ELIAS PARASKEVAS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS

 

In 2007 our firm was honoured to be the only Greek law firm to be included in the Financial Times’ “Law 50” list – ranked 24th among the 50 most innovative law firms in Europe.  We are pleased that this designation recognises our commitment to innovation and creativity in the practice of law and demonstrates our ability to provide service at an international level. 

 

We were further honoured by the designation of our managing partner, Dimitris Paraskevas, as one of the two top M&A attorneys in Greece by the “International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers” for the third consecutive year. 

 

In 2007 as in 2006 we advised primarily international clients including some of the largest companies in the world and 15 leading banks and investment houses.  Some of our 2007 clients include: Bank of America, Cadillac, Capital Research, Christie’s, Citibank, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Credit Suisse Asset Management, Deutsche Bank, easyCruise, easyJet, Euroclear, Fortis Bank, Goldman Sachs, Heinz, i-flex solutions, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Natwest, Royal Bank of Scotland, The World Bank, UBS, York Capital, and many leading international law firms.  

 

Some of our 2007 highlights include:

 

Banking, Finance and Capital Markets

 

• Acting as local counsel for a major international banking institution on a transaction in the amount of 7 billion U.S. dollars on matters regarding various types of security taken in Greece;

• Advising international investors, in a 4 billion U.S. dollar real estate investment project in Russia;

• Acting on behalf of an international investor, with respect to a shipping investment of 3 billion U.S. dollars;

• Advising a leading U.S. financial institution acting as mandated lead arranger in relation to a multi-jurisdiction acquisition and asset finance in the amount of 1.28 billion U.S. dollars;

• Representing a leading U.K. bank with respect to the offering/listing of notes, in the context of securitisation, in a European market where note holders acquired credit exposure via the issuer to a portfolio of commercial mortgage loans, in a transaction valued at 1.2 billion euros;

• Advising members of an international ethnic group, with respect to forming a  development fund similar to the Aga Khan foundation to be utilised for the benefit of the people of the group;  

• Advising a leading U.S. investment bank on a 160 million euro total return swap transaction;

• Acting on behalf of a leading German bank, on Greek capital markets legislation and corporate law on issues arising from swap and equity certificate transactions linked with Greek securities, with the value of the transactions exceeding 100 million euros;

• Advising an international private merchant bank with respect to a 60 million euros convertible bonds financing of a Greek listed company;

• Representing a leading U.S. investment bank, on an ongoing basis with respect to the provision of securities as collateral, and particularly complex bankruptcy issues;

• Advising a leading German investment bank, with respect to securities collateral questions in relation to the provision of prime brokerage services;

• Advising one of the largest U.S. banks on the acquisition of collateral over Greek dematerialised securities for the provision of prime brokerage services to a Cayman Islands client;

• Advising one of the world’s largest financial institutions, on matters of securities deposits with custodian banks and asset segregation;

• Representing the leading international clearing and settlement institution, as to procedures required under Greek law for participation in Greek companies’ general assembly meetings and voting, proxies, etc., with a special emphasis in relation to banks holding securities on behalf of their clients as custodians;

• Advising an international law firm on the legal framework governing takeover offers and securities offers in Greece in the context of multi-jurisdictional issues;

• Advising a U.K. based Japanese controlled fund management company with respect to the promotion/provision of investment fund management services to the Greek market;

• Acting on behalf of a leading U.S. investment bank, in forming its panel of law firms who are experts in the areas of investment banking, equity capital markets, debt capital markets and infrastructure in various Balkan countries, and preparing a survey of the legal and business landscape in these areas for each jurisdiction;    

• Advising a leading international fund management company, with respect to its establishing a  branch in Greece and promoting its fund-units in the Greek market;

• Acting on behalf of one of the largest international fund management companies, on all matters related to the marketing of foreign fund-units in the Greek market;

• Representing the largest asset manager in the world on a number of private client, tax and capital markets legislation issues as well as the establishment of trusts;

• Advising one of the most internationally successful investment management organisations, on banking and capital markets regulatory issues;

• Advising one of the world’s leading investment management companies with respect to investment limits in Greece and how these impact its investment management process;

• Acting on behalf of a number of brokerage houses, fund managers and international investment banks and institutional investors, on matters involving investments in Greek equity and debt securities, derivatives, inter-bank mergers, thresholds set on disclosure requirements with regard to the acquisition or disposal of shareholdings in listed companies, as well as issues regarding foreign direct investment.

 

TOP

 

Corporate and M&A

 

• Advising international investors, in a 4 billion U.S. dollar real estate investment project in Russia;

• Acting on behalf of an international investor, with respect to a shipping investment of 3 billion U.S. dollars;

• Advising members of an international ethnic group, with respect to forming a  development fund similar to the Aga Khan foundation to be utilised for the benefit of the people of the group;  

• Advising one of the world’s leading investment funds, with respect to a listed company’s potential investment in Greece with a value in excess of 150 million euros;

• Acting on behalf of an Indian company, global leader in banking software, with respect to its first investment in Greece and to set up a new entity for the purpose of direct penetration in the Greek market;

• Advising one of the world’s leading multinationals, in its acquisition of control over a company in the rubber chemicals sector;

• Acting as local counsel to a leading telecommunications service provider, in its acquisition of the wireless business of a global provider of payment processing, data clearing, financial settlement and risk management services for telecommunication service providers; 

• Advising international investors on a sea plane venture in Greece, with respect to all aspects of the start-up;

• Acting on behalf of a leading software company, with respect to share transfers, employment law issues concerning transfer of employees, transfer of intellectual property rights, and an intra-group marketing services agreement;   

• Acting on behalf of a leading U.S. investment bank, in forming its panel of law firms who are experts in the areas of investment banking, equity capital markets, debt capital markets, fixed income, and infrastructure in various Balkan countries, and preparing a survey of the legal and business landscape in these areas for each jurisdiction;    

• Advising a leading Swiss company, with respect to the structuring of the distribution of its products in Central and Eastern Europe and the former USSR states;

• Representing a global IT utility services provider, regarding all aspects of its maintenance of a corporate presence in Greece;

• Advising a leading international fund management company, with respect to its establishing a  branch in Greece and promoting its fund-units in the Greek market;

• Acting as local counsel to an international law firm with respect to a leading multinational business communications solutions provider as to its operations in Greece and various tax issues;   

• Acting as local counsel to an international law firm for a major multinational client with respect to a product recall and potential safety defects of products;

• Advising the Greek subsidiary of an executive search firm as to its relationship with its international counterpart and various corporate issues such as use of trade name, issues of private international law, etc.;

• Advising international investors as to developing parcels of property for renewable energy production purposes in conjunction with the establishment of renewable energy business ventures;

• Acting for an American trust with respect to the zoning and commercial development possibilities for land in a tourist resort area in Northern Greece;

• Advising a number of investors on real estate projects in Greece, France, UK and Russia; and

• Advising a major European company with respect to all aspects of its Greek operation (structure, employment, management, communications, competition, investments).