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Principal Areas of Practice Theo
V. Sioufas,
Law Offices has
a diversified Greek and international practice.
The principal areas of the Firm's practice include banking, admiralty
and shipping, commercial, corporate, trading, contracts of any kind, civil
& commercial litigation, arbitration, investments, real estate, labour
law, marine insurance, mergers and acquisitions, take-overs, general practice
and enforcement of securities and judgments. Banking - Finance; Shipping and Aviation Finance The
Firm is involved in advising a number of local banks on banking and financial
law matters as well as on matters of banking litigation cases, regulatory
matters and specific transactions.
More particularly, the Firm acts as the legal counsel on all matters of
the Greek branches of ABN¨AMRO
Bank N.V. and advises American Express Bank, Athens, on serious litigation
cases.
Also, the Firm services Credit Agricole Indosuez-Piraeus, Alpha Credit
Bank A.E. of Greece, Commercial Bank of Greece, Banque Cantonale
Vaudoise-Athens, Midland Bank, Deutsche Schiffsbank A.G., EuroMerchant Bank,
Macedonia-Thrace Bank, Egnatia Bank, Bank of Athens and Eurofinance (Services)
S.A. Further,
the Firm services a big number of foreign banks on matters of Greek law
relating to the legality of lending and the respective security (mortgages,
guarantees, pledges, security assignments, etc.) for ship and other finance to
Greek and non-Greek shipping, trading and commercial enterprises, forms of
finance, international trade contracts, letters of credit, letters of
guarantee, mutual funds, leasing, stock exchange matters, foreign exchange
contracts, monetary matters and related European law. In
addition, the Firm counsel clients on terms and conditions for making or
obtaining (as the case may be) local and international financings.
Moreover, the Firm has a large practice on shipping and aviation
finance transactions and counsels a great number of local and international
banks and lawyers all over the world as well as shipowning firms on matters
related to such transactions.
Mergers and Acquisitions; Privatisations The
Firm is participating actively in the ongoing surge in Greek acquisitions,
mergers and spin-offs, leveraged buy-outs, representing both Greek and
non-Greek clients.
The Firm advises on legal structures for these operations and
implements such structures as well as on all pertinent matters.
The Firm has been involved in activities connected with the
privatisation wave which presently is not as strong as it used to be.
The Firm also advises on investment and exchange control regulations
and obtains necessary authorisations as well as on
matters relating to the participation of foreign technical corporations
in related businesses in Greece. Commercial Arbitration The
Firm acts as counsel in international commercial arbitrations involving a
variety of industries:
sale and purchase of ships, owners- charterers disputes, admiralty
cases, commodities trading, industrial equipment, etc..
Most arbitrations handled by the Firm have been carried out in the
English language according to the English Arbitration Acts.
The Firm also has experience under other rules and in ad
hoc arbitrations as well.
A member of the Firm has sat as arbitrator on arbitral tribunals.
Moreover, a member of the Firm has done a post graduate course on
International Commercial Arbitration at the University of London. Labour Law The
Firm regularly advises corporate clients on Greek labour law issues and on the
highly-regulated area of employer-employee relations and undertakes relevant
litigation.
The Firm also specialises on matters involving disputes between seamen
and ship-owners and their insurers. Shipping Law; Admiralty; Sale/Purchase The
Firm is also involved in shipping law and admiralty matters including the
establishment of shipping companies in Greece and abroad, registration of
ships and mortgages thereon, chartering, sale and purchase; also, on matters
relating to the financing of shipping operations and the banking side of the
business; also, on matters concerning the management of ships and the
establishment in Greece of branches of foreign management or related companies
under the general ordinary provisions or under special laws granting
beneficial tax status to the operation. Companies and other related Corporate Matters The
Firm has large experience in organising Greek and foreign companies of any
type and also in establishing branches or rep-offices or off-shore branches of
foreign companies.
Furthermore, the Firm handles internal issues of corporations (interna
corporis) and is involved in relevant litigation.
Finally, the Firm advises clients on related issues involving criminal
and tax laws by consulting with specialists in the fields. Real Estate The
Firm counsel clients in transactions involving the purchase or development or
lease (commercial or civil) of real estate in Greece, including hotels,
shopping centers, theme amusement parks and other commercial ventures as well
as personal residences.
The Firm also advises on urban planning and construction law matters. Contracts The
Firm advises clients at home and abroad on matters relating to the drafting of
contracts of any kind and has extensive experience in the drafting of
contracts of any kind falling within the areas of law covered by its practice. General Corporate In
addition to the above areas, the Firm is regularly involved in negotiating
international contracts, including sales contracts and joint ventures;
verifying compliance with applicable laws and regulations and arranging the
incorporation of Liberian, Cypriot, Maltese, Panamanian, Honduran, Swiss,
Luxembourgian, Channel Islands, Gibraltarian, BVI and other companies,
Liechtenstein foundations and Anglo-Saxon Trusts and keeping corporate books. State Related Business The
Firm is engaged in business of local and foreign clients involving issues
which fall within the field of government functions particularly for the
conclusion of contracts relating thereto.
In this connection, the Firm has been particularly active in
telecommunication matters. Civil and Commercial Litigation A
great part of the Firm's business is connected with litigation on civil and
commercial corporate and shipping matters involving big as well as small
cases. Enforcement of Execution Titles The Firm has large experience in matters relating to enforcement of judgments (Greek or foreign) and of other execution titles (mortgages, etc.). The Firm has handled many cases of foreclosures and work-outs; has done numerous enforcements on ships, shares, movables and immovables, as well as industrial properties and is very well conversant with all related issues. The Firm has also been involved in enforcements of ships abroad (Cyprus, Italy, Gibraltar, Holland, Malta, Egypt, India, South Africa).
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