Europe - Greece
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Commercial, corporate and M&A

Bernitsas Law

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Advising global and domestic leaders, SMEs, and entrepreneurs from the finance, healthcare, and energy industries, the Bernitsas Law team is highly regarded for delivering the ‘highest level’ of service in relation to M&A and corporate governance issues. The practice has extensive cross-border capabilities, frequently dealing with high-profile commercial transactions in the context of foreign investment and new legislation. Based in Athens, Lambros Belessis and Nikos Papachristopoulos co-head the group, specialising in private sector mergers and capital markets matters. Experienced litigator Panayotis Bernitsas, Evi Kitsou, who focuses on company restructurings, and Iris Sotiriou are also highlighted as key members of the team.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Knowledge and commitment to excellence. We have a real partnership.’

  • ‘Nikos Papachristopoulos is trustworthy and has in-depth experience.’

  • ‘Nikos Papachristopoulos is the best M&A and public capital markets lawyer in Greece. His commitment to client service is second to none.’

  • ‘Very helpful and responsive - they go above and beyond to explain local legislation to us.’

  • 'This team has a fantastic dynamic between the partners and associates and they are able to handle a wide variety of complex matters while always keeping an eye on the larger commercial picture, which we highly appreciate.'

  • ‘They provide the highest level of legal services in an effective manner.’

  • ‘The Bernitsas team displayed not only a command of the technical issues, but also resilience and a problem-solving attitude. The team was readily available to discuss, analyse and tackle the many challenges that arose during our project. The team effectively handled both the local and international requirements.’

  • ‘Iris Sotiriou was instrumental to the success of the project. Iris proved to be attentive to details, responsive and maintained the focus and energy required for such a complicated, intensive and lengthy project.’

Key clients

  • BMW Group
  • Bristol Meyers Greece
  • CVC
  • CNH Industrial
  • Helleniq Energy
  • GIC Fund
  • Intrakat
  • Lundbeck Hellas
  • Motor Oil Hellas
  • North Star Group
  • Pancreta Bank
  • Partners Group
  • Percassi
  • RCS Group
  • Saint Gobain Group
  • Viatris
  • Ydrogeios Insurance
  • Vivartia Group
  • Hellenic Healthcare Group

Work highlights

  • Advised GIC on its entry into a strategic partnership with Sani/Ikos Group, under which GIC became the leading shareholder alongside Sani/Ikos Group’s management team.
  • Advising Intrakat on its agreement to acquire 100% of Aktor from Ellaktor and Aktor Concessions.
  • Advised CNH Industrial, a multinational corporation specialising in farming automation equipment and services, on its acquisition of 90% of the Augmenta group.

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.
Nikos Papachristopoulos
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.
Panayotis Bernitsas
Hall of fameBernitsas Law
Managing Partner Panayotis is the Managing Partner of the Firm and a leading legal practitioner, with an active, broad-based commercial practice incorporating more than 35 years of experience in transactional, advisory and litigation work. Panayotis is an authority in EU, competition and antitrust law and has represented clients in prominent cartel cases before the Hellenic Competition Commission. He is a senior litigator, with vast experience in all types of dispute resolution, and represents clients in complex, high stake civil and administrative actions before the high courts and arbitration boards. He has also acted as arbitrator at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Panayotis is an expert in concession projects and privatisations, with an unsurpassed track record of playing a key role in many of the pioneering, ground breaking transactions to have taken place in Greece. He advises extensively on major renewable and conventional energy and infrastructure projects and investments in energy property development companies. His real estate practice is focused on large scale developments and real property asset portfolio investments. Within the framework of his private practice, Panayotis has acted on a number of occasions as advisor to the Government on European Union, State Aids and Privatisation issues. He also advises companies and individuals on complex tax structuring and wealth planning matters and has acted extensively in high stakes tax controversies. Panayotis has been widely published in legal journals, books and other publications in his areas of expertise and is a participant in the annual Forum on International Wealth Disputes. He held the position of Associate Professor in International Economic Law, Law of International Business Transactions, European Community Law at the University of Thrace from 1983-2007.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Iris Sotiriou
Bernitsas Law
Senior Associate Iris is a senior associate at the Firm which she joined in 2010. Her practice is focused on corporate and commercial law, in particular company formation, ongoing corporate governance, advising on issues arising in the conduct of the day to day business of companies and consumer protection law. She is experienced in acting in company restructurings and the establishment of subsidiaries of international companies in Greece. She regularly participates in due diligence reviews in the context of mergers and acquisitions and has worked for clients from a range of industries, including retail, clothing, energy, electronics, automobile, pharmaceuticals and insurance. Her tax practice includes advising on corporate, personal and family tax issues, as well as direct and indirect tax liabilities, reporting obligations and compliance. Iris is experienced in representing clients in civil and commercial contract litigation, debt recovery, settlement and enforcement proceedings and bankruptcy and restructuring litigation.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Evi Kitsou
Bernitsas Law
Partner Evi is a specialist in advising on corporate and commercial transactions, company structuring and regulatory compliance across a wide range of industries with an expertise in the insurance, consumer goods, automobile and other highly regulated sectors. Evi has been with the Firm since 2000 and maintains long-standing ongoing relationships with many of her clients, who turn to her for assistance with issues arising in the conduct of their day-to-day business and the structuring and negotiation of a great variety of corporate and commercial contracts. Evi has considerable experience in share transfers, mergers and acquisitions, corporate transformations, business transfers and asset deals, establishment of subsidiaries or branches of international companies and internal restructurings.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Lambros Belessis, Nikos Papachristopoulos

Other key lawyers

Panayotis Bernitsas, Evi Kitsou, Yannis Seiradakis, Linda Vasaka, Iris Sotiriou, Eleni Stazilova

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