Hermes Airports manages and controls Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport under a 25 year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession agreement made with the Republic of Cyprus in 2006. Odysseas Frenaritis joined the organisation in 2011 as a senior legal adviser, his first in-house position, and says ‘the biggest highlight of my in house career is being able to assist my colleagues and my company to exceed, for the first time in the airports’ history, ten million [in] passenger traffic’.

To help achieve this company landmark, Frenaritis quickly learned how Hermes’ various departments work together in order to identify risks in conjunction with working towards the annual and long term goals of the company. In addition to advising on issues related to a wide range of domestic and European legislation, he handles insurance claims, advises on various contractual issues, standard operating procedures and disputes. Frenaritis also plays a key role in liaising with government departments and officials and develops and revises departmental practices and systems. Within the legal function he has created a contract management procedure and templates for various agreements whilst also developing a good rapport with internal clients, thus increasing their interaction with the legal department.

Discussing the role of the in-house lawyer, Frenaritis had the following to say: ‘An in-house counsel needs to understand the business, various stakeholders and business objectives, to do his or her job effectively and help the company achieve its goals. Furthermore, the in-house counsel needs to develop commercial awareness and business acumen which will essentially transform them from a mere gatekeeper or business blocker to a business enabler’. Prior to his role at Hermes Airports, Frenaritis had a successful private practice career working as an associate at Mavromatis & Christodoulidou Law Firm and L.I.C.A Law Partners Orphanides Law Firm. He was admitted to the Cyprus Bar Association in 2004 and obtained his law degree from the University of Sussex in 2003.