Team size: 168

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

In the past 12 months, I was actively involved in headline transactions like the establishment and licensing of a new fully digital Bank from scratch (Snappi); the €600m acquisition of the largest insurance company in Greece by Piraeus Bank (Ethniki Asfalistiki); the divestment of the state-owned stake from the Bank’s share capital through an innovative €1.2bn capital markets structure; negotiating the agreements for Piraeus’ new headquarter complex (four interlinked buildings in the financial centre of Athens); and I was also involved in various corporate responsibility projects, including civic transformation actions in neglected neighborhoods (e.g. construction of mini parks, renovation of playgrounds, large scale graffiti art on rundown facades etc.).

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Legal strategy in a crisis must assist the organisation to respond without losing resilience — legally, operationally, and reputationally.

The first step is to get a clear, detached view of the situation, identifying the most critical legal and regulatory risks that could threaten the organisation’s ability to survive and function. The second step is to prioritise immediate actions to protect the core business and ensure compliance, while keeping sight of the longer-term implications. I also make it a priority to maintain the morale and confidence of the legal team and business partners, fostering a sense of control and purpose amid uncertainty.

In times of instability or crisis, close alignment with leadership and key functions is crucial. I work hand in hand with senior management, risk, compliance, and communications to deliver a coordinated response that balances legal obligations with the need to remain credible and transparent while keeping the business running.

Once the crisis has passed, the last step of my legal strategy is to run a “postmortem” review trying to learn from the experience and identify mistakes and pain points; the lessons learned can then be embedded into the operational framework so as to improve the organisation’s resilience.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

I will never forget the summer of 2015, at the height of the Greek financial crisis, when banks were closed to avert an imminent bank run and capital controls prohibited withdrawals exceeding €60 per person. At that time, I practically lived in my office at the bank for more than three weeks, trying to navigate the new emergency legislation, providing advice to management and conceiving legal ways to assist our clients as best as we could under the circumstances.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

A successful in-house counsel must combine legal expertise with a solid understanding of the business. Knowledge of the law and regulation is only the starting point; what sets a modern counsel apart is the ability to align legal advice with the organisation’s strategic goals and deliver advice that is both legally sound and commercially viable, while at all times being a paradigm for integrity and ethics.

The modern GC must communicate clearly and persuasively, translating complex legal requirements into actionable guidance for business leaders and staff at all levels. General Counsel must follow and embrace developments in technology, continuously seeking ways to improve the legal function’s efficiency, effectiveness and added value.

Furthermore, a general counsel must be a leader, creating an environment where team members feel supported and encouraged to grow, both professionally and personally. A good GC sets clear expectations, delegates thoughtfully, and ensures the team works cohesively, with a shared understanding of priorities. The modern legal leader fosters a culture of integrity, inclusion, collaboration, and continuous improvement, recognising that a strong, engaged legal team is essential to achieving the company’s broader goals, and remain capable, resilient, and ready to meet future challenges.