INSS Legal Director Elena Bosnidou shares her tips and tricks on selecting and instructing external counsel.

For much of the pandemic, remote working became part of everyday life for most of us. For some of us, it still is. Upstream – the company I work for – chose to keep a hybrid model. Even in a hybrid system, the idea is to offer flexibility, so I find myself now writing this piece in a village atop a Greek island. Is it that all I need to do my work are my laptop and a good internet connection? These are obviously the basics but there are other steps to make remote working really work.

Koutalidis has advised Alpha Services and Holdings on its issuance of EUR 300 million fixed rate reset Additional tier 1 perpetual notes with a yield of 7.5%.

Eversheds Sutherland has advised Edwards Lifesciences on the USD 4.2 billion sale of its Critical Care product group to Becton, Dickinson, and Company. Baker McKenzie reportedly advised Becton, Dickinson, and Company.

Sophia Grigoriadou – the former Managing Partner of KPMG's affiliate law firm CPA – has joined PwC's Greece office as Partner and Head of Legal Services.

Potamitis Vekris has advised Farallon Capital Management on the sale of its majority stake in Euromedica Group’s clinics and rehabilitation centers business to Imithea Single Member. KLC reportedly advised the buyer.

Potamits Vekris has advised Fourlis on the license rights for the Foot Locker network in eight countries in Southeast Europe and the acquisition of the existing Foot Locker network in Greece and Romania.

Bernitsas, working with Bonelli Erede, has advised Guala Closures on the acquisition of Astir Vitogiannis Bros, with an enterprise value of EUR 136 million, from a company within the Ideal Group.

Following a prolonged financial crisis, Greece’s economic recovery has significantly progressed in recent years, leading to a resurgence in the real estate market. This revival is not just a mere uptick but a significant surge, evident in rising property prices, increased transaction volumes, and growing interest from foreign investors. Prominent areas such as Athens and Thessaloniki and popular islands like Crete, Mykonos, and Santorini have experienced a substantial increase in real estate activity.

The energy market in Greece is undergoing dynamic changes and challenges. The country is trying to adapt to the requirements of the energy transition by focusing on the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and enhancing its energy independence. At the same time, legislative developments and initiatives aim to address existing challenges and promote sustainable solutions.

Despite a slowdown experienced in the Greek M&A sector in 2023, primarily attributed to factors such as inflation, increased interest rates, pervasive geopolitical instabilities, and diverging valuation perspectives between sellers and buyers, the ongoing year of 2024 has seen a notable upsurge in transaction activity. This upward trend underscores the robustness and resilience of the market, which is not only recovering but is also attracting heightened attention from international investors.

Koutalidis has advised Aegean Motorway on refinancing its debt of over EUR 400 million.

Your Legal Partners has advised Premia Properties on its acquisition of Sunwing Hotels Hellas Single Member from Nordic Leisure Travel Group.

Bernitsas has advised Helleniq Energy Holdings and its subsidiaries, Hellenic Petroleum and EKO on EUR 1.5 billion financing with Alpha Bank, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank, and the National Bank of Greece. 

Papapolitis & Papapolitis has advised Arish Capital Partners on the acquisition of a property in Patras.

Papapolitis & Papapolitis has advised Intracom Holdings on the sale of its 27.6% shareholding in KLM SA for EUR 11.1 million to investors who will also participate in the share capital increase of Intracom Properties, a subsidiary of Intracom Holdings.

Papapolitis & Papapolitis has advised Hellinikon on the sale of five residential land plots in the Ellinikon Project totaling EUR 106 Million to Brook Lane Capital, Ten Brinke, Hellenic Ergon, and Daedalus Development.

Bernitsas has advised Helleniq Energy Group on a liability management exercise and a new issuance of notes.