Bernitsas

Bernitsas

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Greece

Banking, Finance and Capital Markets

Nikos Papachristopoulos

Nikos Papachristopoulos

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.
Maria Nefeli Bernitsa

Maria Nefeli Bernitsa

Partner Maria Nefeli is specialised in financial services, M&A and ESG law, with a focus on funds, capital markets transactions and corporate transactions for listed companies. Her clients include leading funds, alternative investment managers, banks and a variety of entities from the broader financial services space. Maria Nefeli also has significant experience in leading on financial services matters arising from group restructures of global multi-strategy asset managers, new authorisations of regulated firms and regulatory issues in private placements and IPOs. She is highly experienced in mergers and acquisitions of listed companies, private placements and IPOs and private equity transactions, advising international and Greek funds and financial institutions on the initial structuring and throughout the lifetime of their investment period. Maria Nefeli heads up the Firm’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) department and advises extensively on ESG legislation with a focus on the laws affecting firms in the financial services sector. Prior to joining the Firm, Maria Nefeli was a senior associate in a tier 1 financial services and markets team in London and was seconded to a global investment firm to implement European ESG legislation. Maria Nefeli holds an LLB (Hons) from University College London (UCL) and an MBA from INSEAD. She is admitted to the Law Society of England & Wales (2015) and the Athens Bar (2019).
Nikos Papachristopoulos

Nikos Papachristopoulos

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.
Alexia Kefalogianni

Alexia Kefalogianni

Counsel Alexia is an expert in banking, finance and capital markets, with over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. She works on both advisory and transactional matters. Alexia has in-depth experience in all kinds of capital market transactions including securities offerings, debt programs establishment and liability management exercises. Her expertise extends to debt structuring and financing transactions including traditional and synthetic securitizations, outright loan sales, servicing agreements and similar arrangements. She advises on prudential, licensing and cross-border regulatory matters applicable to financial institutions, investment firms and asset managers. She has a broad skillset covering product launching, fund establishment and distribution through to downstream investment and disposal works, structured products and derivatives. Prior to joining the Firm, Alexia was Head of the Legal Services Division at a Greek systemic bank, overseeing global markets, wealth management, strategy and international activities.  
Anastasia Mallerou

Anastasia Mallerou

Counsel Anastasia is a leading banking and finance lawyer with over 20 years of experience in private practice and industry organisations. She is a recognised expert in payment systems and payment services law with extensive knowledge in the legal and regulatory frameworks governing technological innovation in the financial services industry. Anastasia brings a wealth of knowledge in the area of emerging technologies and the law, with a focus on blockchain, and in ESG. She is also highly experienced in advising on corporate and IT law and corporate governance matters and playing a key role in national and cross-border transactions. Anastasia has served as a Member of the Board of Directors and the General Counsel of the Greek retail payment system "DIAS" and has also worked as a payment expert with the Hellenic Bank Association. She was a Member of the Legal Support Group of the European Payments Council of the European Banking Federation in Brussels, set up to advise on the establishment of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and the introduction of uniform rules for Euro payment transactions throughout the Eurozone. Anastasia was a visiting lecturer at the European Law & Governance School of the European Public Law Organisation (EPLO).
Sildia Fotopoulou

Sildia Fotopoulou

Senior Associate Sildia is a senior associate with the Firm which she joined in 2020. She is part of the Banking, Finance & Capital Markets team. Sildia advises domestic and international clients, including financial institutions, private equity investors and a wide range of corporate clients, on banking and finance law. She has experience in corporate financings, bond loan issues, leveraged buyouts and project finance. She has been involved in restructurings and rehabilitation financings. Sildia has repeatedly acted in securitisation transactions and transactions for the sale and servicing of non-performing loans, credits and corporate receivables. She also advises in the acquisition of qualifying holdings and on regulatory compliance in the financial sector and liaises with the supervisory authorities. Sildia participates in a broad spectrum of due diligence and risk assessments across a variety of industry sectors. Sildia holds a Degree in Law and an LLM in Corporate Law and Finance from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and is admitted to the Athens Bar (2019).
Athanasia Tsene

Athanasia Tsene

Partner Athanasia is a leading expert in banking & finance, with vast experience in structuring, drafting, negotiating and advising on the feasibility and implementation of international financial transactions, including on security and hedging arrangements. Athanasia has acted in innovative and groundbreaking deals which have paved the way for future transactions in the banking sector. Her broad practice encompasses secured and unsecured corporate, asset, acquisition and structured financings and an expertise in securitisations. She has also been involved in most transactions for the sale, transfer and servicing of non-performing loan portfolios of the Greek banks. She has extensively advised funds and credit and financial institutions on regulatory compliance in the context of all the above transactions, as well on financial restructurings and insolvency proceedings. She joined the Firm in 2001 and her clients include all the major banks and financial institutions that are active in the Greek market.
Marina Spinthouraki

Marina Spinthouraki

Associate Marina is an associate at the Firm and a member of the Banking, Finance and Capital Markets team. Marina advises in banking and finance transactions. She has experience in drafting and negotiating facility agreements, security documents and intercreditor agreements in the context of corporate and project finance transactions.  Prior to joining the firm, Marina worked as a legal counsel at the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank.
Adonis Sfyris

Adonis Sfyris

Associate Adonis is an associate with the Firm and a member of the Banking, Finance & Capital Markets team. He acts in debt capital markets transactions, with a focus on debt programs establishment and securities offerings. He advises extensively on financial services regulation, compliance and corporate governance. Adonis has experience in drafting and negotiating bond loan agreements and related ancillary documents, advising on general corporate law matters and conducting due diligence exercises in the context of corporate mergers & acquisitions. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a Supervision Analyst at the European Central Bank, where his expertise related to assessing governance arrangements of significant banks.
Lefteris Mikros

Lefteris Mikros

Senior Associate Lefteris is a senior associate with the Firm, which he joined in 2026. He focuses on corporate law and cross-border M&A transactions and has international experience working with large corporates, private equity firms and financial institutions. Lefteris advises private and listed companies and financial sponsors on strategic investments, portfolio disposals, joint ventures, reorganisations and management incentive arrangements. He has worked on cross‑border transactions involving UK and international companies coordinating multi‑jurisdictional workstreams and has completed client secondments in the financial services and energy sectors. Prior to joining the Firm, Lefteris was an associate in a Magic Circle law firm’s private equity team in London.
Kelly Hatzigaki

Kelly Hatzigaki

Senior Associate Kelly is a senior associate with the Firm and a member of the Banking, Finance & Capital Markets team. Kelly advises on debt and equity capital markets transactions, financial regulation, corporate governance and AML compliance matters. She actively participates in offerings of equity and debt securities, mergers and acquisitions and advises on regulatory compliance requirements for listed companies and financial intermediaries. Kelly assists companies and financial institutions with their reporting obligations to the HCMC and BoG and foreign asset managers and banking groups on fund distribution rules. She has experience in advising international financial services groups in MiFID II authorisation processes before the Hellenic Capital Market Commission and has undertaken the registration of crypto services providers.

Deals

  • - Metlen Dual Listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Athens Exchange We acted as lead Greek counsel to Metlen Energy & Metals on the groundbreaking dual-listing of Metlen Energy & Metals PLC. The deal involved a complex cross-border transaction through a voluntary share exchange tender offer by Metlen Energy & Metals PLC, facilitating Metlen's primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and its secondary listing on the Athens Stock Exchange. Under the terms of the transaction, Metlen Energy & Metals PLC offered its new Euro denominated shares as consideration for all outstanding shares of Metlen Energy & Metals SA, thereby establishing Metlen Energy & Metals PLC as the new parent company of the Metlen group.
  • - CrediaBank Financing of Luxury Hotel Resort We advised CrediaBank in connection with the financing of the reconstruction, development and refurbishment of a luxury hotel resort developed by Hinitsa Bay Holdings in Porto Heli, Argolida. The project financing was structured as a common secured bond loan facility issued by Hinitsa Bay Holdings and co-financed under the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF). The overall financing also included a bridge financing of RRF eligible investment costs.
  • - Fastforward SA Financing of Ellinikon Property to Be Used by UNIC Athens We acted as Greek law counsel to Fastforward SA in connection with the financing of the re-development, transformation and renovation of a property located in the Ellinikon, Athens, to be used for the operations of a private university for medical and non-medical programs offered by the University of Nicosia in Athens (UNIC Athens Legal Entity for University Education).
  • - Qualco Group SA Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Athens Stock Exchange We advised the Joint Global Coordinators, UBS Europe SE, Piraeus Bank SA, and Euroxx Securities SA, the Lead Underwriters and Joint Bookrunners, Alpha Bank SA, Eurobank SA, National Bank of Greece SA, and Optima Bank SA, as well as Attica Bank SA and Pantelakis Securities SA who acted as Underwriters and Joint Bookrunners, in relation to the successful initial public offering and listing on the main market of ATHEX of Qualco Group SA. The offering, which was structured as a Combined Offering to Greek and international investors, marks a significant milestone for Qualco Group SA and the Greek capital markets. The IPO attracted exceptionally strong interest from both domestic and international investors, resulting in the offering being oversubscribed by approximately five times.

Team Services

Our practice is one of the foremost in Greece with an expertise in both benchmark and mainstream domestic and cross-border transactions. We act for all major domestic and international banks, investment firms and other financial institutions, insurance companies, funds and public and private companies which do business in Greece.

Over the last three decades, we have participated in the vast majority of significant deals to have taken place in terms of both complexity and value and have structured and executed numerous pioneering transactions. An integral part of our practice is drafting and reviewing complex documentation, including for refinancings, reschedulings or restructurings, in most cases involving security over assets located in Greece or corporate guarantees by Greek companies.The Firm works with international investment banks, regularly interfacing with the regulators, to develop financing and capital raising techniques. We represent the full range of stakeholders (corporates, credit and financial institutions, hedge, private equity, alternative and other types of funds and, with respect to State controlled corporates, the Hellenic Republic) and have unrivalled experience in acting in equity and debt capital markets transactions across a variety of industry sectors including financial, telecommunications, energy, gaming, utilities, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, hospitality and leisure, healthcare, food and retail.

  • Banking & Finance
  • Capital Markets
  • Financial Services Regulation
  • Private Equity
  • Restructuring & Insolvency
  • Securitisations