Group legal head of energy corporate holdings and energy regulation | HELLENiQ ENERGY
Legal and corporate affairs director | Microsoft Hellas
Focus on: Antigoni Papanikolaou After graduating from the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Antigoni Papanikolaou studied at the College of Europe in Belgium, where she obtained her...
Group chief legal officer, general manager of legal affairs and corporate governance | Public Power Corporation
General counsel Australia and New Zealand and South East Europe | Unilever
Chief legal counsel | Hellenic Financial Stability Fund
Focus on: Despina Doxaki Despina Doxaki is a professional with 30 years of experience in international financing transactions. She is highly skilled in all types of funds raising and lending,...
General counsel, chief legal and regulatory affairs officer | Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation
Vice president legal and public affairs, head of corporate communications, quality and sustainability | AB Vassilopoulos
Director of legal affairs and secretary to the board of directors | Athens International Airport
Legal director, retail division | HELLENiQ ENERGY
Focus on: Ioannis Voskos In June 2014, Ioannis Voskos joined HELLENiQ ENERGY Group of Companies, a distinguished business that holds a leading position in the Greek energy sector as well...
General counsel, chief legal and compliance | Lamda Development
Chief legal and compliance officer | Dixons South East Europe
General counsel | MHV GROUP
Focus on: Kypros Santis By managing all aspects of MHV’s legal function, Kypros Santis’ overall objective is to reduce the group’s legal risk. In addition to the ongoing assessment and...
Legal director - Greece, Cyprus and the Czech Republic, Malta | VIATRIS
Vice chair board of directors, head of legal and external affairs | Vodafone
General counsel and member of the board of directors | Siemens Electrotechnical Projects and Products
Senior manager legal affairs and company secretary | Hermes Airports
Secretary of the board, head of legal services and corporate governance | AstroBank
General counsel, chief legal, regulatory and compliance officer | OPAP
Corporate counsel to CEO's office | Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF)
Vice president legal affairs and regulatory compliance, company secretary | Melco Resorts & Entertainment
Head of legal and corporate affairs | Enel Green Power Hellas
Focus on: Rania A. Peppa Rania A. Peppa works as head of legal and corporate affairs in Enel Green Power Hellas, a leading company in the renewable energy sector in...
General counsel, chief legal, regulatory and compliance officer | Athens Exchange Group
Chief officer legal affairs and governance | Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA)
Legal counsel and member of the board of directors | Teoren Motors, Renault Greece
Chief legal officer | Alpha Bank
Focus on… Thaleia Emiri Thaleia Emiri has a demonstrated track record of significant achievements in both private and public sectors. She has worked for approximately 15 years in law firms...
General counsel and corporate secretary | United Maritime Corporation, Seanergy Maritime Holdings
General counsel legal affairs and corporate secretary | Quest Group of Companies
Chief legal and compliance officer | Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems
Head of legal for financial, M&A and B2B projects | Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation
Commercial and corporate legal executive | Cerved Property Services
General counsel, director legal, insurance and corporate affairs | Attica Holdings
Director and associate general counsel | Hewlett Packard Enterprises
It has been a pleasure lead the research for The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Greece and Cyprus 2023, covering the best in-house legal talent within the region. The great enthusiasm of the lawyers that we spoke to was outstanding and inspiring, but the sheer level of innovative work that has been carried out in this region is even more spectacular. Interviews in this edition touch on the recent work that has been carried out by the responders, innovations that have improved their legal teams, as well as the importance of external lawyers aligning with company values.
In-house counsel in this edition, from a wide selection of industry sectors, shared ways in which they have come up with an innovation that improved how their legal team works, that did not come at a large expense. These responses varied greatly, but a common theme that emerged was the integration of technology, and the restructuring of legal teams to be place more centrally within the business. For example, George Lekkas, head of legal and Eurobank, stated that ‘the in-house teams are now linear and directly involved in the various projects in close co-operation with internal and external partners. The linear approach enhanced the engagement of each legal team member, further improved the value and quality of the legal services provided to internal customers and intensified the group spirit and interaction of internal teams with external partners.’ Further, Natalie Kedikoglou, general counsel and company secretary and Hellas Gold claimed that the legal team ‘are consistently using IT tools that promote collaboration and hybrid work within the team. The company operates mines in several different places, so a hybrid work environment is very important to us.’
Despite the continuous uncertainty both globally and locally, esteemed in-house lawyers featured in this list were delighted to share the most significant cases and transactions with which they have been recently involved. Again, there were a great variety of responses, ranging from reorganisations, financing, and regulatory to M&A. For example, George Liakopoulos, group general counsel at Piraeus Bank stated that the ‘legal team has been involved with several major corporate transactions. These include handling multi-billion NPE securitisations in the HAPS program, the sale of non-core assets through spin-offs, mandatory tender offers on stock exchanges, securing financing for well-known borrowers, and successfully defending the bank against lawsuits and shareholder activism in various subsidiaries.’, only emphasising the breadth of work that in-house counsel cover in their daily work.
In-house counsel also took the time to share how important it was to them that external lawyers align with the company’s values. In-house lawyers were immensely clear on the importance of this; Kyriaki Tzemo, general counsel at Prodea Real Estate Investment Company stated that ‘working with external lawyers who share our values ensures that the legal advice they provide is consistent with our ethical principles and code of conduct. This can allow the company to make decisions that are not only legally sound, but also aligned with its values, so that the company’s reputation is protected.’
We would like to congratulate and thank all the in-house counsel featured in this edition on their incredible achievements in the legal industry, and on joining the list of hundreds of the most trusted, effective and innovative in-house lawyers across the globe. It was a pleasure to speak to all included and gain insight into the markets of the Greece and Cyprus.
Elena Lewis | Lead researcher: GC Powerlist Greece and Cyprus 2023
On Thursday, October 12th, in a wonderful venue and with great enthusiasm, we welcomed the best in-house counsels who have demonstrated zeal, innovation and expertise in their work. It was an opportunity to congratulate them for their achievements, which comes as a well-deserved recognition of your quality work and excellent skill set.
They shared their experience and relationship with law firms in various cases and transactions in which they are involved.
For all of us at KLC this is a “must” event which we cherish and look forward to every year, because it a unique opportunity to express our gratitude to inhouse counsels for their instrumental role in bringing businesses and law firms together towards a common goal, to serve the interests of the business in the best possible way.
If you think of it, the in-house counsel is, amongst several other important roles, the crucial link between businesses and external law firms, the catalyst to make great things happen. We speak the same language, but the in-house counsel has the benefit of a deep understanding of our client’s business, of all the internal power games, constraints, anxieties but also the vision, objectives, and aspirations of the organization, so she or he is entrusted with the extra heavy burden of having to “translate” and transmit clearly all this information to us. Because without the in-house counsels we, external lawyers, are practically blind and deaf, we simply cannot deliver what the business truly needs. So, we interact, collaborate, share the businesses’ problems and successes, fight over hard deadlines and billable hours, celebrate victories and cope with difficulties – all together, hand in hand!
We hope that the list of awardees continues to evolve and grow. It is an honor for KLC Law Firm to sponsor such an initiative and we thank the L500 for all the support.
The Legal 500 returned to Athens to launch the 2023 edition of the GC Powerlist: Greece & Cyprus, sponsored by KLC Law and Ioannides Demetriou. Senior research analyst Elena Lewis and key business development Shehab Khurshid were delighted to be joining the very best in-house counsel active in Greece and Cyprus to honour those among the 2023 list, one of our most impressive editions yet. The event took place in the breathtaking Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel, Athens, where delegates had the opportunity to network while enjoying a drink and canape reception.
The event was opened by speeches from Alexandros Tsirigos, partner at KLC Law Firm and Christina Ioannidou, partner at Ioannides Demetriou, who welcomed and congratulated the guests on their significant achievement. This was followed by an address from Martha Kyriakaki, director – legal counsel Southeast Europe at Adidas Hellas, who discussed the ever-evolving role of the in-house counsel.
Overall, the event was a resounding success, and we look forward to returning to Athens next year.
