Mr Nikos Salakas > Koutalidis Law Firm > Athens, Greece > Lawyer Profile
Koutalidis Law Firm Offices
The Orbit, 115 Kifissias Ave.
Athens 115 24
Greece
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Mr Nikos Salakas
Work Department
Banking, Finance & Restructuring; Capital Markets; Project Finance; M&A.
Position
Nikos has extensive experience in Banking, Finance & Restructuring, Capital Markets, Project Finance, and M&A practices.
He is particularly active in complicated projects of these practices and has been repeatedly acknowledged by international legal associations for his successful track record. Indicatively, he has been named “market leader”, “stellar lawyer” and hall of fame lawyer.
Career
Recent work in banking and finance includes advice to:
• Alpha Bank on its €2.55bn recapitalization;
• Steering Committee of 40 banks and insurance companies, holding 40.8% of Greek debt, on the Euro206bn PSI2;
• Credit Agricole on the Euro5bn sale of Emporiki;
• HFSF on the acquisition by Piraeus Bank of 300 Greek branches of Cyprus Popular Bank, Bank of Cyprus and the Hellenic Bank (as part of Cypriot bail-in);
• Syndicate of Greek systemic banks on the €2.3bn long term facility to Public Power Corporation; • ISDA on the deliverability of Greek Bonds and CDS;
• Super Senior Lenders on Wind Hellas’€3.5bn and €1.8bn restructurings;
• Regency on its €1bn debt restructuring;
• Bank consortium on the €550m financing and debt restructuring of Neochmiki;
• Deutsche Telekom on the acquisition of 40% in OTE;
• Advice to Alpha Bank on its €30bn EMTN and $7.5bn USMTN;
• Sponsors on Maliakos-Kleidi €1bn Project Finance.
Recognitions
- Banking & Finance (Greece) (as market leader in IFLR, as Stellar lawyer in Chambers and Partners, as a hall of fame lawyer in the Legal 500)
- Capital Markets (Greece) (as market leader in IFLR, as a hall of fame lawyer in the Legal 500)
- M&A (Greece) (as market leader in IFLR)
Languages
Greek, English and German.
Memberships
Member of the Athens Bar Association.
Education
London University (LL.M. Greek, English and German.in International Business Law)
University of Athens Faculty of Laws (LL.B.)
Lawyer Rankings
Greece > Projects and privatisation
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.
Greece > Banking, finance and capital markets
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.
Greece > Restructuring and insolvency
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.
Lawyer Rankings
- Banking, finance and capital markets Greece
- Projects and privatisation Greece
- Restructuring and insolvency Greece
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Banking, finance and capital markets
- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution
- Projects and privatisation
- Real estate and construction
- Restructuring and insolvency