White-collar crime in Greece
Anagnostopoulos
Boutique criminal law and litigation firm Anagnostopoulos
represents individuals and leading corporations in the energy, defence, aviation, shipping, construction, travel and leisure, entertainment and public sectors. Ilias Anagnostopoulos, widely considered to be a leading name in the market, oversees the department, which enjoys a market-leading reputation for cases involving corporate fraud, corruption, insider dealing, money laundering, asset tracing and recovery, anti-competitive practices and tax offences.
Practice head(s):
Ilias Anagnostopoulos
Key clients
HELLENIC PETROLEUM SA
CHIPITA SA
FOLLI FOLLIE SA
ERICSSON
NATIONALE NEDERLANDEN HELLAS
HALYVOURGIKI SA
ADIDAS SPA
AEGEK SA
EUROP ASSISTANCE
PUBLIC PROPERTIES SA
VAMVAS MEDICALS SA
Work highlights
- Represented a client in a large-scale investigation into forex trading.
- Acted for a client before the Court of Company Officials in criminal proceedings.
- Providing consultation and representation to a client in a preliminary investigation conducted by the anti-corruption prosecutor of Greece.
Ioannis Giannidis Law Firm
Praised as ‘extremely reliable' and 'very experienced’, Ioannis Giannidis Law Firm is widely acclaimed for its expertise in fraud and corruption cases, with particular strength in handling criminal cases with a political or VAT component. Practice head Ioannis Giannidis is a 'top practitioner’ in the field, with an extensive track record in representing foreign banks and other multinationals in financial crime, breach of trust, money laundering and corporate criminal liability matters. Also of note is Panagiotis Koureleas; he ‘inspires confidence’ through his ability to ‘think proactively’.
Practice head(s):
Ioannis Giannidis
Testimonials
‘The Firm is very responsive and client orientated and efficient.‘
‘Giannis Giannidis has very sound academic capabilities in his capacity as Professor at the University of Athens and a broad overview and practical experience in white collar crime matters.‘
‘Panagiotis Koureleas is a valuable colleague and very experienced in this area.‘
‘Mr. Giannidis is fairly & undisputedly considered as the top practitioner in his practice. However and most importantly, this is not an outcome of his impressive academic credentials as a Professor of Athens’ Law School, but is based on his profound proficiency, tremendous and unparalleled case track record.‘
‘Mr. Panagiotis Koureleas role was also paramount. He is considered by the market as a top tier criminal law practitioner with in depth and hands on knowledge on these matters and also personal participation in high profile cases with impressive positive results.’
‘The team is extremely reliable, quick in answering to questions, very experienced and capable to provide complete and clear advice on the most complex matters.‘
‘Professor Giannidis, the managing partner of the firm, is the counsel every client would want to work with: extremely knowledgeable, calm and patient, he is able to explain the most complex thing with clarity, leaving the client confident that a solution will be found (which afterwards comes out to be true). He quickly identifies the issues and shows the various options to the client, guiding him through the many pros and cons.‘
‘To my view, Ioannis Giannidis Law Firm is the best law firm in Greece for corporate criminal law and white collar crime. They are specialised corporate criminal lawyers combining in a unique way their criminal law expertise with a deep understanding of the corporate environment.‘
‘Their advice to us is always practical, business oriented and to the point, making them excellent interlocutors for in-house peers. Last but definitely not least, they manage to be always very responsive despite their workload. It is a practice I can trust and rely on.‘
‘Prof. Ioannis Giannidis, a brilliant criminal law mind and a renowned professor with vast experience and knowledge on the sector and a unique ability to see the bigger picture.‘
‘Panagiotis Koureleas; he inspires confidence, is fully updated on his field of expertise, an excellent litigator, very responsive and with a charisma to think proactively and in a practical way.‘
Key clients
Fraport Greece
Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG
Heracles Group of companies
Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund
Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations
Wind Hellas Telecommunications
Public Properties Company SA
Air Liquide Hellas
Unicredit Bank AG
VTB Capital
Piraeus Bank
Bank of Cyprus
Eurobank
Motoroil
Avinoil
DEPA public gas corporation
Imerys
Temes SA
Aegean Motorway
Regency Entertainment SA
Work highlights
- Litigation and legal consulting to Fraport Greece for issues related to day-to-day activity.
- Litigation and legal consulting to Trans Adriatic Pipeline for issues related to day-to-day activity.
- Providing consulting services to the Board of Directors of Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund.
PotamitisVekris Law Firm
The 'effective' and 'efficient' team at PotamitisVekris Law Firm is characterised by 'integrity and client care'. Among its areas of focus are anti-money laundering practices, tax offences and breaches of privacy. The criminal law aspects of regulated activities on the antitrust, competition, capital markets and banking law fronts are also a known strength. Practice head Konstantinos Papadiamantis is highly regarded.
Practice head(s):
Konstantinos Papadiamantis
Testimonials
‘Effective and efficient, no unnecessary fuss approach.‘
‘The team is very strong – they are well acquainted with this area of the law.‘
‘Konstantinos Papadiamantis and Maria Ferfeli work very well together – they throughly research legislation and case law and advise and consult with clients throughout thus keeping their clients up to date.‘
‘PotamitisVekris is characterised by the highest level of professionalism, the depth of knowledge of legal sector and for the reputation of its partners and associates. Besides, it is also characterized by a high sense of responsibility and a genuine human approach to the issues.‘
‘The partners Mr. Konstantinos Papadiamantis and Ms Aspasia Malliou are excellent laweyers and I fully trust and respect them. They inspire trust and this is the key difference compared to their competitors.‘
Key clients
Citibank International Plc
NEWREST SA
Macedonian Thrace Brewery SA
GR Sarantis SA
Atlas Electronik Gmbh
AstraZeneca SA
Work highlights
- Representing a former CEO accused of a breach of trust in one of the major criminal proceedings related to the banking sector in Greece.
- Representing a company before the Court of Appeal of Athens against a former accountant who has been sentenced for issuing cheques of thousands of euros by falsifying the signature of the directors of the company.
- Successfully represented the President and the CEO of a company against accusations of fraud by a creditor.
A. & K. Metaxopoulos & Partners Law Firm
At A. & K. Metaxopoulos & Partners Law Firm, department head Kriton Metaxopoulos is ‘an experienced and agile lawyer’; he has a solid history of defending companies and top executives in cases related to financial crime and corporate fraud. The team’s expertise extends beyond Greece to criminal matters in France, Italy, Romania and the UK.
Practice head(s):
Kriton Metaxopoulos
Testimonials
‘They have provided us with useful insights and effectively supported our work.‘
‘Kriton Metaxopoulos is an experienced and agile lawyer both in advising and representing clients and provides all-round support to white collar crime litigators.‘
‘Achilleas Christodoulou is also an attentive and reliable lawyer.‘
‘Kriton Metaxopoulos has the unique skill to attribute each case to the appropriate lawyer of the firm and always review it with his comments before submitting it.‘
‘They are seeking legal and substantive proofs giving equal importance to them.‘
Bernitsas Law
Clients recommend Bernitsas Law for its ‘strong court representation’, ‘strong experience’ and ‘attention to detail’. Financial crime, fraud, anti-bribery and negligence all fall within the team’s areas of expertise, and it represents several notable players in the banking, electronics, automobile, clothing, pharmaceuticals and defence sectors. Panayotis Bernitsas and Christos Paraskevopoulos jointly head the practice, which also dedicates a significant amount of time to risk management matters.
Practice head(s):
Panayotis Bernitsas; Christos Paraskevopoulos
Testimonials
‘Solid and strong experience. Deep knowledge of law and court decisions. Strong court representation due to long experience. Strong and big team.‘
Work highlights
- Acting for a client in a complex dispute involving an investigation into the misappropriation of company assets, the termination of several lease agreements, allegations of data protection violations and repossession proceedings.
- Advising a company in liquidation on disputes involving business conducted by a special agent, the recovery of monies from a former agent and sub-agents and of data and information from a former agent.
- Successfully represented the subsidiary of a major multinational German footwear manufacturer in a breach of trust and fiduciary duty and unfair competition dispute, involving civil, commercial and criminal actions with a total value of over €30m.
Dryllerakis & Associates
Led by John Damilakis, the team at Dryllerakis & Associates handles white-collar cases in the civil and criminal courts. Financial fraud, including insider dealing and market abuse, is an area of expertise, and the team also has experience in money laundering, corruption and unfair competition disputes. In a recent highlight, the team represented a publishing company in a series of charges concerning IP rights.
Practice head(s):
John Damilakis
Work highlights
- Represented a client in a series of felony charges concerning violations of the client’s IP rights.
- Defended a client against felony charges over fraud (an alleged fish feed scandal).
Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm
The 'excellent lawyers' at Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm are best known for their work on complex international fraud cases, with matters including money laundering, bribery, forgery and perjury prevalent in the caseload. The practice also demonstrates breadth by handling other criminal cases, from manslaughter by negligence and grievous bodily harm to breaches of trade mark laws and the issuance of bounced cheques. Panos Alexandris and John Kyriakides jointly head the department.
Practice head(s):
Panos Alexandris; John Kyriakides
Testimonials
‘In general, this law firm does not need any guidance, as it is staffed with excellent colleagues but, when I have to provide some guidelines, the firm listens to it and performs it very carefully. In this respect they provide a huge comfort to their clients.‘
‘All of them are excellent lawyers and their legal knowledge provides safety to the client, but they also understand the business need. As a result they have become a business partner.’