Bernitsas Law

Our practice has advised participants in many of the high value and innovative corporate public and private sector transactions to have taken place in Greece. We advise global and domestic market leaders, small to medium sized enterprises and entrepreneurs from a range of industries, financing institutions, funds and other international investors as well as the State on their corporate and commercial activities, risk mitigation and compliance.

Our team has unparalleled experience in structuring and executing ground-breaking deals in the context of new legislation, market liberalisation and foreign investment.

A significant part of our practice is taken up by the provision of ongoing legal services to clients in relation to the legal issues arising in the course of their day-to-day business activities, corporate governance and ESG compliance requirements, commercial contracts and regulatory compliance, for many of which we have acted for over a decade.

We have also assisted in the drafting of new legislation and advised on matters leading to the development of legal frameworks and believe this experience adds substantially to the value of our service. Our aim is to get to know our clients’ individual requirements to ensure we provide a personalised service which is in line with their goals.

Our team guides local and multinational companies and their employees and foreign employers without a permanent establishment in Greece through this highly regulated and continuously developing area of law.

We focus on understanding our clients' aims and concerns and providing in-depth and tailored advice.

At the core of our practice is advising on the human resources and employee relations issues which arise on an everyday basis in any business, whether these are run of the mill or challenging. Our experienced lawyers act in an advisory capacity and in the context of transactions, advising on the employment aspects of mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, privatisations, transfers of undertaking and voluntary exit plans.

Our team advises market leading, internationally operating insurance companies on their business, compliance and the provision of services in this highly regulated sector.

We advise on commercial and regulatory issues arising in the course of our clients' day-to-day business and also represent them in corporate transactions arising in this sector. We work on an ongoing basis for several leading insurers and reinsurers, as well as for local and foreign insurance and reinsurance intermediaries.

Our practice has a strong track record in major administrative, civil and commercial and corporate crime disputes. We offer a highly specialised level of representation before the courts in Greece and Europe, industrial tribunals, the ICC and in arbitrations and mediations, with an exceptionally high success rate.

We approach disputes constructively, averting litigation where this is feasible and getting the best possible results where it is unavoidable, focusing on time and cost management to ensure minimal disruption to the ordinary course of our clients’ business. We place emphasis on pre-litigation risk management and case viability, recognising the need for communication with our clients to allow for informed decisions throughout the process.

Our practice offers a significant breadth of expertise across all types of commercial, administrative and white collar crime disputes. We enjoy long-standing relationships with clients from a wide range of industries who regularly instruct us on disputes arising in the course of their everyday business. Industry specialisations include medical, pharmaceutical, food and beverages, retail, electronics, car manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, insurance, financial services and securities.

Our team has the expertise to guide our clients throughout the life cycle of their real property assets.

We have a history of advising on complex transactions, ownership structures, developments and financings involving significant properties. Our lawyers have advised government agencies and authorities and contributed to the drafting of the town planning and zoning regulatory framework and new laws and regulations in this sector.

We provide a cross-practice offering which encompasses the acquisition, development, commercialisation, management and disposal of residential, touristic, commercial and industrial assets. Our clients include investors, banks, financing institutions, public bodies, non-profit organisations, developers, construction companies, retailers, high-net-worth individuals and real estate trusts and funds. We have acted in major hospitality, secondary residential, touristic and office space development, cinema complex, mall and logistics center projects, as well as marina, renewable energy and other infrastructure projects.