Firm Profile > Rokas Law Firm > Athens, Greece
Rokas Law Firm Offices
25, 25A BOUKOURESTIOU STREET
106 71 ATHENS
Greece
Rokas Law Firm > The Legal 500 Rankings
Insurance Tier 1
‘Well-connected and up-to-date on market developments’, Rokas Law Firm is a one-stop shop for the full suite of insurance matters. The team demonstrates prowess in everything from day-to-day support, product development and policy wording to cross-border litigation, arbitration and portfolio transactions. Firm founder Ioannis Rokas is an esteemed name in the SEE market who has served as a consultant on insurance legislation in Greece, Romania and Serbia, among other jurisdictions. Also integral to the offering is the ‘solutions-driven’ Alkistis Christofilou, who is active on the transactional, advisory and regulatory fronts, as well as ‘excellent’ senior associate Viktoria Chatzara, who specialises in policy localisation. Clients include insurance companies, general insurers, mutual and composite insurers, government entities, regulators and reinsurance brokers. The firm has a considerable geographic footprint across the Balkans region, making it an ideal choice for multinationals.
Practice head(s):
Ioannis Rokas; Alkistis Christofilou; Christos Theodorou
Other key lawyers:
Viktoria Chatzara; Antonios Tsavdaridis; Nikolaos Boutsikos
Testimonials
‘Rokas provide top-quality legal advice. Moreover, the team do not just provide advice but make the effort to understand their clients’ needs, and the lawyers are hands on and come up with workable solutions. They are business partners who are proficient in working both on national matters and on complex cross-border deals with different stakeholders from various countries. Well-connected and up-to-date on market developments.’
‘Alkistis Christofilou is a true professional – a hands-on, experienced, smart lawyer. She is very pleasant to work with, knows the insurance sector and understands the client’s needs, and is solutions-driven. Moreover, she has a broad network and is a joy to work with on international and more complex matters.’
‘Viktoria Chatzara is an efficient and excellent lawyer.’
Dispute resolution Tier 2
Rokas Law Firm is highly regarded for its ‘deep subject matter knowledge and understanding of the client’s needs and priorities’. Though the team has traditionally enjoyed an excellent reputation for contentious insurance matters, it has recently made strides in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors and is also well equipped to handle disputes relating to construction, M&A, professional liability, travel, pollution and international trade. Antonios Tsavaridis has an impressive track record in international arbitrations, both as counsel and as an arbitrator; he heads the department with Christos Theodorou, who has noteworthy expertise in administrative disputes.
Practice head(s):
Christos Theodorou; Antonios Tsavdaridis
Other key lawyers:
Alexis Foskinis
Testimonials
‘Deep subject matter knowledge, understanding of the client’s needs and priorities, and precise advice.’
‘Antonios Tsavdaridis provided outstanding support during complex multi-jurisdictional negotiations.’
‘Thorough understanding of the issues.’
‘Deep knowledge.’
Key clients
Generali Hellas SA
Private Life Insurance Guarantee Fund
Astir Palace Vouliagmenis S.A.
Auxiliary Fund
Motor Insurers’ Fund (MIF) Cyprus
AXA Insurance S.A.
Public Power Gas Corporation (DEPA)
Lloyd’s of London
QBE
Hellenic Petroleum SA
Roche Hellas SA / Hoffmann La Roche AG
Sunlight Systems S.A.
AGET Heracles – LafargeHolcim
Employment Tier 2
Rokas Law Firm is particularly active when it comes to the implementation of employee restructuring plans such as voluntary exit schemes and collective dismissals, and is also able to call upon the firm’s market-leading insurance expertise to assist with large-scale pension and insurance plan matters. Claims before the ECJ and Greek Council of State are also a key part of the caseload, with team head Christos Theodorou recently providing representation in high-end collective redundancy and pension plan disputes. Further specialist areas include employee agreements and benefits, trade union and data protection issues, immigration and employment-related M&A matters.
Practice head(s):
Christos Theodorou
Other key lawyers:
Spyros Giannimpas
Testimonials
‘The team is very professional, with great experience and specialisation and, at the same time, a human approach.’
‘They provide professionalism and flexibility and are good listeners.’
‘Excellent communication skills, great and welcoming behaviour and an immediate response to my company’s needs. Very good market and sector knowledge, as well as on-the-job experience. Good manners and truly listening to the client’s needs is what distinguishes them.’
‘All the individuals at Rokas Law Firm I have contacted and worked with are good, but I must give particular praise to Spyros Giannimpas, who truly stands out. Always approachable and easy to get in contact with, Spyros approaches all matters successfully and promptly. He is easily one of the best attorneys to work with.’
Key clients
Roche Hellas Pharmaceuticals SA
LG Electronics Hellas SA
Heracles Group of Companies / Lafargeholcim Group (AGET)
Generali Hellas S.A.
AXA Insurance SA
Ethniki Insurance SA
Fujifilm Hellas SA
Brink’s Global Services Ltd
LG CNS CO., LTD Greek Branch
Energy Tier 2
Rokas Law Firm fields a team of ‘real experts in energy law with considerable experience and an important track record’; it is headed by Mira Todorovic Symeonides, whose ‘long experience in the energy sector brings a valuable contribution to complex energy projects’. She also advises her clients on energy-related regulatory, M&A, commercial contract and licensing mandates. Sector strengths include electricity and RES, in addition to the transport and supply of oil and gas. Multi-jurisdictional instructions are a particular forte owing to the firm’s expansive SEE footprint.
Practice head(s):
Mira Todorovic Symeonides
Other key lawyers:
Harris Synodinos
Testimonials
‘Rokas Law Firm works to a very high standard. They pay attention to detail and examine matters in depth. In comparison with other firms, Rokas Law Firm provides the most up-to-date and detailed information that we need. It is evident that the team has an extensive understanding of the energy sector and the relevant legal and regulatory framework of Greece and of the EU. They are able to address our needs perfectly.’
‘Mira Todorovic Symeonides is always helpful and offers the highest level of expertise. She is very serious about her work and looks into all possible aspects of the issue under examination. It is clear that she is very attentive to her client’s needs and has advanced knowledge of energy law and energy policies, and is fully informed of the latest or upcoming developments.’
‘The energy law team has real experts in energy law with considerable experience and an important track record. Their collaboration was effective and their responsiveness was appropriate even during the lockdown in the pandemic.’
‘Mira Todorovic’s long experience in the energy sector brings a valuable contribution to complex energy projects. She also has the required business acumen to provide legal advice on a large project with many stakeholders.’
‘The thing that separates Rokas Law Firm from most of the other firms is their absolute attention to the finest of details and their precision in delivering their services. These qualities should be regarded as prized assets of the firm and come from their longstanding experience in the field of energy.’
‘Business and customer target-focused, vast experience in different business areas, hardworking.’
‘Dedication to the tasks assigned and a commercial way of thinking.’
‘Gave us an insight into the Greek market and practice quickly and efficiently.’
Key clients
HRADF
WAS Srl.
Solarcentury
DEPA
Energy Charter
HELPE
Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3
Rokas Law Firm is engaged for M&A, privatisations, business portfolio transfers and corporate transformations, leveraging its broad geographical footprint in the SEE region to advise on a wealth of multi-jurisdictional matters. The team's sector expertise spans the insurance, media, energy, pharmaceutical and telecoms markets, in addition to emerging industries such as e-scooters and shared transportation platforms. Alkistis Christofilou, Christos Theodorou and Harris Synodinos jointly head the department and are supported by ‘excellent’ senior associate Viktoria Chatzara.
Practice head(s):
Alkistis Christofilou; Christos Theodorou; Harris Synodinos
Other key lawyers:
Viktoria Chatzara
Testimonials
‘They are very cooperative and trustworthy.’
‘Viktoria Chatzara is an excellent lawyer, very qualified and very kind.’
Key clients
AIG Europe SA – Greece Branch
Chitos SA
LG Electronics Hellas S.A.
bioMerieux SA
Baker McKenzie
Kleemann Hellas S.A.
Electronic Services Provider
Rokas Law Firm > Firm Profile
The firm: Rokas was established in early 1977 and has since grown to be the first Greek law firm that is active in ten European countries and holds the vision of providing world-class solutions in the region to a worldwide clientele through its international network. We value our international perspective as our critical advantage regarding the business-oriented approach and the quality of services offered to clients who plan to expand, run and develop their business in an increasingly globalised market economy.
Areas of practice: Rokas is a full-service firm and specialises in several market sectors with an advisory and litigation/ADR practice. Rokas’ clients include corporations active in finance, insurance, banking, energy, telecommunications, technology, construction, real estate, hotel and leisure; also, businesses in the aluminium, steel and gas sectors, pharmaceuticals, tobacco and courier companies, state institutions and regulators.
The firm has acted as project leader and has participated in consortia in law and regulation drafting projects in several market sectors of central and SE Europe, and of the former USSR states. The projects concerned the strengthening, modernisation and regulation of the insurance, energy and environment, and telecommunications sectors, the supporting of public administration and justice reforms.
Rokas is the leading Greek firm in insurance and reinsurance law. The firm’s partners are widely recognised as academics and as litigation and regulation practitioners in insurance law in Greece and in the regions where Rokas expands. Having published landmark textbooks and articles on the subject in Greece and in other countries, they often participate in law drafting committees.
Rokas is also a top choice for complex litigation and arbitration, as well as non contentious work, in all aspects of commercial law, including energy, e-communications, infrastructure practice, and in M&A deals including privatisations, such as the recently completed unbundling of the Greek electricity transmission system operator.
Indicative work highlights of the firm include:
M&A / privatisations / corporate and commercial: (4 partners; 6 associates)
- Cross-border merger by absorption of Greek commercial company by a Luxembourg international company;
- Advising on corporate and contractual issues, for an extremely prominent hotel and resort complex on the Athens Riviera;
- Advice to a Greek systemic bank on corporate governance issues and potential conflicts of interest arising from multiple appointments of the senior manager within the bank’s group;
- Advising clients from various market sectors, including shipping, insurance, pharmaceuticals, on the GDPR; acting as DPO;
- Advice on the provision of cross-border electronic communications services in Greece mainly with respect to automobiles;
- Licensing and launching of an e-scooter sharing system in Athens;
- Advising on equity and cash-based plans for Greek employees of large multinational companies of the financial and industrial sector;
- Legal assessment of the contemplated post-Brexit operational schemes for a number of UK-based companies active in regulated market sectors;
- Acted for sellers in the electricity supplier’s NRG shares sale to the Motor Oil group;
- Represented the electricity incumbent in the divestiture of the power grid company via the sale of shares to China’s SGID and to a state owned SPV and indirect listing of the rest of stock;
- Acquisition of a prestigious hotel and residential complex in the center of Sofia, Bulgaria and hotel management agreements;
- Divestiture of a Greek systemic bank’s subsidiary in North Macedonia;
- Advising and representing clients on several business law and regulatory issues, including the update to the reformed law on societes anonymes, company transformations, commercial agency and distribution, business transactions, et.al.;
- World Bank Subnational Project “Registering Property, Starting Business and Enforcement of Contracts” it launched for six cities in Greece, including the review of the Questionnaires, the organisation and monitoring of the expert teams in each city, providing response instructions, receiving feedback from the expert teams, and cooperating with World Bank.
Energy: (2 partners; 3 associates)
- Support to a foreign investor in acquisition and subsequent development of a developing 12 solar PV plants of total 284 MW, project which has been characterised as a project of Strategic Interest;
- Support to a foreign investor in a green-field development of above 250 MW PV plant in Greece;
- Advising the client regarding the EFET and ISDA agreements; support regarding the compliance for its participation in the wholesale electricity and gas markets, as well as energy derivatives markets, particularly those arising from EMIR, REMIT and other;
- Providing legal support, review and comments to the Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) with the German company of the framework agreement and sample individual agreement for the project Kozani, a cluster of photovoltaic power plants with a total licensed capacity above 200 MW;
- Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund: development of an underwater gas storage tank located in South Kavala – the first of its kind in Greece;
- Support to a foreign investor in licensing and development of 6 SPVs for production of electricity from wind;
- Representation of the major Greek natural gas supplier in a dispute against the Greek Natural Gas TSO regarding to charges for booked gas transmission capacities;
- Representation of major Greek energy-intensive industrial client in a dispute against the Greek electricity TSO regarding charges imposed to auto-producers with high efficiency cogeneration of heat and power (CHP);
- Advice regarding the acquisition of 5 SPVs containing 10 PV projects for small PV with the total capacity of 5 MWs.
Dispute resolution and ADR: (4 partners; 10 associates)
- Representing the incumbent gas distribution company in two ad hoc international arbitrations against a Greek insurer for claims originating from non consumption of agreed gas quantities by incumbent’s clients (electricity producers);
- Representing the French, Greek and Italian Guarantee Funds against the Motor Insurance Bureau of the UK, in the first ever international arbitration between Motor Insurance Bureaus, in a dispute related to the insolvency of a Gibraltar insurer;
- Advised a leading hotel resort in a complex construction dispute involving ICC arbitration in London, against a leading Greek construction company;
- Complex litigation and arbitration cases, for an extremely prominent hotel and resort complex on the Athens Riviera;
- Representing Generali and QBE in a series of claims litigation originating from the closure of the main Greek Motorway connecting Athens and Thessaloniki owing to rock fall;
- Representing the Greek subsidiary of the world leading cement producer in a unique dispute before the Administrative Supreme Court, involving the recovery of state aid;
- Representing one of the world’s leading batteries’ manufacturer in the largest ever casualty claim in Greece;
- Representing the leading Greek oil refinery in a large casualty claim involving a cutting-edge Flexicocking technology;
- Representing several insurers in claims against the Hellenic Republic due to unlawful conduct of the police during the December 2008 riots;
- Representing a world leader in pipe manufacturing in a jurisdiction and product liability dispute over an irrigation project in the island of Crete;
- Representing one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, a major biodiagnostics company and a major factoring institution in claims against public hospitals for unpaid invoices from supplies of pharmaceuticals and other products.
Insurance: (5 partners; 5 associates)
- The firm maintains a recognised leading practice in insurance, reinsurance and insurance mediation law. It supports Greek and international clients including regulators of Eastern Europe countries in all related aspects including establishment, licensing and run-off, M&As and portfolio transfers, passporting of services, regulatory and compliance issues and provides consultancy for a number of important global players of the insurance sector.
Pharmaceuticals and diagnostics: (3 partners; 3 associates)
- Representing a number of globally leading pharmaceutical companies and diagnostics company against the HR in litigation over clawback disputes and over the collection of public hospitals debt;
- Provision of day-to-day legal support to major pharmaceutical companies with regard to various regulatory issues;
- Preparation and review of clinical trial agreements for various arrangers.
Employment: (1 partner; 2 associates)
- Representation of a major commercial company as employer and as insurer concerning the calculation of the pension benefit (lump-sum) that is provided to its employees who exit for full or early retirement;
- Representation of AGET Herakles, the Greek subsidiary of Lafarge Holcim, on a collective redundancy dispute before the Supreme Administrative Court and the European Court of Justice that led to the amendment of the collective redundancies legislation in Greece;
- Provision of ongoing advisory support to one of the world leading pharmaceutical companies on employment-law matters, as well as in relation to a restructuring plan project;
- Provision of legal assistance to a leading Korean electronics manufacturer concerning all aspects of individual labour law;
- Representation of a major insurance company before Court on a pilot case concerning the existence or not of obligation on the part of the employer, deriving from a Group insurance contract, for the payment of a lump sum benefit to its employees during their exit, in view of the fact that the relevant reserves are not sufficient.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banking and finance | Prof Dr Ioannis Rokas | ||
| Banking and finance | Alkistis Christofilou | ||
| Capital markets | Prof Dr Ioannis Rokas | ||
| Capital markets | Dr Christina Tarnanidou | ||
| Competition – M&A | Dr Charalampos (Harris) Synodinos | ||
| Construction and real estate | Christos Theodorou | ||
| Corporate and commercial | Christos Theodorou | ||
| Dispute resolution and ADR | Dr Antonios Tsavdaridis | ||
| Dispute resolution and ADR | Nick Boutsikos | ||
| Energy and environment | Mira Todorovic Symeonides | ||
| Energy and environment | Dr Charalampos (Harris) Synodinos | ||
| EU law | Dr Charalampos (Harris) Synodinos | ||
| Insolvency and restructuring | Nick Boutsikos | ||
| Insurance and reinsurance | Prof Dr Ioannis Rokas | ||
| Insurance and reinsurance | Alkistis Christofilou | ||
| Intellectual property and trade marks | Prof Dr Konstantinos Christodoulou | ||
| Labour and employment | Christos Theodorou | ||
| Privatisation | Dr Charalampos (Harris) Synodinos | ||
| Privatisation | Alkistis Christofilou | ||
| Shipping and transport | Dr Antonios Tsavdaridis | ||
| Taxation | Christos Theodorou | ||
| Telecommunication and technology | Alkistis Christofilou |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Nick Boutsikos | Partner | View Profile |
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Prof Dr Ioannis Rokas | Senior Partner | View Profile |
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Dr Charalampos (Harris) Synodinos | Partner | View Profile |
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Mira Todorovic Symeonides | Partner | View Profile |
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Dr Antonios Tsavdaridis | Partner | View Profile |