Bernitsas

Bernitsas

bernitsaslaw.com
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Greece

Tax & Private Wealth

Fotodotis Malamas

Fotodotis Malamas

Partner Fotodotis is an expert in business and personal tax and private wealth. He advises on tax efficient structures, liabilities, reporting, compliance and complex tax controversies as well as on lifetime and post death private and corporate wealth and tax planning. Fotodotis has extensive experience in advising on the tax considerations affecting corporate transactions and commercial agreements, with a focus on the distribution and capitalisation of reserves, the application of legislation offering tax incentives and complex due diligence reviews. He provides ongoing advice on compliance and reporting and tax structuring and represents clients before the Dispute Resolution Directorate and the administrative courts in high impact tax controversy cases. His private wealth practice encompasses advice to individuals, family offices, funds and foundations on the structuring, planning and management of lifetime and post-death wealth and tax. Fotodotis teaches a postgraduate course on Tax Law at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He has been extensively published in tax and financial journals and authors Digital Economy and Current Tax Practices, 1st edition (2019) and Taxation of Non-Profit Organisations, 1st (2012) and 2nd (2016) editions and is contributing author to Income Tax Code (2024), Code for Tax Procedures: Interpretation and Accounting Issues 1st (2016) and 2nd (2021) editions, all published by Nomiki Vivliothiki. Prior to joining the Firm in 2014, Fotodotis worked as a tax consultant with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young and was acting head of the Tax Department of a subsidiary of the Lafarge Group.
Panayotis Bernitsas

Panayotis Bernitsas

Managing Partner Panayotis is the Managing Partner of the Firm and a leading legal practitioner, with an active, broad-based commercial practice incorporating more than 35 years of experience in transactional, advisory and litigation work. Panayotis is an authority in EU, competition and antitrust law and has represented clients in prominent cartel cases before the Hellenic Competition Commission. He is a senior litigator, with vast experience in all types of dispute resolution, and represents clients in complex, high stake civil and administrative actions before the high courts and arbitration boards. He has also acted as arbitrator at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Panayotis is an expert in concession projects and privatisations, with an unsurpassed track record of playing a key role in many of the pioneering, ground breaking transactions to have taken place in Greece. He advises extensively on major renewable and conventional energy and infrastructure projects and investments in energy property development companies. His real estate practice is focused on large scale developments and real property asset portfolio investments. Within the framework of his private practice, Panayotis has acted on a number of occasions as advisor to the Government on European Union, State Aids and Privatisation issues. He also advises companies and individuals on complex tax structuring and wealth planning matters and has acted extensively in high stakes tax controversies. Panayotis has been widely published in legal journals, books and other publications in his areas of expertise and is a participant in the annual Forum on International Wealth Disputes. He held the position of Associate Professor in International Economic Law, Law of International Business Transactions, European Community Law at the University of Thrace from 1983-2007.
Vasiliki Fasfali

Vasiliki Fasfali

Associate Vasiliki is an associate with the Firm and a member of the Litigation, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution and Public Procurement teams. Vasiliki advises on administrative and public law with particular expertise in public procurement. She represents clients before the administrative courts and is experienced in representing clients before the Dispute Resolution Directorate in relation tax disputes. Vasiliki reviews and drafts public procurement agreements and assists clients in their participation in public procurement tenders. She also drafts appeals and submissions in proceedings before the administrative courts.  

Deals

  • - Dual Listing Tax Advisory We advised Metlen Energy & Metals PLC and Metlen Energy & Metals S.A. on the tax aspects of their groundbreaking dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Athens Stock Exchange, including tax disclosures in the EU and UK Prospectuses and implications of the cross-border restructuring and share-for-share exchange.
  • - VAT Refund Litigation We are advising a private jet company on VAT refund litigation proceedings before the Greek Dispute Resolution Committee and subsequent judicial recourse before the First Instance Court of Athens.
  • - Art Foundation We are advising on the establishment of a charitable foundation in Liechtenstein to finance an art foundation, including charitable purposes, governance and registration, cross-border tax and regulatory coordination.
  • - Customs Seizures We are advising a company importing goods on seizures of cargo produced in third counties, formulating legal and tax strategy and liaising with customs authorities.

Team Services

Our Tax and Private Client team is ideally placed to advise private and public companies, family offices and individuals, both on a standalone basis and as part of an integrated service across our transactional and disputes teams.

We identify, anticipate and deal with tax issues, risks and compliance arising in a business or private context and advise on domestic or cross-border complex issues relating to the management of assets and estate planning. We have represented clients in relation to the amendment of adverse legislative provisions and submitted reports to the Ministry of Finance proposing legislative changes, with a focus on tax incentives for attracting foreign investors.

  • Corporate Advisory
  • Corporate Transactional
  • Investigations & Disputes
  • Wealth & Estate Planning