Interview with: Vangelis Politis, Managing Partner, Politis & Partners

What do you see as the main points that differentiate Politis & Partners from your competitors?

At Politis & Partners we firmly believe that business and legal go hand in hand and we thrive on our ability to combine business acumen with legal strategies that protect both the legal and commercial interests of our clients. We provide lean, solution-based advisory services to our clients, in a turn-around time that is much valued in today’s fast-paced world.

Our cohesive team of experienced business and litigation lawyers is dedicated to offer the global business community the full range of quality legal services in Greece. With a reputation for insightful solutions and personal client engagement, we are committed to a tireless work ethic towards optimal results.

Last but foremost; our women partners and associates are the spearhead of our firm’s leadership. They bring a range of perspectives and experiences to the firm, a thing that leads to more effective decision-making and problem-solving, as well as a better understanding of the needs and concerns of a diverse client base.

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

The legal industry worldwide has been undergoing significant changes in recent years, with a growing emphasis on technology, digital transformation, and innovation. The pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of new technologies and remote working practices, which have led to changes in the way legal services are delivered.

In Greece, these trends are likely to continue in the next 12 months, with advisory legal services firms seeking to adopt more technology-driven solutions to enhance their service delivery and improve efficiency. For instance, the use of AI-powered legal research tools, document automation software, and blockchain-based systems to enhance data security and streamline transactions is expected to grow.

Another trend likely to gain traction in the next 12 months is the adoption of hybrid working models that allow for remote and flexible working arrangements, enabling advisory legal services firms to attract and retain talent from a wider pool of professionals. This trend has been amplified by the pandemic and is expected to continue post-pandemic.

The drivers behind these trends include the need to improve service delivery, reduce costs, enhance efficiency and productivity, and improve client satisfaction. Additionally, the need to stay competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing legal landscape is a significant driver for the adoption of new technologies and innovative practices.

In summary, the advisory legal services industry in Greece is likely to see continued adoption of technology-driven solutions, hybrid working models, and other innovative practices in the next 12 months to meet the evolving needs of clients and stay competitive in the market.

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

We conduct our business in a transparent environment, engage in pro bono legal services and are committed to diversity, which taps the potential of a world of talent in unity. At Politis & Partners we were steadily focused on bringing on board the right mix of attorneys with diverse backgrounds; the experience that they bring to the table varies from specific practice areas (such as capital markets and banking law) to complex arbitration proceedings. We have been investing in building domain expertise in various businesses to allow us to apply commercial considerations to legal situations when we advise our clients.

Helping our clients comprehend and make effective use of emerging technologies like energy storage, Artificial Intelligence, telemedicine etc. puts us in good stead, as we make sure that they remain ahead of the curve in adopting new technologies without any compromise to safety or efficiency.

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

Absolutely, technology is a great tool in the hands of our legal team. As technology keeps revolutionizing the legal industry, embracing technology trends early on has allowed us to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace and provide more value to our clients.

Having our entire office on cloud has helped us work remotely, track the progress of our cases, receive updates, and access documents and information instantly.

Furthermore, we communicate with our corporate clients in real-time through various digital channels like instant messaging, and video conferencing. This allows for faster communication, improved collaboration, and more efficient resolution of issues.

Finally, over the last months, Politis & Partners has been increasingly using data analytics to gain insights into our clients’ needs and behavior, enabling us to provide more personalized and targeted services. For example, data analytics help identify trends in our clients’ legal issues and proactively provide relevant legal advice.

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

We have been providing legal assistance to a high-end tech start-up since their early days; their product, a highly optimized monitoring agent, was developed as an open-source software, posing considerable challenges of commercialization to prospective investors.
As of today, it is used by hundreds of thousands of people at organizations like Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Nvidia and has recently entered into a third round of seed capital investment and its post-investment assets are currently evaluated at 70M$.

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

They definitely are. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, clients need a legal partner who can provide consistent and reliable advice, as well as strategic direction that aligns with their business goals.

Meeting these expectations has allowed us to build long-term, robust relationships with our clients and be successful in the market.

At Politis & Partners, the insight and market vision of our lawyers across the practice areas, allows us to create legal solutions with an eye to risk management and long-term strategy. We are very happy with our achievements so far and the results show us that we are on the right path. With a steady pace and firm hand, we are looking ahead.