Konstantinos Papadiamantis, Evgenia Kordou and Andreas Matsakas, members of our White-Collar Crime Team, successfully represented, achieving their acquittal, the founding members of a company, who had been accused of and at first instance (represented by another defense counsel) convicted of illegal copying, by computer, of the design of a subsequently registered trademark from the electronic file of the opposing company, which (design) was considered a professional secret, as well as of usurping a false certificate due to the submission of this design to the competent Trademark Service for its registration as a trademark.

We proudly announce that we represented the Athens International Airport S.A. for its IPO and listing on the Main Market of the Athens Exchange. The combined (Greek and international) offering by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund of its 30% stake was oversubscribed by approximately 11.6 times, with the gross proceeds amounting to €784.7 million, implying an initial market capitalization of €2.46 billion. This landmark IPO, the largest in Greece for 18 years and the first IPO in Europe for 2024, marks a historic milestone for the Greek capital markets.
POTAMITISVEKRIS’ core team consisted of George Bersis (Managing Partner), Vassilis Stergiou (Partner), Elena Theocharakou (Senior Associate) and Maria Glynou (Associate).

George Bersis (Managing Partner), Elena Theocharakou (Senior Associate) and Elisabetta Lentsiou (Associate) advised GEK TERNA S.A. in the private placement of shares representing c. 5.8% of its issued share capital to selected institutional investors. The total proceeds of the private placement amount to €79.2 million.
We are delighted to have participated in this transaction, which confirms the trust of the investment community in GEK TERNA S.A. and reaffirms the momentum of the Greek capital markets.

We are delighted to announce that we acted as Greek legal counsel to Theon International Plc, a leading developer and manufacturer of customizable night vision and thermal imaging systems for military and security applications in Europe, in the listing of its shares on Euronext – Amsterdam. The listing was preceded by the successful private placement of new and existing shares of Theon International to eligible institutional investors in various jurisdictions, representing in total 20% of the company’s share capital, with total gross proceeds amounting to €140 million (market cap €700 million). Our team was led by Alexander Metallinos (Partner) and Maria Perifanou (Partner), supported by Eleana Baya (Senior Associate), Elena Theocharakou (Senior Associate) and Evangelia Natsi (Associate).

Our White-Collar Crime Team successfully represented (on a pro bono basis) Mr. Andreas Georgiou, former Head of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which ruled in favor of the conviction of Greece for a violation of Article 6 ECHR regarding the right to a fair trial. Subsequently, on the legal basis of this decision of the ECtHR, Konstantinos Papadiamantis and Natalia Chrisagi, leading members of our White-Collar Crime Team, lodged a request for a retrial before the Court of Cassation of Greece, requesting the cassation of Mr Georgiou’s conviction for breach of duty for having sent official fiscal statistics to Eurostat concerning Greece’s fiscal deficit for the year 2009, as well as the suspension of the criminal prosecution for the said offense, due to the lapse of its statute of limitations. Pending the decision of the Court of Cassation of Greece on the above request, its Prosecutor proposed that it should be deemed accepted.

Our Senior Associate, Natalie Zourenko Chrisagi, achieved the acquittal of the accused CEO along with our Head of Dispute Resolution & White collar crime, Konstantinos Papadiamantis. The executive of German military defense manufacturer was facing the charges of corruption and was acquitted of all charges by the Greek Court for felonies after 4 years of trial.

Dimitris Loukas and team advise a leading travel operator in relation to the HCC’s ongoing antitrust investigation in the market for the provision of educational trips for public and private schools concerning suspected infringements of competition rules.

Natalia Chrisagi and Andreas Matsakas, members of our White-Collar Crime Team, have been representing NEXI PAYMENTS GREECE S.A., in the capacity of the universal successor of Alpha Bank, as the civil claimant appearing in support of the charge within the context of criminal proceedings against four (4) companies accused of fraud at the expense of the said Bank, specifically in the form of bank-mediated fraudulent internet transactions, as well as accused of forgery and/or money laundering in the context of a criminal organization in some of these cases. One (1) of them has been referred to the Three-Member Felonies Appeals Court of Athens, pending the hearing before it, while the remaining three (3) of them are still at the pre-trial stage, pending before either a Prosecutor or an Inquiring Judge.

Dimitris Loukas and team advised represented Piraeus Bank SA, Greece’s largest systemic bank, in relation to the HCC’s investigation into the suspected coordination of Greece’s major banks for the introduction of certain banking fees in the banking & payments sector. A Settlement Decision was ultimately reached following an extensive and lengthy investigation by the HCC, finding an infringement of antitrust rules (Articles 101 TFEU and 1 of the Greek Competition Act) and imposing administrative fines and corrective measures.