|
|
- KLC participates in the Team of Legal Advisors to the Hellenic Republic for its real estate property exploitation plan
KLC Law Firm has been selected amongst the Hellenic Republic’s Legal Advisors, in order to assist in the selection of specific assets for exploitation, the evaluation of alternative exploitation potentials and the implementation of the options that will be finally resolved upon. This project is of great extent and importance, as it involves in fact the exploitation of the extensive private real estate property of the Hellenic Republic in the most profitable way. The fact that all Greek banks act as Financial Advisors to the Hellenic Republic in this respect gives an indication of the high requirements of the particular project.
- KLC acting as Legal Advisor to the Hellenic Republic for the Small Ports and Marinas exploitation initiative
Further to a tender process held by the State Secretariat for Asset Restructuring and Privatizations, KLC Law Firm has been selected as the exclusive Legal Advisor to the Hellenic Republic in relation to the exploration and assessment of strategic options for the exploration of the HR portfolio of small ports and marinas in Greece. The project has been included in the “Privatizations Programme 2011-2015” as approved by Law 3985/2011 (“Medium Term Fiscal Strategy 2012-2015”), and aims to establish a system of groups of ports / marinas under the legal form of société anonyme and, subsequently, to exploit those.
- KLC acting as Legal Advisor to the Hellenic Republic for the reform of the operational framework of the Consignment Deposits and Loans Fund
KLC Law Firm has been selected by the State Secretariat for Asset Restructuring and Privatizations as the exclusive Legal Advisor to the Hellenic Republic for the reform of the legal framework regulating the operations of the Consignment Deposits and Loans Fund. The project assigned to KLC includes the provision of specialized legal advice and support to the Hellenic Republic in drafting a bill on the reform of the legal framework regulating the operations of the Consignment Deposits and Loans Fund, in order to achieve the unbundling of the Fund’s operations (commercial activities and public nature operations) and make provision for the spin-off of the commercial activities branch and the potential privatization thereof. In the same context, KLC undertook to assist the Hellenic Republic in the implementation of the new provisions, and particularly in relation to the elaboration of regulatory acts for the implementation of the unbundling of the Fund’s operations, and in relation to the potential privatization of the commercial activities branch.
- KLC has provided legal services to the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the establishment of the first two Urban Developments Funds (UDFs) in Greece, in the framework of the European Initiative JESSICA.
KLC has provided legal services to the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the negotiation, drafting and execution of the operational agreements regarding the establishment of the first two Urban Development Funds (UDFs) in Greece. Managers of these UDFs are the consortium of Hellenic Postbank/ Pancretan Cooperative Bank (for the region of Crete) and National Bank of Greece (for the regions of Attica, Western Greece, the Ionian Islands and the Operational Programme "Environment and Sustainable Development"), respectively.
The two Greek UDFs are established in the context of the European Initiative JESSICA («Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas»), which was developed by the European Commission and the EIB in cooperation with the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), in order to promote sustainable investments and foster development in urban areas. Resources from the EU Structural Funds in the total amount of approximately 100 million Euro will be allocated to the two said UDFs, while it is expected that additional private funds will be leveraged for the co-financing of eligible urban development projects.
The relevant agreements between the EIB and the consortium of Hellenic Postbank/ Pancretan Cooperative Bank and National Bank of Greece, were signed on November 24th and December 9th, 2011, respectively, in the presence of the Minister of Development, Competitiveness and Shipping Mr. Michalis Chrysohoidis. Additional agreements are expected to be signed in the next two months, for the establishment of respective UDFs, which will manage the European financing resources and will co-finance urban development projects in the remaining regions of the country.
The KLC project team, handling the above case on behalf of EIB since June 2011, comprises Thomas Lamnidis, Panagiotis Tzioumas, Sotiria Sigalou and Giorgi Turdzeladge.
2011 Acquisition International Legal Awards
Greek Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
KLC Law Firm was awarded as the “Greek Real Estate Law Firm of the Year” by the Acquisition International Magazine.
For further information regarding the “2011 Acquisition International Legal Awards Winners List”, please visit the following link:
www.acquisition-intl.com/online-editons/2011/awards/
Business Review “Foreign Investor Forum”, Romania
Mr. George Ftikas, Senior Associate of KLC Law Firm in Bulgaria and Romania, participated, representing KLC Romania, in the Business Review (www.business-review.ro) “Foreign Investor Forum”, which took place on Monday, November 28th, 2011 at Howard Johnson Grand Plaza Hotel in Bucharest.
Foreign Investors Forum was the Business Review year-end event who concluded the Country Focus series of 2011, and many executives from Greek and foreign companies were present.
KLC Law Firm sponsored IMEDIPA Conference on Privatizations
KLC Law Firm contributed as Golden Sponsor to the conference on “Privatizations: Legal and Economic Design, Institutional Implications, Competition Policy”, which was held in Athens (Grande Bretagne Hotel) on Friday, November 25th, 2011.
The conference was organized by the Institute for Studies in Competition Law and Policy (IMEDIPA), with the support of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), the Hellenic State Aid Institute and the Centre for Law, Economics and Society, UCL Faculty of Laws (CLES).
Dr. Vassilis Karagiannis, Senior Associate at KLC Law Firm, was one of the Speakers in the Fourth Panel of the conference, concerning the “Competition law implications of the privatization process”. His presentation contained an outline of the criteria for the application of state aid rules in privatizations, as well as specific references to complications arising in connection with writing-off debts and with the social measures (e.g. financing of early retirement schemes etc.) often accompanying privatizations.
The conference was attended by main factors of the privatization process, such as government officials, economists, investment bankers and legal experts involved in major privatizations in Greece and abroad.
16th National Energy Conference: “The Adjustment of the Greek Energy to the new Economic Reality”
The 16th National Energy Conference was organized by the Institute of Energy for South East Europe (IENE) in Athens, on 22nd and 23rd of November 2011, under the Auspice of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change.
Mr. Thomas Lamnidis, Vice President and Partner of KLC Law Firm, participated as Moderator in the Panel Discussion of Day One, regarding the “Financing of Energy Investments with the participation of investors and senior banking executives”.
The high level conference was attended by members of the Greek Government, representatives of the EU, international organizations and major energy companies.
2011 European Business Awards
A Prestigious Distinction for KLC Law Firm
Within the context of the prestigious programme of 2011 European Business Awards, KLC Law Firm was selected as one of the top 10 Greek companies to represent Greece in the first phase of competition, and was nominated for the Prize of "Ruban d 'Honneur ".
KLC Law Firm was the only Greek law firm, among hundreds of Greek competing companies from all economic sectors, to be selected as one of 10 “Country Representatives”.
The 2011 European Business Awards sponsored by HSBC, taking place for the 5th year running, has identified some of Europe’s brightest businesses based on their ability to demonstrate the three core principles at the heart of Awards programme; Innovation, business excellence and sustainability.
The esteemed panel of Judges distinguished KLC Law Firm for its customer-oriented philosophy and recognized the values that company endorses for services that combine innovation and professionalism, excellence and effectiveness, expertise and Know-how.
The distinction as “Country Representative” is an honor for KLC Law Firm, as it rewards the company’s vision to provide high quality legal services and its continuous effort for progress and development in a competitive business environment, inside and outside Greece.
For more information, please visit the following link:
www.businessawardseurope.com
The Legal 500 (2011 Edition) – High rankings for KLC according to the International Legal Guide
In the International Legal Guide “Legal 500”, 2011 Edition, KLC Law Firm was ranked as recommended on the “1st Tier” at the expertise area of Energy in the Greek Legal Market, and on the “2nd Tier” at the expertise areas of EU & Competition, Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution, Banking-Finance-Capital Markets, Real Estate, and Projects & Privatizations.
For more information, please visit the following link
http://www.legal500.com/firms/15836/offices/16428
The Council of State upheld the applications of KLC for the annulment of penalties imposed against the TV show Call for Cash
By virtue of the decisions no. 568 and 569/2011 the Council of State upheld that the administrative acts of the Greek National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) imposing fines against television stations amounting totally to 60.000 € with regard to the TV show Call for Cash were illegally founded and it annulled the relevant administrative acts. In particular, the Council of State accepted that the acts of the NCRTV were illegally reasoned, since the risk of misleading the television audience regarding the charge of the telephone call conducted by a mobile phone for the purpose of participating in the show was not substantiated. On the contrary, the content of the information was according to the Council of State in principle sufficient in order to prevent the risk of misleading the television audience.
Furthermore, the Council of State, by virtue of a number of other decisions (no. 570, 571, 640, 641, 642/2011), upheld that NCRTV’s composition was illegal, when imposing other fines to television stations, amounting totally to 200.000 €, for the TV show Call for Cash, as well as when banning the said show. In particular the Council of State upheld that a member of the NCRTV had formed his/her opinion on the case in advance and did not provide the guarantees of unbiased judgment required by law, and thus the relevant administrative acts were annulled.
KLC has handled the cases before the NCRTV and subsequently wrote all the applications for annulment which were lodged before the Council of State.
KLC Participation in 5th SEED of IENE
Mr. George Ftikas, Senior Associate of KLC Law Firm in Bulgaria and Romania participated as a Panelist, in the International Conference “5th South East Europe Energy Dialogue", organized by the Institute of Energy for South East Europe in Thessaloniki, on 2nd and 3rd of June 2011. In particular, Mr. Ftikas participated in the Panel Discussion of Day One, re “Power Sector Projects”, and provided a brief overview of the Bulgarian RES market, following the adoption of the new RES law in May 2011.
The panel included Ms. Dana Duica, Executive Director of the Romanian Wind Energy Association, Prof. Mustafa Titis, Director of the Energy Institute of Marmara Research Centre in Turkey, and Mr. Gus Papamichalopoulos of KGDI Law Firm.
Focusing, this year, on «Electricity and Gas Infrastructure Priorities in S.E. Europe – Towards a Regional Market», IENE’s «Energy Dialogue”, serves as a platform suitable for the exchange of information and ideas, networking and discussions on the shaping of the political action required in order to face the increased global and regional energy and environmental challenges.
- A Judicial Success for KLC
Upon the recent issue of the court decision No. 1545/2011 of the Athens Court of Appeal, a ten-year dispute between Piraeus Bank and our principals Cardassilaris Bros came to an end. Following an Appeal which was upheld to the detriment of KLC clients, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal, where the court decided solemnly in favor of KLC principals. KLC has handled the case in all instances.
Piraeus Bank claimed the amount of approximately €23.400.000. The matter in dispute resulted from a shares sale agreement with a buy-back clause – an agreement which formed a part of a three-party Cooperation Agreement concluded between the company “K. Cardassilaris and Sons”, Piraeus Bank and Cardassilaris Bros.
The court held that the buy-back clause, and therefore the agreement in its entirety, was null and void given that the parties have been pursuing this clause when signing the agreement, and into which they would not have entered should the said clause be not included. Furthermore, the court held that parties seek to maintain everything they have acquired and that the reciprocal claims shall be offset, by fully rejecting the claim filed by the Bank, in favor of KLC principals.
Another demanding case on an important matter was handled by KLC was crowned with success.
The case was handled by Thomas Lamnidis, Dimitris Kouvaras and Michalis Hatziprokopiou.
KLC acted for Specifar in its acquisition by Watson Pharmaceuticals
The acquisition of the major Greek pharmaceutical company Specifar by the American pharmaceutical company Watson Pharmaceuticals was successfully completed on May 25th, 2011. The consideration reached the amount of $562 million.
Legal counsels of the vendors were KLC Law Firm, Karatzas & Partners Law Firm and Simmons & Simmons LLP.
A detailed article was published in the newspaper “NAFTEMPORIKI” of May 26th, 2011
themedia/NAFTEMPORIKI May 26th, 2011 , page 22(3).pdf
- Students from the American College of Greece visited the offices of KLC
The visit of 30 students from the 2nd grade of Lyceum of Pierce College, division of the American College of Greece, at the offices of KLC Athens on Tuesday 12th of April, was carried out with great success.
The students, who in the majority would like to follow the Legal profession, watched with great interest an overview presentation of the company by Mr. Theodore Loukopoulos, who talked about the structure, composition and operation of a law firm.
Afterwards, the Professor Mr.John Drossos developed the general framework of the Legal studies, as well as the opportunities and future perspectives of the profession.
The presentation was followed by a constructive dialogue with the students, and a quick tour at the offices of our company.
On their departure from the company, the teachers who accompanied the students, expressed their full satisfaction for the presentation and hospitality, and they thanked us for our contribution to the professional orientation of the students.
We thank Professor Mr. John Drossos, Mr. Thomas Lamnidis and Mr. Theodore Loukopoulos as well, for their valuable contribution
KLC wins again three prestigious awards by the “World Finance”!
For its performance in 2010, KLC has been announced as the winner of three prestigious awards by the WORLD FINANCE magazine, as follows:
KLC - Best Corporate Law Company in Greece 2011
KLC - Best Energy Law Firm in Greece 2011
and
Mr. Kostas Loukopoulos : Best individual Lawyer in Greece for 2011!
World Finance is an international magazine, broadly known for its political-economical and business analysis of all the world markets. It is distributed to CEO's, Tax Executives, Multi-National Financial Institutions, Chairmen of Banks, and Heads of Legal Departments representing Multi-National Companies, Institutional Investors and Finance Houses worldwide.
KLC strengthens its Competition Law Department through its cooperation with
Mr. Vassilis Karayiannis
Mr. Vassilios Karayiannis, Ph.D. , one of the top specialists in Greece in Competition Law , has joined KLC Law Firm.
Mr. Karayiannis was a lawyer member of the Office for Legal Representation of the Hellenic Competition Commission (2006-2009) and has supported very important Competition law cases in Greece. He had been also Legal Partner of the National Commission of Telecommunications and Post (EETT) (2005-2006). He is participating as tutor at the Panteion University of Athens and he also teaches at the National School of Public Administration (Greece).
Mr. V. Karayiannis holds a bachelor degree from the University of Athens (1993) and Ph.D. in European Law from ULB, Brussels (1997). He is sole author of three books, has participated as co-author to a number of collective works and has realized various publications in the Greek and French speaking legal press.
Mr. Karayiannis’ arrival at KLC strengthens the Firm’s Competition- and European Law Departments, in an era, where Competition Law issues in Greece become very prominent for the business development of KLC clients.
KLC was a key partner in the development of the Strategic transport plan of Baku, Azerbaijan
Within the framework of the project “Baku Urban Transport Improvement Project “ in Azerbaijan funded by the World Bank, KLC Law Firm (partner) and WSP Finland LTd.(leader) have organized a final conference in Baku on December 16th, 2010. During the conference, the Strategic urban transport plan has been presented to the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan, the beneficiary of the project. The Strategic plan covers all types of passenger transport i.e. buses, taxis, subway, railway and waterway transport mode.
The event was attended by the Azerbaijani Deputy Transport Minister Musa Panahov, as well as representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Economic Development, Finance Ministry, Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry, Interior Ministry, State Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning, Baku City Executive Power, Baku Metro and JSC "Azerbaijani Railways."
|
|
