The ‘very experienced’ team at Bernitsas Law provides an ‘innovative and commercial approach’ to lenders and borrowers across a broad swathe of transactional and regulatory work in the banking and capital markets sphere. Although it handles some more commoditised mandates, the team is best known for its aptitude at providing ’solutions-oriented’ advice on complex transactions, including as it relates to work in the secondary market for non-performing loans (NPLs) and the structuring and implementation of securitisation transactions. The ‘exceptional’ Athanasia Tsene, who is lauded as a ’true business partner’ as a result of her ability to provide ‘sharp and practical advice’, has been pivotal to the firm’s success in the NPL field, work which she combines with other, often highly structured finance transactions. Nikos Papachristopoulos has ’extensive exposure and experience across all areas of banking, finance and capital markets’ and co-heads the team alongside Tsene. The team was strengthened at the beginning of 2024 by the arrival of fintech and payments expert Anastasia Mallerou and Pantazis Karamanolis, who adds tremendous gravitas to the practice in light of his vast in-house banking experience, from their own practices.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'They are a very experienced team with strong expertise in banking and capital markets work and display an innovative and commercial approach.'
  • 'High level of expertise and professionalism, exceptional team and level of collaboration.'
  • 'They are particularly strong at advising on complex financing transactions and provide a solutions-oriented approach.'
  • 'Nikos Papachristopoulos has extensive exposure and experience across all areas of banking, finance and capital markets.'
  • 'Athanasia Tsene is an exceptional lawyer and a true business partner. She provides sharp and practical advice.'
  • 'Athanasia Tsene is a strategic partner for all the legal aspects of the business related to the banking sector.'
  • 'They focus on the client's goal and getting results. They communicate well with our team and they are fully committed to our case. Their legal advice is exceptional.'
  • 'Prompt service and response to any phone calls at any time, with a detailed explanation of the issues.'

Key clients

  • AGC Equity Partners
  • Alpha Bank
  • American Express
  • Amerra Capital Management LLC
  • Apollo Global Management
  • Arena Investors
  • Astir Group
  • Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • Bank of New York Mellon
  • Black Sea Trade Development Bank
  • BNP Paribas
  • Cepal SA
  • Citigroup
  • Commerzbank
  • Credit Agricole
  • Credit Suisse
  • CPPIB
  • CVC
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Elpedison Power SA
  • Eurobank
  • European Investment Bank
  • Euroxx Securities
  • Gastrade
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Hellenic Healthcare Group
  • HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings Societe Anonyme (former Hellenic Petroleum SA)
  • Hoist Finance AB
  • Hoist Hellas SA
  • HSBC
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • Intesa San Paolo SpA
  • Intrakat
  • Intrum AB
  • Intrum Hellas SA
  • JP Morgan
  • Lapithus Group
  • Lavipharm SA
  • Macquarie Asset Management
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Motor Oil Group
  • Mytilineos SA
  • N.M. Rothschild and Sons Limited
  • National Bank of Greece
  • Nordic Trustee & Agency AB
  • Olympic Commercial and Tourism Enterprises SA (Avis Hellas)
  • Olympia Odos Concession Company
  • OTE Group
  • Pareto Securities
  • Partners Group
  • PIMCO
  • Piraeus Bank
  • Public Power Corporation
  • Raiffeisen Bank International
  • RIA Payment Institution
  • Santander UK PLC
  • SMB Holdings BV
  • Societe Anonyme of Maintenance Compulsory Stocks and Trading of Crude Oil
  • Société Générale
  • Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB
  • Stripe
  • Titan Group
  • Unicredit
  • Waterfall Asset Management
  • Western Union

Work highlights

  • Advised Intrakat SA on the structuring, execution and completion of its €100m equity capital raising and the listing of its new shares on the Athens Exchange.
  • Advised Pancreta Bank in connection with its investment in Attica Bank in the context of Attica Bank's c.€473m equity capital raising.
  • Advised Intrum Hellas, acting as co-ordinator, on the secondary sale and transfer to a consortium of a portfolio of securitised loan receivables, with a total legal claim of €285m (project Tethys), secured over hotel and hospitality real estate assets located in popular Greek tourist destinations.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Hall of fameBernitsas Law
Partner Nikos is a leading practitioner in capital markets and corporate and M&A, with a specialisation in primary listings and secondary offerings of securities and acquisitions and takeovers of listed companies. He has been heavily involved in numerous privatizations of State-owned companies and the recapitalization of the Greek systemic banks since 2012. Nikos has vast experience advising on the structuring and financing of mergers and acquisitions, including take-over bids, corporate reorganisations and restructurings and equity and debt offerings.
Hall of fameBernitsas Law
Partner Athanasia is a leading expert in banking & finance, with vast experience in structuring, drafting, negotiating and advising on the feasibility and implementation of international financial transactions, including on security and hedging arrangements. Athanasia has acted in innovative and groundbreaking deals which have paved the way for future transactions in the banking sector. Her broad practice encompasses secured and unsecured corporate, asset, acquisition and structured financings and an expertise in securitisations. She has also been involved in most transactions for the sale, transfer and servicing of non-performing loan portfolios of the Greek banks. She has extensively advised funds and credit and financial institutions on regulatory compliance in the context of all the above transactions, as well on financial restructurings and insolvency proceedings. She joined the Firm in 2001 and her clients include all the major banks and financial institutions that are active in the Greek market.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Nikos Papachristopoulos, Athanasia Tsene

Other key lawyers

Pantazis Karamanolis, Anastasia Mallerou, Maria Nefeli Bernitsa, Kelly Hatzigaki, Sildia Fotopoulou