Bernitsas

Bernitsas

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Greece

Restructuring and Insolvency

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.
Lambros Belessis

Lambros Belessis

Partner Lambros is an expert in private sector mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructurings of international companies with a presence in Greece. He joined the Firm in 2000 and is specialised in structuring, documenting and negotiating commercial transactions, advising extensively on distribution networks, share-purchase agreements, joint venture partnerships and corporate structuring. Lambros has extensive experience in real estate development and acquisition projects, advising on commercial agreements and corporate transactions in the hospitality, commercial, industrial and high-end residential markets. He assists clients in the protection and exploitation of their intellectual and industrial property. He provides ongoing advice to companies from a highly diversified range of industries, including car manufacturing, private insurance, pharmaceuticals, software and IT, on the full range of issues arising in the course of their business operations, their entry into commercial agreements, company formation, corporate governance and risk management and compliance.
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.
Yannis Seiradakis

Yannis Seiradakis

Partner Yannis has a wide-ranging transactional practice which encompasses significant experience in acting in complex privatisations, public and private projects and mergers and acquisitions. He has a particular expertise in the energy, infrastructure, utilities and transport sectors. Yannis' vast experience in privatisations reaches back to his time as Special Secretary for Privatisations at the Ministry of Finance, in which capacity he managed the sale of numerous State owned companies, notably public utilities. Since joining the Firm in 2004, he has been involved in high profile privatisations of grid operators, motorways, ports, airports and railways. Yannis is an expert in energy law, advising on the structuring, development, financing and implementation of transactions and projects in the conventional and renewable energy sectors. He advises extensively on legislative risk and compliance and counts leading energy companies, international investors, financiers and Government bodies among his clients. Yannis advises both privately and State owned entities and consortiums on project financings and public private partnerships, with a specialisation in documenting and negotiating concession contracts. He also advises on the regulatory framework for the assignment of public contracts by way of tenders and for developing projects and public private partnerships. Yannis advises public and private companies, investors and financial advisors in mergers, acquisitions, restructurings and divestments of primarily distressed assets. Much of his work in this area is cross-border and takes place in highly regulated sectors.
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).

Deals

  • - Greenvolt Strategic Corporate Restructuring We advised Greenvolt on the completion of its strategic corporate restructuring. Our team advised Greenvolt throughout the entire process of its corporate restructuring in Greece, which involved a two-step merger process of certain of its Greek subsidiaries to consolidate ownership and assets under a single company.
  • - Rehabilitation Agreement We advised an industrial company in the financial restructuring and settlement agreements for the implementation of the rehabilitation agreement reached with its creditors and ratified by court.
  • - Vivartia Group Debt Rationalisation We advised Vivartia Group of companies on the rationalisation of their existing bank indebtedness and on restructuring and refinancing of the existing secured bond loan facilities granted to the Vivartia Group companies by all four systemic Greek banks.

Team Services

Restructuring and Insolvency

We advise lenders and borrowers in distressed situations. Our team is experienced in refinancings, liquidations, debt reschedulings and restructurings of solvent companies with financial difficulties and insolvent companies. We also advise on administrations, workouts and receiverships.

Corporate Restructurings

We advise on company and group restructurings with a view to improving tax and operational efficiency. We also have experience representing all types of stakeholders in managing the risks associated with distressed situations and the methods available to address this and avoid insolvency procedures. Our team is highly experienced in cross-border restructurings, mergers & acquisitions of distressed companies or their assets, and investigations.