Areas of Practice | Mergers & Acquisitions

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General:

Avramopoulos & Partners is uniquely positioned to assist clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions in Greece.

We often represent clients in the acquisition of Greek entities and assets, both in privately negotiated transactions and in public tender offers and mergers. This is achieved by way of statutory merger, asset acquisition, share purchase or share exchange. In these transactions, we have responsibility for all phases of the project, including:
 

• Structuring
• Due Diligence Investigation
• Negotiation
• Documentation
• Securing any Necessary Regulatory Approvals
• Financing
• Closing
   

Our Mergers and Acquisitions group is supported by specialists in key areas such as:

• Tax
• Employee Benefits
• Environmental Regulation
• Competition
• Intellectual Property
• Real Estate
   

We have developed special expertise in the area of tax planning for cross border acquisitions. Our lawyers advise clients on the tax consequences and provide more effective strategies for cross-border and domestic consolidations and restructuring.

If you need help with a legal or business issue, please contact our team:

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Team:

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Recommendations by Law Directories:

At Avramopoulos & Partners, managing partner Vassilis Avramopoulos is noted for his 'extensive experience in complex, high-profile projects'. Clients include Diamond Resorts International, Federal Express and AT&T. (European Legal 500, 2018 ed.).

Avramopoulos & Partnersdelivers 'good response times' and is engaged by clients such as Bonatti and Diamond Resorts International. Vassilis Avramopoulos is praised for his 'strategic thinking, tactical excellence and innovative approach'. (European Legal 500, 2017 ed.).

The "quality" team at Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm combines "legal knowledge with business acumen". Clients include Diamond Resorts International, EDE Group and Worldwide Wheel. Team head Vassilis Avramopoulos is recommended. (European Legal 500, 2016 ed.).

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm's lawyers "give you the confidence they have wide experience and know their areas". Vassilis Avramopoulos is "professional, efficient and punctual". Recent clients include Oakes Capital, Harlequin Enterprises and OTI Holdings. (European Legal 500, 2015 ed.).

The team at Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm is headed by Vassilis Avramopoulos, who exhibits 'high standards of expertise and professionalism'. Clients include Aegean Blue Holdings, the University of Hertfordshire and Cushman & Wakefield. (European Legal 500, 2014 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm's practice combines transactional with day-to-day commercial advice. It advised Aegean Blue Holdings on the sale of its shares to Diamond Resorts International, and other clients include Mitsubishi Electric and AT&afmp;T. Vassilis Avramopoulos heads the team. (European Legal 500, 2013 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has a strong telecoms industry following and is developing strong links to the German market through partner Wolfgang Gebhardt, particularly in the energy sector. Recent highlights include advising Zebra on its acquisition of a 50% stake in Tiger Hellas. AT&T is a major client. (European Legal 500, 2012 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has cultivated an international scope to its practice. It advised Aegean Blue on its merger with six Scottish companies. Clients praise Vassilis Avramopoulos. (European Legal 500, 2011 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has focused on attracting international clients and is moving towards a full-service corporate offering. The group is traditionally strong in the TMT and advertising sectors, and advised Forthnet on its 500m acquisition of Greek satellite platform Nova. Name partner Vassilis Avramopoulos is excellent. (European Legal 500, 2010 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners has been active in all areas of corporate and financial work this year. On the banking side, the firm worked mainly for borrowers opposite major Greek banks negotiating and drafting loan agreements ranging from 8.5 million to 34 million. The firm also acted for Instone Greece in a 27 million multi-currency term revolving facility from Lloyds TSB.

The firm was fairly active in M&A and in one large deal acted for EDS International in a sale and 100% share transfer to Hewlett-Packard.

The firm clinched some significant deals in project finance, notably advising Balfour Beatty in the implementation of a tender for the electrification of the Piraeus-Thessaloniki-Athens line, and in public tenders for further railway electrification projects. The firm also acted for Rodon Anaptyxiaki and Casino Rhodes on a 63 million concession for a marina, shopping centre and residential area on the island of Rhodes. (IFLR 1000, 2010 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has a reputation for advising on environmental matters related to sale and acquisitions for its corporate clients. The firm acted for a leading chemical company on its acquisition and subsequent sale of a textiles dye manufacturer. (European Legal 500, 2009 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm is known for its M&A practice but over the past year the firm is increasingly becoming recognised for its work in banking, capital markets and project finance. One of its highlights transactions was advising ABN Amro on a syndicated bond loan agreement worth e650 million. Elsewhere, the firm acted for Bank of Attica in its merger with Attica Leasing, one of its subsidiaries. In other M&A work, the firm carried out due diligence in Lamda Technol Flisvos's sale of shares to Island Global Yachting. The firm also provided due diligence and contract drafting in Alma Atermon's e50 million sale of assets to Affichage. In project finance, the firm advised Rodon Anaptyxiaki and Casino Rhodes in the 62.5 million construction of a marina, shopping centre and residential area in Rhodes in September 2007. In another standout deal, the firm advised Balfour Beatty Rail on the public bid for the extension of Athens's metro system. One client says: "I am very happy with the quality of service provided." (IFLR 1000, 2009 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has been advising Affichage Holdings, a market leader in Switzerland, on the acquisition of 75% in two Greek advertising companies, in relation to the establishment of Greek entity Affichage Hellas, and the acquisition of additional Greek market assets. (European Legal 500, 2008 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm is well known for its M&A practice. One of its highlights in the last year was advising Affichage Holding in its acquisition of Alma Atermon, Domisi Wall and Clear Media for e50 million. It also acted for Konica-Minolta in its purchase of Vlachopoulos and was also involved in the sale of Attiki Kerdoos Hermes Securities to Eurobank Securities on behalf of the seller. Elsewhere, the firm acted for Mitsis Hotels in the purchase of a beach resort in Greece. Two other deals that are worth mentioning are its representation of Win when it bought over Imako Publications and its assistance to Aegis Group in connection with its acquisition of the Censydiam Group. (IFLR 1000, 2008 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has a focus on the telecoms sector. M&A, particularly for international companies, is also a core area of practice, where clients include Cambridge University Press and Switzerland-based Affichage. It also advised the Bank of Attica on its merger with a subsidiary, Attica Leasing. (European Legal 500, 2007 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm advised Bank of Attica in the sale of one of its subsidiary's to Eurobank. It also advised Mitsis Hotels on its acquisition of a substantial hotel complex on the island of Corfu. (European Legal 500, 2006 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm provided legal services to Aramark-Dasko SA in its successful provision of the catering services in the Olympics. In M&A, the firm was instructed by Dutch company, Campina BV, in its acquisition of Greek company, Quality Brands, International S.A. (European Legal 500, 2005 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm is led by managing partner Vassilis Avramopoulos. The firm represented Greek hotel management group, Grecotel in its purchase of the parent company of the Sheraton Hotel, in Sophia. Recommended for entertainment law, the firm advised Universal Studios on contractual and location issues in the filming of the Bourne Identity in Mykonos. (European Legal 500, 2003 ed.)

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Examples of work

• Legal advice to a Swiss listed company for the acquisition of various Greek outdoor advertising companies.   Negotiations, drafting of legal documentation and closing of the transactions.
   
• Legal advice to a European group of companies for the sale of all of its issued and outstanding shares to a US company which is a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industry. Following this transaction and to present, our law firm has been acting as this company’s legal advisor for all of its legal post-completion matters.
   
• Provision of legal services to a major German company, leader in the field of the renewable generation sector, on the acquisition of a Greek company; the project involved a detailed due diligence on regulatory, licensing, contractual, corporate and financing aspects.
   
• Provision of legal advice and preparation of Due Diligence Legal Reports (including review of Regulatory Authorizations, connection terms, power purchase agreements, land agreements, etc.) and drafting of Share Purchase Agreements for German enterprises’ purchase of several fully-fledged solar energy production plants in Southern Greece.
   
• Provision of legal services to a Swiss/German company for the sale and transfer of shares agreement of a wind park in the island of Rhodes.
   
• Provision of legal advice and services to a UK listed company and its subsidiary in Greece, regarding its potential acquisition of one of its major business competitors in the Greek market. Legal counseling in relation to the chances of obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals by the Hellenic Competition Commission, the ensuing risks, and the process to be followed.
   
• Provision of legal services to a UK University in relation to (a) the preparation of a Legal Due Diligence Report for a company which offers educational services in Greece, (b) the establishment of a branch office in Greece, and (c) various corporate, tax and employment issues. 
   
• Legal advice to a Swedish retail company regarding its acquisition of 50% of the shares of a Greek company as well as the conversion of the said company in Greece from a limited liability company to a corporation (Société Anonyme).
   
• Legal advice to a hotel group of companies for the acquisition of various hotel and land development companies in Greece, Hungary, Serbia and Turkey, as well as regular corporate housekeeping work for several companies of the group.
   
• Due diligence, negotiations and contract drafting for the purchase of the Greek distributor of a Japanese technology company.
   
• Due diligence, negotiations and contract drafting for the purchase of Olympic Airlines by a U.S. fund.
   
• Due diligence, negotiations, contract drafting and execution, and tax advising to a Greek bank for the sale of its subsidiary securities company to another bank.
   
• Due diligence, negotiations, contract drafting and execution of documentation for the purchase of various hotels and resorts, such as Cape Sounion Resort (Attica, Greece), Eva Palace (Corfu, Greece), Plaza Beach Hotel (Crete, Greece), etc.
   
• Representation of a Dutch company, which is one of Europe’s leading dairy companies, in the acquisition of its Greek distributor. Carried out all the due diligence work, as well as the negotiations and contract drafting and execution for this transaction.
   
• Representation of a UK listed company in the negotiations, due diligence (legal, environmental, etc.), drafting and conclusion of agreements for the purchase of a Greek textile dye company.
   
• Representation of the Greek Government for the location of an international air carrier for the acquisition of 49% and management of Olympic Airways. Negotiations and expression of interest by American Airlines.
   
• Negotiations and contract drafting for the acquisition of a Greek engineering and consultancy company undertaking refineries and oil/gas projects by a Belgian company.
   
• Advice for compliance procedure with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission for the Merger of a Greek Bank and its Leasing subsidiary.
   
• Preparation of a Legal Due Diligence Report for the potential purchaser of the company which owns and operates one of the most well-known hotels in Athens.
   
• Provision of legal advice and preparation of Due Diligence Legal Reports for the purchase or long lease by a European group of companies involving certain hotels and resorts located in the islands of Rhodes and Crete, Greece.
   
• Provision of legal advice and services to a UK based private equity firm for the negotiations and execution of the relevant agreements with a global chain of premium 5 star luxury hotels, in relation to a high-end hotel and residential development in Greece.
   
• Legal advice to a leading international Telecom Networks company with regards to the transfer of its shareholding in a Greek IT company to another major IT company, including negotiating and drafting of the relevant Share Purchase Agreement, Settlement Agreement, etc.
   
• Participation in a due diligence project, negotiations and contract drafting for the purchase of a Greek company by a well-known multinational producer of cameras/technology products, etc.