The Legal 500

KGDI Law Firm shows ‘excellence’ and a ‘deep level of analysis’ in energy matters. It has acted on several major PPPs, including advising the lenders on 16 school PPPs in Thessaloniki. Gus Papamichalopoulos is commended for his ‘know-how and commercial approach’, and Lisa Eleftheriades is ‘very solid on local law and regulation, and has strong commercial and business understanding’.

Karatzas & Partners Law Firm acts for borrowers and lenders on major energy projects, and represented National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank on the €140m financing of a 104MW wind farm. Christina Faitakis and Alexander Metallinos are recommended.

Koutalidis Law Firm has an excellent reputation for project finance work, particularly name partner Tryfon Koutalidis and Nikos Koritsas. The practice also has a significant track record in privatisations.

M & P Bernitsas Law Offices ‘outperforms other firms in terms of situational analysis, clarity of suggestions and business sense’. It recently advised the lenders (led by Calyon) and the sponsors (including Vinci and Hoctief) on the €1.6bn Maliakos-Kleidi and €2.4bn Elefsina-Corinthos-Patra stretches of the Pathe motorway project. Panayotis Bernitsas is praised for his ‘clear-cut views, constructive approach and solutions-oriented advice’. Dimitris Roussis and Yannis Kourniotis are also highly recommended.

PotamitisVekris has an excellent reputation for major energy and infrastructure projects. Highlights included advising the project company, Heron II, and the sponsors, GDF Suez and GEK Terna, on the €300m development of a 435MW power plant. The firm is also advising the project companies on the €1.1bn Ionian Motorway and Pathe Connecting Branch, and the €1.5bn Central Greece Motorway project. Euripides Ioannou is highly recommended.

Zepos & Yannopoulos continues to advise the Stavros Niarchos Foundation on its €550m cultural centre, which is Greece’s largest private real estate project and includes facilities for the Greek National Opera and National Library.

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm advises contractors on major infrastructure projects. It is advising Balfour Beatty Rail on the electrification of the Piraeus-Athens-Thessaloniki line, and design engineering company Omete on several infrastructure design projects.

Calavros and Partners has a particularly good record advising clients in the telecoms sector, and was heavily involved in the privatisation of OTE.

Dryllerakis & Associates has been active in the energy sector and advised GDF Suez on guarantee agreements for the financing of a €39m energy project. The group, led by John Dryllerakis, also has an excellent reputation for privatisations.

KLC Law Firm is well known for PPP and energy infrastructure projects, and is also active in privatisation work. It recently advised the Consignment Deposits and Loans Fund in negotiations with the IMF over its potential privatisation. Thomas Lamnidis is recommended for projects, and Vassilis Voutsakis is the key contact for privatisations.

Lambadarios Law Firm is experienced in privatisation and projects work. The firm is advising Full Tilt Poker on the ongoing privatisation of the Greek gaming market. On the projects side, it has been involved in several tenders and developments in the renewables sector for clients such as JP Avax and Volterra. Constantinos Lambadarios is highly recommended.

Norton Rose LLP is highly active on the energy front and recently represented Eolfi Wind Hellas on the licensing and development of its wind farm portfolio. Dimitris Assimakis is recommended.

Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners’ Yanos Gramatidis and Dimitris Emvalomenos have experience in projects and privatisation. The firm advised the Greek government on the privatisation of the state lottery.

Cocalis & Psarras has strong experience in privatisation in Greece and across the Balkans. Alkiviades Psarras has been involved in several major privatisations during her career.

Drakopoulos Law Firm has a strong energy projects practice, which has been advising Magenergy on its multimillion-euro hydropower plant PPPs in Mozambique and Congo.

G. Mourgelas & Associates Law Firm has experience advising investors in the energy sector on major power projects, both for renewables and traditional energy production. Recently it advised foreign investors on the construction and financing of photovoltaic energy projects.

Kelemenis & Co handles energy sector privatisation and projects work. It is advising the Greek Public Gas Corporation on all regulatory and EU issues relating to its pending privatisation, and solar panel manufacturer Sunpower in a joint venture with the Greek Public Power Corporation for the mass construction of solar panels.

Your Legal Partners has strong experience in energy and infrastructure projects, and is advising Atese on a PPP for 14 schools in Attica. Katerina Christodoulou heads the team.

Apostolos Georgiades & Associates has a good track record for projects, public procurement and privatisation, and represented the state-owned lottery in an IT tender process.

Ballas, Pelecanos & Associates LPC is well known for its work in the defence sector, and it regularly advises clients such as Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, United Defense and Lockheed Martin on procurement issues.

C. & S. Dimitriou & Associates has experience of privatisations, including those of Emporiki Bank, TT Hellenic Post and OTE. Associate Evy Kyttari is well regarded.

C. Papacostopoulos & Associates has advised on privatisations and also represents developers on public projects.

Paraskevas Law Firm’s strong privatisation practice regularly acts for the Greek government, and is advising it on the proposed privatisation of Hellenic Aerospace Industry.

As well as advising on several significant development projects, Sarantitis Law Firm has been active on the privatisation side, where it represented Agricultural Bank of Greece on the sale of its majority shareholding in Hellenic Sugar Industry. Dorotheos Samoladas heads the team.

Dimitris Tsibanoulis at Tsibanoulis & Partners Law Firm has a good track record advising investors seeking to acquire state assets.

V&P Law Firm has good experience in energy and infrastructure projects. Marfin Bank is a major client.