Masouros & Partners > Athens, Greece > Firm Profile
Masouros & Partners Offices
4 Dimokritou Street
106 71 Athens - Greece
Greece
Masouros & Partners > The Legal 500 Rankings
Greece > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
Masouros & Partners is active especially in the domestic and cross-border transactional spaces, while also frequently assisting with mergers, corporate reorganisations, and commercial work, especially project management. The team has advised a wide range of energy, healthcare, and tourism clients on impactful and high-value deals, and also frequently advises multinational companies on their investment activities in Greece. Practice head and managing partner, Pavlos Masouros, stands out for his experience advising energy companies on transactional work, having acted on some of the highest-profile M&A in the Greek energy sector. Nelly Peraki is also a key contact and specializes in commercial work for tourism and hospitality companies.Practice head(s):
Pavlos Masouros
Other key lawyers:
Antonis Nikolaidis; Nelly Peraki; Prokopis Iatropoulos
Testimonials
‘Dr. Masouros is a heavyweight lawyer, impressive both in transactions and litigation. Our clients repeatedly praise his commercial acumen, his sharp thinking and the legal talent he brings into every deal he works on.’
‘Pavlos Masouros is an M&A legend, the ultimate go-to corporate lawyer in Greece, a real legal talent. Nelly Peraki is also a strong partner alongside Antonis Nikolaidis, a standout associate.’
‘The firm is without doubt a Greek M&A powerhouse with massive experience in advising in all sorts of business combinations. We’ve been co-counseling on deals for a number of years and our clients love them. It’s a tight-knit team, well-trained; their M&A skills are insurmountable, really.’
‘Masouros & Partners is a top corporate law firm in Greece. The team is very efficient, flexible with fees and willing to take any project no matter how big or small. They are experts in what they do and have expertise especially with cross-border M&A that is second to none.’
‘Masouros & Partners is a full-service law firm with outstanding expertise in commercial law, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Masouros & Partners is the most innovative law firm we have ever worked with.’
‘Pavlos Masouros is by far the most knowledgeable Greek lawyer in M&A. This is acknowledged from all his peers.’
‘This team is outstandingly strong in M&A and in particular in cross-border work. They comfortably work with local counsel in a multitude of jurisdictions and can meet tight deadlines in projects where time is of essence.’
‘Nelly Peraki, an intellectually very strong partner also stands out for her M&A practice alongside standout associate Antonis Nikolaidis, who very much looks like a younger Pavlos in the making!’
Key clients
Tentamus Analytics GmbH
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Supreme Travel Centre Ltd
Petrolina (Holdings) Public Ltd
Energetický a průmyslový holding, a.s.
Public Power Corporation S.A.
Hellenic Energy Distribution Network Operator S.A.
Viva Wallet S.A.
Juul Labs, Inc.
Mandarin Oriental
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Airwork Group
Topicus.com Inc
Public Power Corporation Renewables
Hilton Hotels
Work highlights
- Advised HEDNO in relation to a mega-deal for the Greek energy sector in 2021 and the largest Greek deal ever in terms of value.
- Advised Mandarin Oriental in relation to a Hotel Management Agreement and to the setting up of its branch in Greece.
- Advised PPC in connection with a Joint Venture with Archirodon N.V. to bid for the hydroelectrical 333MW project ‘Cebren’ in a bidding contest run by the Government of North Macedonia.
Greece > Energy Tier 2
Masouros & Partners has a built a strong energy practice with particular expertise in M&A. The firm stands out for its regular involvement in high-profile deals as well as its industry leading role in energy privatization and renewable energy storage projects. The team is led by Pavlos Masouros who advises corporate clients, foreign governments and state-owned organisations on leading corporate, commercial and M&A transactions in the Greek energy market.Practice head(s):
Pavlos Masouros
Testimonials
‘The Energy team at Masouros is amazing. These are M&A lawyers who have developed an industry-specific expertise for Energy and take Energy law advice to the next level. Simply the best there is out there in the Greek market.’
‘Dr. Masouros is the most intelligent Counsel you would ever have on your side in an energy transaction. We feel we are 100% safe in his hands when he’s handling negotiations with our client’s counterparties.’
‘Over the years they have built one of the country’s strongest energy practices, having really transferred all their M&A expertise into this field. We use them for energy privatization projects, for delicate renewable energy storage projects in Greece and for very demanding energy acquisitions our clients do in Greece. They always deliver and we are always impressed.’
‘Pavlos Masouros knows the market inside-out. He’s been able to represent our clients in some very high-profile transactions and his calibre and legal genius has been more than evident in all assignments.’
‘This is one of the most sophisticated law firms for Energy Law matters and they are being sought for their expertise by foreign clients mainly in the RES area. Statistics show that they have advised in relation to RES matters that make up a total of 1/3 of the Greece RES network total capacity, so we often refer them to our clients for RES projects.’
‘Pavlos Masouros is the key figure within the energy law practice; he knows the players and regulators very well and is extremely knowledgeable of energy transactions.’
‘This energy practice is unique and probably one of the most well-known in the country. They are traditional advisors to PPC for a great number of mammoth projects and competition knows them as PPC Counsel. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they have literally co-shaped Greece’s current energy landscape by advising in relation to some of the country’s most critical energy deals. They were also pioneers in the ethical practice of law.’
‘They bring in their unparalleled corporate law expertise into the world of energy. We’ve been using them for years. They are reliable, always punctual, service-oriented.’
Key clients
Petrolina (Holdings) Public Ltd (largest oil company in Cyprus)
Energetický a průmyslový holding, a.s. (“EPH”) (Czechia’s largest energy company)
Public Power Corporation S.A. (Greece’s largest energy corporation)
Hellenic Energy Distribution Network Operator S.A. (“HEDNO”) (the owner of Greece’s electricity distribution facilities)
Public Power Renewables
Work highlights
- Acted for Hellenic Energy Distribution Network Operator S.A. (“HEDNO”) (the owner of Greece’s electricity distribution facilities) in a €1bn mega-deal.
- Advised PPC in its first non-Greek energy project; joint bidding with Archirodon N.V. for the 330MW Cebren hydro-electric project procured by the Government of North Macedonia.
- Advised EPH in connection with one of the mega-deals in Greece’s energy sector for 2021 in terms of both value and significance for the energy network in Greece.
Greece > Employment Tier 3
Noted for its corporate expertise, Masouros & Partners continues to consolidate its employment practice, with clients recommending the team for providing ‘quick, efficient, intelligible advice’. The firm primarily deals with the employment aspects of M&A deals, including employee transfers and establishment of business in Greece, as well as providing contractual drafting services and regulatory compliance advice. Founding partner Pavlos Masouros leads the practice.Practice head(s):
Pavlos Masouros
Other key lawyers:
Prokopis Iatropoulos; Nelly Peraki
Testimonials
‘Masouros & Partners has built a trustworthy employment team that helps make it simple and keep our clients current with efficient advice. They meet the deadlines, they are agile and have very solid background in employment law.’
‘Prokopis Iatropoulos is the key figure in the employment practice at this firm. Calm, patient and available 24/7 with attention to detail.’
‘We decided to test Masouros’ service in employment law, a firm we knew very well from the corporate work they had done for our clients. We instantly realised the difference in that once we used their employment law services, our clients started receiving quick, efficient, intelligible advice. A deadline was never missed again.’
‘The people at this firm are committed to what they do. Prokopis Iatropoulos is delivering employment law service 24/7 and in line with the standards that his supervisor, Pavlos Masouros, has set for all work produced by this firm his service is excellent.’
‘The team is very reactive and knowledgeable. Deliverables are always delivered on time. Team is ready to go the extra mile to obtain clients’ satisfaction.’
‘We have worked with Pavlos Masouros and Prokopis Iatropoulos. We enjoyed working with them both. Both were very reactive and available for questions and feedbacks.’
‘The team’s employment law practice goes hand-in-hand with their reputable M&A practice, as they are primarily dealing with the employment law aspects of M&As. However, our clients have recently used them in employment litigation and have found their services to be stellar and their work in Court to be very thorough.’
‘Prokopis Iatropoulos is the lawyer retaining the employment law expertise within the firm. Nelly Peraki also deserves a mention as she acts as the liaison between the firm’s M&A practice and labor law practice. They are both fantastic lawyers and whenever we’ve referred cases to them our clients love them!’
Key clients
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
SG Digital
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
TikTok
Unilens
Selka Single Member Limited Company
Work highlights
- Advising the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel on its day-to-day management of employment law matters, working regulations, policies, complaints and litigation.
- Advising the Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino on the conclusion of its General Manager’s employment contract.
- Advising SG Digital on employment law matters connected with changing the employees’ local employing entity.
Masouros & Partners > Firm Profile
Masouros & Partners is a law firm headquartered in Athens focusing exclusively on sophisticated capital and specializing in corporate law and M&A.
The firm is consistently ranked by Chambers Global as the only Greek law firm with foreign expertise (2017 – 2022), while it has also received a number of awards for its M&A and corporate capabilities (e.g. 2019 ‘M&A Law Firm of the Year’ by CorpINTL, 2019 ‘M&A Law Firm of the Year’ by the Business Excellence Awards, 2019 ‘Corporate Lawyer of the Year’ by AcquisitionINTL, 2020 ‘Most Outstanding Corporate Transactions Law Firm’ by Acquisition INTL, 2021 ‘European Specialist law firm of the year’ by The Lawyer European Awards).
Masouros & Partners advises routinely private equity funds in relation to high-profile cross-border corporate deals and Greek (public and private) M&A, while it is also involved in big ticket corporate litigation and M&A arbitration in Greece and beyond. The firm has a ‘best friends’ relationship with a good number of major US and UK law firms and is also a traditional advisor for Dutch clients doing business in Greece.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate/M&A | Pavlos Masouros | pavlos.masouros@masouros.com | +302103613694 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Prokopis Iatropoulos | Associate | View Profile |
|
| Ass Prof Pavlos Masouros | Managing Partner | View Profile |
|
| Antonis Nikolaidis | Associate | View Profile |
|
| Miss Nelly Peraki | Partner | View Profile |
Languages
English German Dutch French ItalianInterviews
Pavlos Masouros, Managing Partner
Managing Partner, Pavlos Masouros, explains how the firm stands out from competition and what the trends are in corporate deal-making aheadWhat do you see as the main points that differentiate Masouros & Partners from your competitors?
Our strategy is to concentrate on high-stakes corporate situations and service sophisticated capital only. Rather than taking in run-on-the-mill legal matters, we stay focused on advising clients on specific matters that fall within our core areas of expertise.
In line with our culture to act as special counsel, the work at Masouros & Partners is very partner-heavy; partners do not have an army of associates to foist work onto, this is not part of our culture.
Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?
Despite inflation and looming uncertainty in the banking sector returns on investment in Greece are greater than elsewhere in the developed world. Therefore, we expect the upward trend in M&A to continue, particularly in the Hotels & Tourism and Energy sectors.
What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?
We have developed in-house with the help of AI apps a process that allow us to handle much quicker massive data involved in legal due diligence exercises. Instead of spending endless hours on traditional LDD review of documents, our in-house, tailor-made, software tool allows us to be more efficient and move quickly to the critical parts of deal-making, that is drafting and negotiating the agreements.
Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?
It goes without saying that the age of AI has come and will forever change the way we do legal work. We have been the first law firm in Greece to rely on AI, so we shall simply continue to be on the cutting edge of developments.
Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?
A corporate client came to us on the verge of bankruptcy. A mountain of debt suffocated the business and banks were threatening with auctions; we went to the banks within a week with a plan to convert 55% of the debt into cumulative preferred stock. The banks flatly refused and with the help of English Counsel we quickly put together a draft scheme of arrangement, which could cram the plan down on the banks. With the threat of scheme of arrangement hanging there, the banks accepted our suggested workout. Using an English scheme of arrangement for a failing Greek business would be a first, as far as we know, so we like to think we’ve been very innovative with this one.
Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?
Our small size insulates us from downturns, which have become very common in the Greek economy in the past decade or so. We intend to keep it this way. Small is stable for clients, as it guarantees that they will likely be serviced by the same team in their next deal. If you’re good at what you do and you do the best job you can, there will always be people who come to you.
Interviews
Masouros & Partners
What do you see as the main points that differentiate Masouros & Partners from your competitors?
Our strategy is to concentrate on high-stakes corporate situations and service sophisticated capital only. Rather than taking in run-on-the-mill legal matters, we stay focused on advising clients on specific matters that fall within our core areas of expertise.
In line with our culture to act as special counsel, the work at Masouros & Partners is very partner-heavy; partners do not have an army of associates to foist work onto, this is not part of our culture.
Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?
Despite inflation and looming uncertainty in the banking sector returns on investment in Greece are greater than elsewhere in the developed world. Therefore, we expect the upward trend in M&A to continue, particularly in the Hotels & Tourism and Energy sectors.
What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?
We have developed in-house with the help of AI apps a process that allow us to handle much quicker massive data involved in legal due diligence exercises. Instead of spending endless hours on traditional LDD review of documents, our in-house, tailor-made, software tool allows us to be more efficient and move quickly to the critical parts of deal-making, that is drafting and negotiating the agreements.
Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?
It goes without saying that the age of AI has come and will forever change the way we do legal work. We have been the first law firm in Greece to rely on AI, so we shall simply continue to be on the cutting edge of developments.
Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?
A corporate client came to us on the verge of bankruptcy. A mountain of debt suffocated the business and banks were threatening with auctions; we went to the banks within a week with a plan to convert 55% of the debt into cumulative preferred stock. The banks flatly refused and with the help of English Counsel we quickly put together a draft scheme of arrangement, which could cram the plan down on the banks. With the threat of scheme of arrangement hanging there, the banks accepted our suggested workout. Using an English scheme of arrangement for a failing Greek business would be a first, as far as we know, so we like to think we’ve been very innovative with this one.
Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?
Our small size insulates us from downturns, which have become very common in the Greek economy in the past decade or so. We intend to keep it this way. Small is stable for clients, as it guarantees that they will likely be serviced by the same team in their next deal. If you’re good at what you do and you do the best job you can, there will always be people who come to you.
- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Energy