Interview with: Katerina Christodoulou, Partner

1) What do you see as the main points that differentiate Your Legal Partners from your competitors?
I could name in a nutshell 5 pillars of our positioning in the legal market:

1. Flexibility: We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to our clients’ unique needs and circumstances. We try to fit specific challenges or adjusting timelines, we prioritize finding the most effective solutions for our clients.
2. Partner-led Approach: Each client relationship is overseen by a partner, ensuring that our clients receive direct access to high-level expertise and strategic guidance at every stage of their case. In this way we succeed in deeper connections and a more nuanced understanding of our clients’ objectives.
3. Open Management: Our firm promotes a culture of transparency where open communication is encouraged across all levels. This fosters trust and ensures that everyone is aligned toward a common goal, which ultimately benefits our clients.
4. Exceptional Teamwork: Collaboration is at the heart of our practice. Our lawyers work closely in teams, leveraging each other’s strengths and insights, which leads to more innovative and effective solutions for our clients.
5. Ownership Feeling: We empower our talented lawyers by instilling a sense of ownership in their work. This ownership not only drives commitment and accountability but also encourages them to go above and beyond for our clients.

2) Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

In the next 12 months, I anticipate notable growth in several key sectors, particularly real estate, energy, and fintech/startups.

Real Estate: The real estate sector in Greece continues to be a booming market, driven by a combination of factors such as increasing foreign investments, favorable tourism trends, and a growing demand for residential and commercial properties. The government’s initiatives to attract investment and improve infrastructure are also contributing to the sector’s vitality.

Energy: The energy sector, especially renewable energy, with emphasis on storage due to grid restrictions is poised for significant growth. As Greece focuses on its green transition and aligns with EU sustainability goals, we are likely to see increased investment in renewable and storage energy projects.

Fintech and Startups: The fintech sector is emerging as a transformative force in Greece. The startup ecosystem is also experiencing a surge, supported by an increasing number of incubators and accelerators, along with growing interest from investors.

Finally, defense industry is likely to give rise to more legal work driven by the general geopolitical environment

3) What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

The main changes we’ve implemented to benefit our clients include actively recruiting more lawyers and launching a client satisfaction survey. By bringing in experienced attorneys, we enhance the quality of legal counsel and expertise available to our clients, which leads to more effective representation and better outcomes. Additionally, the client satisfaction survey allows us to gather direct feedback from our clients, helping us to understand their needs and concerns more deeply. This insight enables us to continuously improve our services and ensure that we are meeting and exceeding client expectations. Together, these changes foster stronger relationships with our clients and enhance their overall experience with our firm.

4) Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Yes, technology is significantly changing the way we interact with our clients and the services we provide. We have introduced a custom-made software that allows us to keep track of the hours consumed for each account, which not only enhances transparency but also improves billing accuracy. This enables our clients to have a clearer understanding of the services they receive, and the time dedicated to their cases.

Additionally, we are developing a custom-made AI tool for document drafting. This innovation will streamline the drafting process, resulting in quicker turnaround times for document preparation while maintaining high accuracy and quality. Overall, these technological advancements not only improve our efficiency but also enhance client communication and satisfaction, ensuring that we can provide more effective and responsive services.

5) Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

A practical example of how we helped a client add value to their business involved a situation where they were in negotiations with a counterparty but could not reach an agreement critical to the client’s objectives. Our assessment revealed that the primary obstacle was the personality of the representative of the counterparty, which was hindering progress Recognizing the importance of emotional intelligence in negotiations, we approached the matter by fostering a more collaborative and respectful dialogue. We focused on understanding the counterparty’s perspective and concerns, which allowed us to reframe the discussions more constructively. Through this approach, we facilitated a meeting where both parties could express their needs openly. Ultimately, we were able to broker a mutually beneficial agreement that not only satisfied our client but also respected the interests of the other party.

6) Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Yes, clients are increasingly looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms, especially as the legal landscape becomes more complex. In three years’ time, I envision our firm as a leader in providing not only reliable legal support but also strategic guidance that helps our clients navigate emerging sectors and sophisticated legal challenges.

We aim to maintain our existing clientele while actively acquiring new clients by positioning ourselves as experts in areas that are becoming increasingly relevant, such as technology, compliance, and sustainability. By investing in our lawyers’ expertise and staying ahead of industry trends, we will be well-equipped to handle more complex legal matters, ensuring that we deliver innovative solutions that align with our clients’ evolving needs.

Our focus will also be on building long-term relationships with our clients based on trust and transparency, enabling us to be their go-to partner in an ever-changing legal environment.