Greece and Cyprus 2018 – GC Powerlist
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Greece and Cyprus 2018

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Adina-Viviana Szemethy

Head of legal administration | ‎O1 Advisory

Financials

In her role as head of legal administration for O1 Advisory, Nicosia-based Adina-Viviana Szemethy is tasked with providing legal support to one of the largest Russian commercial real estate investment...

Afrodite N. Dellaporta

Head of legal | A.M. Nomikos Transworld Maritime Agencies

Transport and infrastructure

Afrodite Dellaporta assumed her current position as head of legal at A.M. Nomikos Transworld Maritime Agencies in September 1997. Understanding that her career path is always a ‘work in progress’...

Afroditi Kanellopoulou

Head of legal affairs | APIVITA

Consumer products

A Greek-qualified lawyer admitted to the Athens Court of Appeals and with an LLM in international and European law, Afroditi Kanellopoulou took on her first significant legal role in 2006,...

Alexandra Michalopoulou

Legal affairs director | OPAP Group

Information technology

After 15 years career as senior associate in Athens law firms, expert legal professional Alexandra Michalopoulou moved in-house for the first time when she joined OPAP Group, the leading gaming...

Alexandros A. Pattakos

Legal and insurance counsel | N.J.Goulandris Maritime

Transport and infrastructure

‘My devotion and passion for my work are my driving forces’, states Alexandros A. Pattakos – legal and insurance counsel for N.J. Goulandris Maritime. A renowned legal expert in the...

Alexia Trokoudi

Group director of legal division on energy regulation | Hellenic Petroleum

Energy and utilities

A highly accomplished legal professional, Alexia Trokoudi was formerly head of the legal department of the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy. She explains that this prestigious position – which she...

Amalia Tovlatidou

Legal counsel | Gerolymatos International

Healthcare

Based in Athens, Gerolymatos International is a global healthcare company that can trace its roots back to 1923. With a wide network of affiliated companies, joint-ventures and local distributors and...

Anastasios Sfyroeras

Legal counsel – corporate, legal and regulatory executive director | Forthnet

Telecommunication services

Forthnet introduced Greece to internet and pay-tv and is now the largest provider of bundled home entertainment and communication services in the country. Amongst the company’s 1,200 employees is legal...

Andrea Moundi Savvides

Senior corporate lawyer | FxPro Financial Services

Financials

Moving in-house at an early stage in her professional career and joining a team at a relatively turbulent time, Andrea Moundi Savvides has been able to develop as a professional...

Andreas Petasis

Head of legal services | Eurobank Cyprus

Financials

Andreas Petasis joined Eurobank Cyprus as the sole internal lawyer following its inauguration in 2007, and within three years was promoted to the position of head of legal services, assuming...

Anny Ketentzoglou

Chief legal officer | OPAP Group

Information technology

A Greek company organising and conducting games of chance and a large regional business, the OPAP Group is served by chief legal officer Anny Ketentzoglou – one of the premier...

Anta Chamosfakidi

Head legal counsel | Macoil International

Energy and utilities

Head legal counsel at Macoil International since 2007, Anta Chamosfakidi prizes a proactive approach to the challenges faced by her legal team which allows it to deploy its full capabilities...

Anthia Savvidou

Legal manager | Interorient Shipmanagment

Transport and infrastructure

Anthia Savvidou serves as the legal manager for Interorient Shipmanagement, a company founded in 1979 that prides itself as being one of the leaders in quality ship management and has...

Antigone Papangelopoulou

Head of legal and compliance South East Europe | Nokia

Information technology

Nokia’s resurgence in recent years has been one of the most discussed events in the mobile technology sector, and this promising state of affairs for the company is attributable in...

Antigoni Papanikolaou

Legal director (Greece, Cyprus and Malta) | Microsoft Hellas

Information technology

Antigoni Papanikolaou was hired by Microsoft Hellas in February 2012 as the world-renowned technology company’s first in-house counsel, and consequently set-up and defined the role and scope of the company’s...

Argyro (Silvana) Tsitsirigou

Director of legal and compliance | Pharmathen

Healthcare

An in-house lawyer since 2000, Silvana Tsitsirigou progressed through the in-house ranks of Germanos and Olympia Development Holding before taking on her current role, as director of legal and compliance...

Athanasios Chronas

Group chief legal and compliance counsel | INTRALOT

Information technology

Established in 1992, leading gaming solutions supplier and operator INTRALOT has grown exponentially since. The company now boasts a presence in 55 global jurisdictions with a recorded €1.32bn turnover and...

Calliopi Nicolaidou

Chief legal officer | Hellenic Bank

Financials

As the head of the legal team at Hellenic Bank, the second largest commercial bank in Cyprus, Calliopi Nicolaidou’s responsibilities include managing its legal team of 12 lawyers which advises...

Catherine Karanikola

General legal counsel and operations director | Velti

Commercial and professional services

Since joining the Greek mobile marketing company Velti in September 2009, Catherine Karanikola has achieved an impressive operational overhaul of the internal legal department which has resulted in noticeable improvements...

Christina Hadjidemetriou

Head of legal department | Cyprus Airways

Transport and infrastructure

Since a much publicised cessation of operations in 2015, ending a period of operation which had gone on for almost 70 years, the Cyprus Airways brand has taken on new...

Christina Karakosta

Corporate lawyer and general counsel | Dodoni Ice Cream

Food, beverages and tobacco

The current general counsel at the largest ice cream brand in Greece, Christina Karakosta is a long-serving legal professional with Dodoni Ice Cream, having spent over 13 years at the...

Christina Orphanidou

Head of legal and compliance | Commercial General Insurance

Financials

Established in 1973, Commercial General Insurance is among the leading companies in the Cypriot general insurance sector, operating branches in all major towns, as well as a large network of...

Christina Vasilopoulou

General counsel - Greece and Cyprus | Unilever

Consumer products

Tri-lingual legal professional Christina Vasilopoulou moved to Unilever in May 2017. As general counsel for both Greece and Cyprus she covers a wide remit and, with a long standing career,...

Diana Luca

Executive director and head of legal department | London Capital Group

Financials

Leading the legal department for London Capital Group, a global business based in the UK, Diana Luca brings a demonstrated history of working in the legal sector and financial services...

Dimitra Chatziarseniou

Legal counsel | Terna Energy

Energy and utilities

Listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, Terna Energy is a Greek renewable energy company that pulls in an annual revenue figure of approximately €160m via its operations in the energy,...

Dimitra Tsakiroglou

Senior legal counsel | Vivartia

Food, beverages and tobacco

One of the leading food companies in the Greek market, Vivartia was founded in 2006 following a landmark merger and today it produces and markets its products through its well-known...

Dionysios Pantazis

Head of legal (Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Israel) | Huawei Technologies

Information technology

Fortune Global 500 listed Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei recently surpassed Apple and became the second largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, and has relied on the expansion of its...

Economou Argyris

General counsel | Public Power Corporation

Energy and utilities

One of the most knowledgeable, experienced and highly-respected lawyers in Greece, Economou Argyris has operated at the upper echelons of both private practice and internal legal roles over the course...

Eirini Nikolaidi

Chief legal and regulatory affairs officer | Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE Group)

Telecommunication services

OTE Group is the largest telecommunications provider in the Greek market that operates through COSMOTE, its unified brand for all Group products and wholly owned subsidiary. As chief legal and...

Eleana Spyris

Legal advisor and compliance officer | Eurolife

Financials

Eleana Spyris was promoted to her position of head of legal at Cypriot insurer EuroLife following a successful two-year stint as in-house counsel at its parent company, Bank of Cyprus...

Elena Bosnidou

Legal director | INSS

Commercial and professional services

Elena Bosnidou has enjoyed a number of senior in-house roles in Greece over the course of her legal career which spans over two decades. Between 1997 and 2002 she was...

Eleni Papapanou

Senior counsel and board secretary | Titan Cement Company

Materials and mining

Eleni Papapanou serves as the senior counsel and board secretary for Titan Cement Company, a large multinational cement and building materials producing firm based in Greece. Serving as its senior...

Eleni Providi

Consumer products | AB Vassilopoulos (Ahold Delhaize Group)

Consumer products

The current vice president of legal affairs for Greek supermarket chain AB Vassilopoulos, Eleni Providi was an instrumental part of the biggest deal in the history of the organisation, the...

Eleni Stathaki

Head of legal | Upstream

Telecommunication services

Since 2010, Eleni Stathaki has headed the legal function of Upstream, a leading mobile commerce company in high-growth and developing markets. Since joining Upstream as sole the in-house counsel with...

Elli Photiadou

Head of legal department | AstroBank

Financials

Highly valued for her strategic business advice in addition to her wide legal knowledge, Elli Photiadou occupies a place on the AstroBank board of directors and is head of corporate...

Emmanouil Asikis

General counsel | Deloitte Greece

Commercial and professional services

Part of the UK-incorporated multinational professional services network, Deloitte Greece provides audit, tax, consulting, risk advisory and financial advisory services. Since 2010, Emmanouil “Manos” Asikis, has been in charge of...

Eugenia Papathanasopoulou

Director legal affairs and secretary to the board of directors | Athens International Airport

Transport and infrastructure

‘Confident, smart and sharp’ according to nominators, Eugenia Papathanasopoulou has served as the director of legal affairs and secretary to the board of directors of Athens International Airport since September...

Eva Shammas

General counsel | RCB Bank

Financials

Eva Shammas has supported RCB Bank – a Cyprus-based banking institution with over 20 years of history and thousands of international clients – for the last three years of her...

Evangelos Chrysafis

General manager legal and regulatory | Mytilineos Holdings

Industrials and real estate

Evangelos Chrysafis has been general manager of legal and regulatory affairs at Mytilineos Holdings, a Greek-based industrial conglomerate whose companies are active in the sectors of metallurgy, energy and EPC....

Evita Eliades

Legal counsel | Playtech

Information technology

Market leading gambling and financial trading company Playtech is the world’s largest online gambling software supplier, offering cutting-edge value added solutions to the industry’s leading operators. Serving as its legal...

Evyenia Kelly Epaminondou

| Tek Experts Global

Information technology

Evyenia Kelly Epaminondou took on her current role as senior legal officer at business process outsourcing and IT support company Tek Experts after a seven-year period as a private practice...

George Lekkas

Head of legal division - Capital Markets, Investment Banking, Wealth Management | Eurobank Ergasias

Financials

A legal professional with 25 years of experience in the banking sector, George Lekkas considers his move to Eurobank, a major Greek bank listed on the Athens Exchange, as one...

George Liakopoulos

Group general counsel | Piraeus Bank

Financials

Founded in 1916, Piraeus Bank has grown into Greece’s leading bank with approximately 17,000 employees and operations in seven countries serving just under six million customers. Among its taskforce is...

George Prousanides

General counsel | Motor Oil Hellas

Energy and utilities

George Prousanides is the general counsel of Greek petroleum company Motor Oil Hellas (MOH), which operates the Corinth refinery, the second largest oil refinery in Europe, as well as owning...

Georgia Demetriou

Legal manager | OSM Maritime Group

Transport and infrastructure

Georgia Demetriou is an experienced specialist with a demonstrated history of expertise in maritime law, arbitration, banking law and European law across multiple jurisdictions. Her in-house career in the shipping...

Georgina Panayiotou

Legal manager | Intership Navigation

Transport and infrastructure

A maritime law specialist, having obtained an LLB and LLM in the field before embarking on her professional career in earnest, Georgina Panayiotou is legal manager for Limassol-based shipping company...

Georgios Xirouchakis

General counsel | Olympia Group

Industrials and real estate

Founded in 1980, the Olympia Group has since developed into one of the leading Greek corporate businesses through the activities of his various subsidiaries. General counsel Georgios Xirouchakis has been...

Hans Brems

Managing counsel | Oracle Corporation

Information technology

Formerly an assistant professor at the University of Leuven and a litigation specialist at the Brussels-based law firm Altius, Hans Brems first moved to Athens in 2001 when he became...

Ioannis Economou

Vice chairman of the board of the directors and legal adviser | Jumbo

Consumer products

Multinational retail company Jumbo has been at the forefront of the Greek child and baby care retail landscape for over 30 years. It has over 50 stores in Greece and...

Ioannis Voskos

Commercial support legal director | Hellenic Petroleum

Energy and utilities

During his first 20 years of practicing as a lawyer, Ioannis Voskos worked in in-house roles for a variety of multinational companies. Since June 2014 he has been serving Hellenic...

Ioannis Zakopoulos

Secretary of the board of directors, legal counsel | Fourlis Group

Consumer products

Ioannis Zakopoulos first joined Fourlis Group in 1998 in the capacity of the legal advisor. As part of one of the leading group of companies in Greece and the Balkans...

John A. Apsouris

Group general counsel | Hellenic Petroleum

Energy and utilities

Listed on both the Athens Exchange and London Stock Exchange, Hellenic Petroleum has developed into one of the leading energy groups in Southeast Europe with a presence in six countries...

John Giannakopoulos

Chief legal counsel | LAMDA Development

Industrials and real estate

Part of the Latsis Group and listed on the main market of the Athens Exchange, LAMDA Development is the leader in Greece’s retail real estate sector, with successful diversification in...

John Psomas

Head legal and compliance officer | Pernod Ricard Hellas

Food, beverages and tobacco

Since transitioning to Greece’s in-house market in 2008, John Psomas has demonstrated a high level of technical legal knowledge and business-orientated advice. In December 2013 he joined the Greek branch...

Katerina Galanopoulou

Legal and compliance counsel | SAP Hellas

Information technology

Legal and compliance counsel for Greece, Cyprus and Malta at multinational software corporation SAP, Katerina Galanopoulou considers herself as more than simply a legal professional: ‘Working closely with SAP management...

Katerina Papageorgiou

Head of legal and compliance Greece | Deutsche Bank

Financials

Katerina Papageorgiou is the head of legal and compliance for the Greek operations of world-renowned financial services institution Deutsche Bank. Appointed to her role in April 2012, she has approximately...

Katerina Vracha

Chief legal and compliance officer | Dixons South East Europe (Kotsovolos)

Consumer products

Having worked for it since 1994, Katerina Vracha boasts immense experience of working with Dixons South East Europe (known as Kotsovolos), and is able to draw from an intimate and...

Katia Avramidou

General legal counsel | Aegan Airlines and Olympic Air

Transport and infrastructure

Experienced aviation lawyer Katia Avramidou has been a driving force behind the legal department at Aegean Airlines, Greece’s flag carrier and largest airline, for the last 17 years. Currently serving...

Katia Santis

Chief legal officer and company secretary | Bank of Cyprus

Financials

Katia Santis has a long-standing in-house career having taken up the position of internal legal adviser with the Cyprus Development Bank (CDBbank) in 1991. She spent 22 years there working...

Kirill Shein

Group general counsel | Archicert Limited

Financials

A legal professional with extensive corporate and commercial transaction experience in a number of jurisdictions, in October 2017 Kirill Shein was recruited as managing director and group general counsel by...

Konstantina Schiza

Head of legal | VICTUS Networks

Information technology

Konstantina Schiza is the head of legal at VICTUS Networks, a company that was formed as a 50/50 joint venture between Vodafone Greece and its domestic rival Wind Hellas in...

Konstantinos Antonakis

General counsel | Eurolife ERB

Financials

Having served in senior legal positions at various large domestic and multinational financial services companies operating in Greece for well over a decade, Konstantinos Antonakis is extremely well-regarded within Greece’s...

Leonidas Tolis

Senior counsel - EU South East Cluster | Papastratos Cigarette Manufacturing Company

Food, beverages and tobacco

Leonidas Tolis first joined Papastratos Cigarette Manufacturing Company as a legal counsel in 1999, and in 2003 when Philip Morris International (PMI) acquired Papastratos, he was assigned the role of...

Lilian Kontou

Legal director South East Europe | Air Liquide Hellas

Materials and mining

Formerly a private practice lawyer from 1990 until 1997, Lilian Kontou first went in-house with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Athens as a senior manager in the company’s tax and legal services...

Loukia Kanarini

Head of legal and compliance | IronFX Global

Financials

Loukia Kanarini joined the rapidly growing business of online trading company IronFX Group in 2012, two years after the company was founded. Initially serving as legal advisor and subsequently promoted...

Maria Agathangelou

Chief internal legal advisor | Atlantic Insurance

Financials

Nearly 30 years after its establishment, Atlantic Insurance ranks among the largest insurance companies in Cyprus, employing a highly qualified workforce across easily accessible offices in all cities on the...

Maria Kazamia

Associate general counsel - head of South Zone, EMEA | AIG

Financials

Insurance giant AIG’s branch in Greece is ably assisted by the talented and experienced associate general counsel Maria Kazamia, who heads legal support across the company’s South Zone, EMEA region....

Maria Kettirou

Legal officer A | Central Bank of Cyprus

Financials

Maria Kettirou started her legal career at the Central Bank of Cyprus in 2005 after obtaining an MBA from the Cyprus International Institute of Management. She has been employed as...

Maria Koutroumpa

Legal, human resources and general affairs manager | LG Electronics Hellas

Consumer products

Fortune Global 500 electronics company LG’s operations in Greece are organised under the LG Electronics Hellas subsidiary, and is responsible for the distribution of LG’s wide range of electronic products...

Maria Labrinou

Legal and corporate affairs director | Nireus Aquaculture

Food, beverages and tobacco

A long-serving employee of the Nireus group – the world’s leading company in the production and trading of Mediterranean aquaculture species – Maria Labrinou has served the company since 1996,...

Maria Skagou

Head of legal and external affairs | Vodafone

Telecommunication services

Since her appointment as head of legal and external affairs at Vodafone’s Greek operation, Maria Skagou has made a vital contribution to the company’s “Gigabit” strategy by facilitating the introduction...

Maria Stamatopoulou

General counsel and member of the board of directors | Siemens Greece

Industrials and real estate

German multinational conglomerate Siemens has been active in Greece for nearly 120 years and today continues to offer products, solutions and services that reflect the organisation’s engineering excellence, innovation and...

Marios Andrikopoulos

Legal counsel | ELPEDISON

Energy and utilities

In July 2013 Marios Andrikopoulos joined ELPEDISON Power and ELPEDISON Energy as legal counsel, subsequent to which the two companies merged in 2015 and formed ELPEDISON, and the company became...

Martin Thorvaldsson

General counsel | Exness

Financials

A Swedish national, Martin Thorvaldsson has enjoyed an in-house legal career of over two decades in his home nation as well as Mediterranean jurisdictions namely Malta, Gibraltar and most recently...

Michael Chatzikyriakou

Head of legal department | Independent Power Transmission Operator

Energy and utilities

Since 2011, Independent Power Transmission Operator (known as IPTO or ADMIE) has assumed the role of transmission system operator for the Hellenic Electricity Transmission System, ensuring Greece’s electricity supply in...

Natalie Kedikoglou

Legal counsel, head of legal affairs and secretary to the board of directors | Nea Odos and Odos Kentrikis Elladas

Transport and infrastructure

A member of the Athens Bar Association since 1998, Natalie Kedikoglou started her in-house career in 2003, and has operated in the upper echelons of the profession ever since. She...

Nayia Pyridi

In-house legal counsel | Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Financials

Since Nayia Pyridi started practicing as a lawyer in 2003, her career path has involved a mix of assignments taken in private practice, academia and in legal advisory services through...

Nicole Koulouroudia

Head of legal | J&P Group

Industrials and real estate

Joannou & Paraskevaides Group – better known as J&P Group – is one of the leading companies in the engineering field and has a wide variety of EPC and construction...

Nikolaos Zachos

Legal counsel - head of legal | Intracom

Information technology

A lawyer with an extensive track record of achievement in managing legal services, Nikolaos Zachos currently serves as head of legal at Intracom, one of the largest multinational technology groups...

Odysseas Frenaritis

Senior legal advisor | Hermes Airports

Transport and infrastructure

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...

Olga Papadogianni

Legal director | Coca-Cola Hellas

Food, beverages and tobacco

Having worked within the Greek branch of one of the world’s most recognisable brands for almost 20 years, Olga Papadogianni is the long-tenured and highly respected legal director of Coca-Cola...

Orestis Kanellakis

Manager of the legal services division | Alpha Bank

Financials

Alpha Bank is the fourth largest Greek bank by total assets, and the largest by market capitalisation. As manager of the legal services division for the Forbes Global 2000 listed...

Ori Monheit

Head of legal and compliance | Skywind Group

Information technology

A technologically-adept lawyer, Ori Monheit combines a previous role as a software developer with legal expertise to make him ideally placed to operate as an in-house lawyer in the IT...

Paris Passias

Legal director | Navarone

Transport and infrastructure

With a legal career in Greece that spans over 20 years, Paris Passias is one of the country’s most respected in-house lawyers. In 2015 Passias joined Greek shipping giant NAVARONE...

Periklis Stroumpos

Head of legal | Fraport Greece

Transport and infrastructure

Described by nominators as an ‘experienced in-house counsel with excellent management and communication skills’, Periklis Stroumpos established and is now leading the legal department of Fraport Greece, the local operations...

Petros Hadjiantoniou

Director of legal and regulatory affairs | Cyta

Telecommunication services

Petros Hadjiantoniou serves as the director of legal and regulatory affairs for Cyta, a semi-governmental organisation established with the aim of providing, maintaining and developing a comprehensive telecommunications service, both...

Petros Papaevagorou

Legal officer | Tototheo Maritime

Transport and infrastructure

An outstanding in-house lawyer in the maritime sector, the path to Petros Papaevagorou’s in-house legal career is a varied one, having first begun it in 2014 as a trainee lawyer...

Roman Zanin

General counsel | Wargaming.net

Information technology

Roman Zanin has served as the general counsel for award-winning online game developer and publisher Wargaming.net for the last five years. As an extension of its services of delivering authentic...

Sophia E. Apostolidou

Head of corporate banking legal support division (performing loans) | Eurobank Ergasias

Financials

‘I believe that providing in-house legal support and advice which is secure, fast, practical and business-oriented is an important element for the growth of the corporate banking general division of...

Sophia Michelaki

General counsel and head of legal division | The Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA)

Energy and utilities

Sophia Michelaki assumed her current position as general counsel and head of the legal division at DESFA on March 2007 possessing almost eleven years of managing the legal department within...

Spyros Mello

Chief compliance officer and deputy general counsel | Coca-Cola HBC

Food, beverages and tobacco

Based in Athens, Coca-Cola HBC is a Forbes Global 2000 listed company that is a major anchor bottler used by the Coca-Cola Company, providing bottling services across a range of...

Stathis Mihos

Legal director | Pfizer

Healthcare

Stathis Mihos’ legal career spans almost three decades, and since beginning his in-house career in 2001 he has built up a formidable reputation amongst Greece’s corporate counsel. As legal director...

Theodora C. Mitropetrou

General counsel and corporate secretary, insurance and claims manager | Seanergy Maritime Holdings

Transport and infrastructure

A shipping law expert with over 16 years of experience in the sector, including more than eleven as an in-house lawyer with US-listed shipping companies, Theodora Mitropetrou has been Seanergy’s...

Theodore Koulourianos

Head of legal | Tripsta Group

Hotels

As the head of legal of one the largest online travel agencies in Europe that manages an extensive portfolio of travel-focused websites, Dr Theodore Koulourianos is responsible for some of...

Theodossis Tompras

Legal affairs department director | WIND Hellas Telecommunications (WIND Hellas)

Telecommunication services

Theodossis Tompras started his career at the Greek telecommunications provider WIND Hellas in 2006 following a three year stint in private practice. Starting off as a junior regulatory and competition...

Tzina Prokopidou

Group legal director | INTRASOFT International

Information technology

INTRASOFT International is a leading European IT solutions and services group with strong international presence and expertise. Among the Luxembourg-based company’s 1,700 highly-skilled professionals is group legal director Tzina Prokopidou...

Vassilis Kyriakou

General counsel | Leroy Merlin (Greece and Cyprus)

Consumer products

Vassilis Kyriakou joined Leroy Merlin Greece and Cyprus, the subsidiary of Group Adeo, responsible for the Greek and Cypriot markets in 2009 as general counsel. Following his appointment, he undertook...

Yiangos Yiangoullis

Senior legal officer | Remedica

Healthcare

An individual that is highly recommended by nominating sources, Yiango-George Yiangoullis has enjoyed a rapid rise in the legal profession, since his career began in earnest over a decade ago....

Yiota Krassakopoulou

General counsel, director legal and corporate affairs | Attica Holdings (Attica Group)

Transport and infrastructure

Publicly quoted, Attica Group operates international ferry services in Europe through its main trademark names, Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries. Having worked at the company since 2002, general counsel...

Yota Kremmida

Region counsel Greece, Turkey, South Africa and Africa | Hewlett Packard Enterprise - Greece

Information technology

Yota Kremmida first joined Hewlett Packard as a country counsel for Greece and Cyprus and was then promoted to the position of regional counsel with the additional responsibility of the...

Following the global financial crisis, the economies of Greece and Cyprus have been tackling high levels of government debt caused by the credit crunch and consecutive recessions. Although both jurisdictions continue to face challenges, the outlook is promising with both economies expected to grow over the course of 2018. Whilst Cyprus was one of the fastest growing economies in the Eurozone in 2017, Greece is on the verge of a successful exit from the bailouts which have helped keep its economy afloat.

Austerity in recent times has, however, pushed many companies, particularly those operating in highly cyclical sectors, to cut costs by diverting less resources to their legal functions. Regional GCs, whose roles have evolved in the last few years, now have to navigate legal affairs in an environment of growing cost constraints and reduced headcount.

Despite these difficulties, Greek and Cypriot in-house lawyers have consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience, and have improved their service offering by adopting more prudent legal risk management and establishing better corporate and compliance practices. The role of in-house professionals has therefore become even more relevant across the region, as they now take a central stage in implementing vital organisational change to help their businesses cope with the challenging climate.

In the GC Powerlist: Greece and Cyprus we are pleased to highlight some of the region’s leading corporate counsel. To put together the list, we canvassed opinions from both law firms’ partners and in-house counsel in both countries. We identified lawyers who are not only technically gifted and highly trained, but have also utilised their legal knowledge strategically alongside keen business insight to make a positive impact towards their organisation’s success.

Elias Neocleous & Co LLC

Elias Neocleous & Co LLC logo

We are delighted to sponsor The Legal 500’s inaugural GC Powerlist Greece and Cyprus together with our friends and colleagues at KLC Law Firm in Athens.

Congratulations to everyone who made the list.

All over the world there is increasing uncertainty and conflict, as people and businesses continue to feel the effects of the global financial crisis. Some ten years after the crisis, which affected people in Cyprus and Greece particularly badly, there has been no return to the prosperity and security of the pre-crisis years and there is scant confidence that the stability of the global financial system has been restored. Many people feel, with some justification, that the current political and economic system is not working for them, and they are losing faith in governments and institutions that they trusted.

Against a backdrop of tight economic conditions and ever-increasing regulation, businesses and the individuals who run them are under enormous pressure to deliver results. Both globally and closer to home there are numerous examples of businesses that have cut corners, taken excessive risks and even, in some cases, engaged in outright dishonesty. General counsel and in-house legal teams play a critical role in the maintenance of business ethics and protecting the integrity of businesses and markets. However far artificial intelligence, technology and new business models may advance, nothing can replace the ethics and integrity that are the hallmark of our profession.

Elias Neocleous & Co LLC is a young firm with a distinguished ancestry. It is built on the solid culture, expertise and client base laid down by our legacy firm over more than fifty years. We succeeded in completing the transition to the new firm with no interruption to the service we provide, and our clients embraced the change. However, our ambition goes much farther than re-creating the old firm. In today’s fast paced corporate world, professional firms must be business advisers – they need to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in order to advise their clients effectively, and need agility and flexibility to respond immediately to clients’ needs. We aim to achieve these goals by modernising our internal processes and harnessing the power of technology to replace traditional ways of working and deliver legal services faster, more efficiently and with more added value. The move to the new firm has given us the freedom to reconsider everything we do, but any changes we make will respect the fundamental values of integrity, commitment and teamwork that have formed the basis for our success and made our firm a great place to work.

Before the global financial crisis the demand for legal services in Cyprus was so great that lawyers could not only survive, but also prosper, without any regard for client service. Too much of the demand was from investors who sought to abuse Cyprus’s status as a reputable financial centre and the facilities it provided. Regulation is now far more rigorous and effective than in the past and the unscrupulous operators are being driven out, a development we greatly welcome.

Our business model is based on providing high-quality, responsive service to our clients which adds value to their business. We aim to provide practical, concrete action-based advice that will help them to achieve their objectives, not inconclusive theoretical statements of the law. We welcome the increased importance and influence of in-house legal departments and we work with them to add value to the businesses they are a part of. We encourage our people to be deal-makers, not to put obstructions in the way of transactions, but instead help them find ways to resolve potential issues and manage risk. We work as a team, and we are an unashamed meritocracy, setting the highest standards for our staff and providing them with the best rewards, training and professional support, and unlimited career prospects.

We have always believed, and the events of the past few years have reinforced that belief, that our good name is our most important asset. Our objective is to be a dynamic, innovative firm with the highest standards of integrity and ethics, working for clients who genuinely share our values.

We look forward to working with you.

KLC

KLC logo

It is a great honour for KLC to sponsor The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist for Greece and Cyprus which takes place in Athens for the first time. Congratulations to everyone who made it into this year’s list!

General counsels (GCs) today bring more to the table than just their legal knowledge and expertise. The role of the GCs has rapidly evolved to keep pace with the changing needs of the businesses they support. Acting increasingly as advisors to the CEOs and senior management teams, GCs do not just identify risks and provide legal assessments but contribute significantly to the formation of business strategies and compliance policies. This has been especially the case in Greece during the last years of the grave debt crisis and economic stagnation. Having to cope with complex and diverse issues in a volatile context, GCs have been called upon to maintain a high quality in the procurement of legal services within tight budgetary limits on legal fees.

In such a challenging environment KLC has achieved in maintaining and further developing existing, but also establishing new, strong and long-lasting relationships with corporate clients and their GCs. In particular, KLC has been instructed by and appointed on panels of preferred external legal advisors for multinational groups, international financial institutions, credit institutions, privatisation agencies as well as corporations originating from a variety of industries and jurisdictions.

As a full service law firm, KLC has effectively supported its corporate clients in all practice areas by providing commercially astute advice on contentious and non-contentious matters and contributing to the development of strategic directions within the relative legal and regulatory frameworks. Our client-oriented approach and the coherent internal structure of our team enable us to cater for the needs of our corporate clients in a responsive and efficient manner. KLC’s competitive advantage is the specialisation of our highly qualified and experienced lawyers in various legal areas and at the same time the ability to combine our expertise from various fields and practices in order to provide comprehensive and business oriented legal services.
On the above premises, all practices of KLC have been busy in the last 12 months, engaged in high-profile privatisation and M&A projects, large-scale international arbitrations and commercial litigation cases, complex project finance and debt restructuring transactions. In parallel, we have continued supporting numerous corporate clients by providing on-going advisory services covering all the legal spectrum.

In an ever changing economic and business landscape, our dedication to the legal profession and primary devotion to client service through a well-bonded team of specialised professionals aims at meeting the expectations of our clientele and building a trusting and successful relationship. With this sponsorship of The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist, we hope to draw attention to the outstanding work being done by in-house legal professionals and the sophisticated legal expertise that they develop for their respective companies, which contributes significantly to the legal function and business growth in general.

Jones Day Hong Kong Roundtable 2024

The Legal 500 was thrilled to join a selection of top Jones Day partners and a hand-picked group of 15 the most prominent GCs in Hong Kong for a freewheeling and no-holds-barred discussion on geopolitical risk management at a time of global transition. Steve Brogan, managing partner of Jones Day from 2002-2022 flew over to lend his considerable expertise to the discussion, as did Partner-in-Charge Hong Kong Joelle Lau. Joining them to give expert briefings on the topics of the day were partners Peter Wang, Dr Qiang Xue, James Fidler, Samuel Ngo and Charles Chau. The conversation moved from sanctions and counter sanctions, to the increasing pre-eminence of the Asian economy, to the philosophy of the rule of law in times of crisis.