s daily routine. As an example, ChatGPT was used as a training tool capable of providing immediate information and reducing learning curves, especially as much of the team had limited industry experience.

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

In the last year, we have worked on a plethora of transactions, including successfully securing more than 3GW (nominal capacity) of project pipeline in various M&A deals. We were also able to secure project financing for approximately 200MWp of solar and wind projects. We have recently handled procurement (panels, inverters, substations) and construction projects for around 200MWp of projects. My legal team has secured real estate for accommodating over 200MWp of projects, including solar, wind, and storage, and we are making considerable progress in obtaining licenses across our portfolio.

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?

Choosing to work with external lawyers who align with our company’s values is of paramount importance. The legal services they provide are not just transactional; they often play a role in shaping the very structure of our company’s operations and reputation in the industry. We aim to form long-term partnerships with external law firms that can contribute to strategic decision-making through their legal expertise. The excellent ongoing partnership with law firms such as KLC and PotamitisVekris have been critical to the company’s rapid growth and challenges.

I would absolutely reconsider the firms we work with based on alignment with our values. While technical competence, expertise and reputation are vital, they cannot compensate for a misalignment of values. A partnership that compromises our values can lead to conflicts, reputational risks, and ineffective collaboration overall.