Ms Effie Papoutsi > Koutalidis Law Firm > Athens, Greece > Lawyer Profile

Cementing its place at the summit of projects and privatisations, Koutalidis Law Firm demonstrates ‘deep knowledge and unique expertise’ on high-profile privatisation projects in connection with infrastructure and energy assets. The team is particularly strong in advising on international tender processes, covering all elements of financing, operation, and maintenance, with the ‘excellent’ Gregory Logothetis being an expert in handling complex public tenders and concessions. With the team operating out of Athens, Nikos Koritsas and Nikos Salakas specialise in M&A and banking matters, whilst Ioannis Kaptanis leads the project finance offering. Effie Papoutsi focuses on project finance issues, Yiannis Loizos is knowledgeable in energy and concession projects, having been promoted to partner in January 2023, and Despoina Koutsou is also noted.

Now headed by Nikos Salakas, who re-joined the firm following a stint in-house at one of the country’s systemic banks, Koutalidis Law Firm provides a ‘cost-effective and business-oriented service’ to a lender-focused client base that includes domestic and international banks across a myriad of new money and refinancing transactions. Project finance is a core strength, where the firm has deep insight into the commercial drivers of transactions by dint of its varied client base, which includes lenders, sponsors and contractors. The ‘analytical, creative and hardworking’ Ioannis Kaptanis is central to the firm’s success in the space, and has handled a number of recent mandates for lenders seeking to refinance debt in accordance with large domestic infrastructure projects. As well as her NPL-related work, Effie Papoutsi is noted for her prowess in relation to acquisition finance mandates, primarily for funders of both sponsor-backed and corporate-led deals. Nikos Koritsas‘ varied practice includes a considerable volume of debt capital markets work, which he combines with his duties as managing partner.

Tapping into experts from banking, capital markets and project finance, the multidisciplinary team at Koutalidis Law Firm has considerable experience handling distressed finance mandates, from balance sheet restructurings and liability management exercises, through to processes under the Greek Insolvency Code. Leveraging its strong ties with Greek banks, much of the work is on the creditor front, often where the firm has handled the original financing. The banking head Nikos Salakas plays a central role, drawing upon knowledge of the underlying finance documents and with deep expertise across a myriad finance products. Corporate finance head Effie Papoutsi is also pivotal to the firm’s restructuring prowess, regularly advising on bank refinancing loans and bonds for corporates, as well as advising Greek banks and investors in relation to the sale and purchase of NPL portfolios.