2010

Chambers Europe 2010

Corporate / Commercial

This “proactive, reliable and highly effective” firm has a strong focus on the energy sector. Members of the team recently advised Endesa Hellas in relation to the construction of a 430 MW thermal power plant. The firm is also counsel to GE for corporate and commercial, regulatory and contentious matters. A further area of focus for the firm is the hotels, leisure and travel sector, where it has advised on several hotel and resort acquisitions and acted for the management team of Youtravel.com on a company restructuring. Yannis Kelemenis is lauded as “a very experienced corporate adviser with a great grasp of the transactional process.”

Dispute Resolution
Sources describe this respected business law firm as "professional, reliable and hands-on." Clients particularly admire the six-lawyer group's ability to meet tight deadlines and praise its "direct and effective approach." The team excels in cross-border transactions and investment disputes, and is led by the "confident, talented and relaxed" Yannis Kelemenis. The outfit has been appointed to the Greek panel of GE and also recently acted for a subsidiary of Salam International of Qatar against the Greek subsidiary of Siemens.

IFLR 100 2010

The Greek market is a crowded one, with reputedly about 20,000 lawyers in Athens alone. Competition, added to the mixing of traditional structures for firms and allocation of fees with new corporate firm cultures, create spin-offs and a variety of styles. There is no clear recipe for success, as structures vary widely in the top five firms alone.
The big four established firms are Bernitsas, Karatzas, TJ Koutalidis and KGDI, with newly rebranded PotamitisVekris nipping at their collective heels. A notable development in capital markets is the establishment of Your Legal Partners, a spin off from KLC, while young firm Kelemenis & Co, formed in 2003, is beginning to gain traction in the market.

Legal 500 2010

Tax

Kelemenis & Co’s ‘quality and organisation is closer to what you’d expect from a well-run Western European firm than a Greek one’. It was recently called on by The Energy Community secretariat to provide advice on direct and indirect tax issues for a joint venture in Montenegro. Tom Kyriakopoulos is ‘quick, business-minded and practical’.

Corporate and M&A

‘Well organised and hands on, with an international outlook’, Kelemenis & Co has attracted new hotel and leisure clients – a traditional area of strength – as well as an increasing number of energy-related mandates. Key deals in 2009 included acting for Champion Europe on the termination of a Bulgarian distribution contract as well as on the acquisition of a Bulgarian sportswear retailer. Clients recommend Yannis Kelemenis and Tom Kyriakopoulos as ‘standout figures’.

Dispute resolution

Kelemenis & Co provides ‘to the point, professional and practical solutions’ in commercial disputes and was recently appointed as General Electric’s legal counsel. The team recently acted for Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP on the enforcement of a UK court decision, and advised Kalo Nero on arbitration proceedings relating to a €14m land dispute.

Employment

Kelemenis & Co’s association with First Law International, a law firm network covering 30 jurisdictions, means it is often called on to provide Greek law advice on cross-border issues, including recently advising Solvay on amendments to its employment agreements. In addition, the team acts for clients such as AON Holdings and Sonae Sirae on termination and HR matters.

Energy

In addition to providing regulatory and transactional advice to energy and environmental companies such as Blue Aegean Energy, Endesa Hellas and Veolia, Kelemenis & Co won the international tender to advise on the creation of the Coordinated Auction Office in southeasten Europe.
Banking, finance and capital markets
Kelemenis & Co has a prominent profile in the leisure and hotel industry, advising on corporate finance issues. The team, led by the ‘commercially aware’ Yannis Kelemenis, acted for Aquis Hotels & Resorts on the €100m financing of eight hotels and resorts, and advised Youtravel.com on its corporate restructuring and debt financing.

EU and competition

Kelemenis & Co’s EU practice is quite active in the higher education sector, where it continues to act for the University of Teeside. Yannis Kelemenis and Iro Stamataki are ‘trustworthy and professional’ lawyers for EU and competition mandates.

Intellectual property

Kelemenis & Co’s IP practice is advising Metaxa on trade mark disputes with two competitors. It also files commercial trade marks for clients such as Smileyworld and Aquis Hotels & Resorts.

Projects and privatisation

Kelemenis & Co has a prominent role on energy projects for clients including Blue Aegean Energy and the Energy Community Secretariat.

2009

Legal 500

Banking, finance and capital markets
Kelemenis & Co’s four-partner firm fields a robust banking and finance practice. The firm acted for hotel developer Aquis Hotels & Resorts on the financing of its acquisition of seven hotels and resorts totalling more than €70m. The firm also acted for UBS on reviewing the regulatory and indirect tax implications of its stock lending agreements in Greek securities. Clients praise the firm’s ‘quick, focused and commercially switched-on approach’.

Energy
Kelemenis & Co has continued to strengthen its energy practice, with the team, led by name partner Yannis Kelemenis, instructed by World Bank to review Moldova’s energy industry and infrastructure to bring it in line with EU regulation and energy requirements. The firm has also been active on the transactional side, providing advice on the acquisition of a Greek hydroelectric power company.

Tax
Kelemenis & Co’s tax practice has gone from strength to strength thanks to Tom Kyriakopoulos’s ‘significant tax expertise’. The firm has been providing tax advice on Barclays’ venture capital investment in a Greek company, which has involved the review of direct and indirect tax issues arising out of inter-group and third-party service agreements.

Corporate and M&A
Kelemenis & Co has an international focus to its corporate practice. The firm has recently acted for Barclays, as majority shareholders in Greek subsidiary Youtravel.com, on an acquisition bid for the company by Western & Oriental. The energy sector is also a strong focus with the firm recently acting for Swiss-based Avelar Energy on a joint venture and acquisition of a Greek electricity company. Partners Yannis Kelemenis and Tom Kyriakopoulos come highly recommended for their ‘high professionalism and versatility’.

Dispute resolution
Kelemenis & Co’s litigation team has been instructed by Bond Pearce LLP to undertake the local enforcement of a €1m judgment awarded in the UK. Athanasiou Papantoniou leads a team that is lauded for its ‘professional attitude and timely delivery of output’.

EU and competition
Kelemenis & Co receives praise for its ‘focused, results-driven’ approach. The firm has been providing regulatory advice to the University of Teeside, and has been retained by Carrefour to provide corporate employment law advice and relevant EU law implications of termination agreements.

Intellectual property
Clients praise the IP practice at Kelemenis & Co for delivering ‘consistently top service’. The firm has advised spirits company Metaxa on trade mark violations by two competitors.

Projects and privatisation
Kelemenis & Co’s partner Tom Kyriakopoulos continues to strengthen the firm’s PPP practice, particularly in the energy sector, where it advised on the acquisition of a Greek hydroelectric power producer, involving careful attention to public procurement law.

Shipping finance
Kelemenis & Co’s shipping finance practice has been working with American law firm Salans on the NYSE listing of a shipping company with interests in Greece.

Chambers & Partners 2009.

Corporate / Commercial
Clients are full of praise for this new entry to the rankings, describing the practice as “immensely dedicated, results-oriented and extremely well organised.” It provides “high-quality personnel and international expertise” across a range of sectors and industries, and lawyers are commended for their “business acumen, creative approach to finding solutions, and effective, to-the-point communications.” The team recently acted on acquisitions, joint ventures and renting agreements and provided advisory and compliance services in Bulgaria and the Middle East. In the energy regulatory arena, it also worked on a transaction involving a Czech company constructing a small scale hydroelectric plant in northern Greece. Yannis Kelemenis is the well-known lead partner.

Dispute Resolution
A new entrant to the rankings this year, this firm has a growing profile on the dispute resolution front, thanks to its involvement in litigation in the corporate, tax and shareholding arenas. Clients praise the group’s “entrepreneurial understanding, knowledge of South-East Europe in general and ability to carry out work in English.” Recently, the team has been taking on an increasing number of cross-border cases, including money laundering matters and disagreements between international manufacturers and their Greek distributors. Satisfied clients also note the group’s provision of “regular updates, consistently high levels of service and practical solutions to complex legal issues,” and note the value for money it represents. The best-known name on the team is Yannis Kelemenis, who is praised for his understanding of clients' business needs and described as “a solid practitioner with an impeccable academic and courts track record.”

Tax
Tom Kyriakopoulos is recognised for boosting Kelemenis & Co's tax practice, having recently joined the firm. The former KPMG lawyer advises Greek and international companies on all aspects of taxation law, including sizeable M&A-related tax work.

IFLR 2009

Kelemenis & Co
"Kelemenis & Co is a top corporate and commercial law firm; we are pleased by the quality of service they continue to provide," says a client. Established in 2004, the young firm is growing rapidly - in the past year five lawyers have joined the firm, including two partners.
In one notable deal, Yannis Kelemenis advised Aquis Hotels and Resorts on the leasing arrangements for various five-star hotels in Corfu valued at €35 million.
The firm is receiving consistent mandates from Stelow and its Greek subsidiary Youtravel.com. In one, the firm advised on Barclays' issue of a loan note to Stelow, and also assisted in the restructuring of Stelow, which required Barclays to increase its loan facilities.
In the past year, the firm was also appointed as legal counsel by Lion Hellas for a €220 million private placement in a Greek renewable-energy company.
M&A is proving to be a distinguished practice area for the firm. Kelemenis led a team advising Stelow on the acquisition of a UK travel group through the issue of €15 million loan notes.
In other work the firm has been advising Barclays Ventures' investments in Greek tourism, and acted for Japanese gas supplier Osaka Gas on an investment project in southeast Europe.

PLC Which Lawyer

Yannis Kelemenis

Tom Kyriakopoulos

Tax Directors Handbook 2009

Kelemenis & Co wins its higher ranking due to the recruitment of new partner Tom Kyriakopoulos, who has a strong experience in tax litigation, from KPMG, to head its tax department. The team has been advising Greek company ICSS on VAT and withholding tax matters relating to a multimillion-euro, cross-border lease of fire-fighting helicopters and personnel to the Greek State.

2008

Legal 500

Dispute resolution
Kelemenis & Co, which is known for its Anglo-American style of practice, has been acting for the Athens campus of the California-based University of La Verne in litigation against the parent university. Athanasia Papantoniou heads the team.

Banking, finance and capital markets
Kelemenis & Co, whose clients report high performance’ and a ‘ coherent team’, has been advising UK holding company Stelow and its Greek subsidiary youtravel.com in a venture capital deal with Barclays Ventures.

Corporate and M&A
Kelemenis & Co’s corporate practice has been strengthened by the arrival of new partner Tom Kyriakopoulos from KPMG to develop the firm’s corporate tax work. Recent work of the internationally oriented law firm – of which clients say ‘ a particular strength is that they have a good knowledge of the entire south eastern European market’ – includes advising the Greece-based Soya Mills Group on its first major investment in Bulgaria. Name partner Yannis Kelemenis is described as ‘ a versatile business lawyer who can inspire colleagues and clients alike’ by clients, who also appreciate the fact that the lawyers ‘ work well in English and are commercially switched on, and have good service processes in place’.

EU and competition
Kelemenis & Co– whose regulatory clients say it is ‘consistently good’ – has been retained to advise Coca-Cola on Greek health and safety regulations as set out in domestic legislation aligned with EU law, work that included a review of EU rules related to beverages.

Energy
Kelemenis & Co name partner Dr Yannis Kelemenis has longstanding involvement in both transactional and regulatory energy matters, and his firm is developing a strong practice. The firm has been retained by Osaka Gas, the second-largest natural gas undertaking in Japan, to act as legal counsel in connection with Greek investments that primarily involve equity participations in renewable energy sources projects. Clients report ‘a good impression that the firm has extensive expertise’.

Intellectual property
Kelemenis & Co, a relative newcomer on the Greek market, wins its new ranking due a fast-developing IP practice which clients praise for a ‘high degree of professionalism’.

Projects and privatisation
Kelemenis & Co wins its ranking due to the recruitment of new partner Tom Kyriakopoulos, who has been active in PPP, including advising the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on PPP legislation. The firm has also entered into a strategic cooperation with Scottish law firm Tods Murray LLP, which has a very strong PFI practice.

Ship finance
Kelemenis & Co partner Dr Andreas Bagias handles ship financing matters on behalf of Greek clients.

Tax
Kelemenis & Co wins its higher ranking due to the recruitment of new partner Tom Kyriakopoulos, who has strong experience in tax litigation, from KPMG, to head its tax department. The team has been advising Greek company ICSS on VAT and withholding tax matters relating to a multimillion euro, cross-border lease of fire-fighting helicopters and personnel to the Greek State.

Chambers & Partners 2008

Dispute Resolution
Yannis Kelemenis of Kelemenis & Co. impresses for being “extremely thorough and getting right on top of a case.” Clients “can’t speak highly enough” of him.

Tax
The “extremely bright” Tom Kyriakopoulos joined Kelemenis & Co. in early 2007 from KPMG. He heads the tax department and is gaining the fledgling house quite a reputation: “We like to get two opinions on tax but nine times out of ten we go with this firm’s suggestion.” He is, in service terms, “to the point and on time” and, like the firm itself, is seen as “young, ambitious and with a bright future.”

IFLR 2008

Kelemenis & Co
Kelemenis & Co is a young practice consisting of 12 lawyers which has shown promise since its inception. It moves into the rankings after recommendations from clients and peers. It acted for Stelow and its Greek subsidiary Youtravel.com in the acquisition of 40% of Stelow’s share capital by Barclays Ventures. Another deal that showed its expertise was when it acted for Lion Hellas in its private placement in Greece. The firm has a strong insolvency practice, having recently acted in the liquidation of the Standard AEEX, a Greek investment fund. The practice impressed the market when it advised ….. The firm was also involved in a few tourism-related transactions. It acted for Fotr in the acquisition of Yaliskari Palace Hotel in the Greek island of Corfu, and of a Seaside Hotel in Crete. Lastly, it advised the Macedonian Ministry of Economy on the country’s legislation on PPP and private finance initiative (PFI) projects.

PLC Which Lawyer 2008

Yannis Kelemenis

Tom Kyriakopoulos

Andreas Bagias

International Tax Review -World Tax 2008

Kelemenis & Co. is an Athens-based law firm that advises a number of varied clients which includes corporations, large institutions and high-net-worth individuals. Tom Kyriakopoulos joined the firm as tax partner from his previous position as manager at KPMG. Together with three other associates and founding partner, Yannis Kelemenis, this team have advised on some of the biggest deals in the Greek market of the past year.