Areas of Practice | Banking, Finance & Capital Markets

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General:

The Firm is substantially involved in the sectors of Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, including:

• Legal services related to the underwriting procedure for the listing of companies on the Athens Stock Market
• Advising on the regulatory aspects for the listing/Initial Public Offerings (IPO) of new stocks on the Athens Stock Market
• Agreements for the provision of investment services and especially Discretionary Portfolio Management Agreements
• Consulting regarding the sector of Private Banking
• Tax advising for the best management of clients' assets
• Term loan agreements
• Loan agreements for yacht acquisition
• Credit facilities
• Revolving credit facilities
• Loan note instruments
• Syndicated loans
   

STRUCTURED FINANCE AND SECURITIZATION:
Our Firm’s corporate and tax lawyers have extensive experience in virtually every field of corporate, securities and commercial law relating to structured and asset-backed finance and securitization. For instance, together with real estate attorneys, they have worked on various real estate mortgage backed securitizations. They also advise a broad range of clients, including a number of private and public companies. The attorneys strive for creative and practical solutions to the issues and problems that arise in today's complex and competitive financing and business environment. Our goal is to provide a responsive and efficient personal approach, sensitive to the needs of the client, utilizing a small core working group to take primary responsibility for the transaction, and calling upon the specialized talents of other attorneys as required.

PRIVATE EQUITY/VENTURE CAPITAL:
Avramopoulos & Partners has been active in the private equity field for many years, representing private equity investors in fund formation and a wide array of investment transactions.
Avramopoulos & Partners serves private equity, institutional and corporate investors, pursuing opportunities in a wide variety of industries and regions. We offer them comprehensive corporate, securities, tax and strategic counseling on a coordinated basis to assure optimum results. Our membership in the State Capital Group makes us particularly well suited to handle international fund formation, cross-border investment and the sourcing of investment opportunities.

Our venture capital services include providing advice to venture capital firms on:

• Financing Strategies
• Documentation
• Due Diligence
• Portfolio Management
• Tax Issues
• Exit Issues
   

We also work with portfolio companies on:

• Corporate Formation
• Financing
• IP Protection
• Commercial Transactions
• Licensing Transactions
• Strategic Relationships
• M&A, IPOs and Other Issues

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:

Athanassios Avgeros is the main banking partner at Avramopoulos & Partners, which regularly acts for borrowers. Recently the firm assisted Resort Condominiums International on corporate lending matters. (European Legal 500, 2018 ed.).

Highlights for the team at Avramopoulos & Partners included advising the Greek Consignment Deposit and Loans Fund on a range of matters. Athanassios Avgeros leads the department (European Legal 500, 2017 ed.).

Avramopoulos & Partners is instructed by Osterreichische Volksbank on a range of matters, such as the enforcement of loans, account pledges and subordinated loans. The team also acts for the Greek Consignment Deposit and Loans Find and Havells Sylvania. The “highly recommended” Athanassios Avgeros heads the team. (European Legal 500, 2016 ed.).
 
Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s well-regarded team is headed by Athanassios Avgeros. The broad practice represents a mix of borrower and lender clients, including the Greek Consignment Deposit and Loans Fund, NCR Hellas and Osterreichische Volksbank. (European Legal 500, 2015 ed.).

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s versatile practice is headed by Athanassios Avgeros. The team recently advised Equens, Europe’s largest payment processor, on a clearing and settlement agreement with Interbanking Systems, a company established by the Hellenic Bank Association. (European Legal 500, 2014 ed.)

Athanassios Avgeros heads Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s team, which has been advising several hotel groups, including Harmony Resorts and Grecotel, on restructuring loans. Lender clients include Proton Bank and Attica Bank. (European Legal 500, 2013 ed.)

Athanassios Avgeros heads Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s banking practice, which has been busy with debt recovery matters. It also represented Algosystems on a bond issue. (European Legal 500, 2012 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has a longstanding relationship with Attica Bank, which it advises on asset finance loans to shipowners. The group advises Alpha Bank and Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank on bond loan agreements. (European Legal 500, 2011 ed.)

Headed by Athanassios Avgeros, Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s shipping finance practice advised key client Attica Bank on a loan facility to Mega One Shipping Ltd to finance repairs to an offshore tug. (European Legal 500, 2011 ed.)

Headed by Rasmi Sotiropoulou, Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s banking and finance practice advised Attica Bank on the financing of two chemical tankers. It also provided regulatory compliance advice on the merger of Attica Bank and Attica Leasing. (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’s shipping practice is headed by Athanassios Avgeros. In 2009, the group represented key client Attica Bank on numerous loan facilities for vessel acquisitions, repairs and refinancing matters. (European Legal 500, 2010 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm recently advised ABN AMRO on a €650m bond loan arrangement. The firm focuses on structured financed assignments. (European Legal 500, 2009 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm counts Attica Bank as one of its shipping finance clients, and has acted for them on loan facilities relating to ship refinancing and yacht-related acquisitions. (European Legal 500, 2009 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners is known for its M&A practice but over the past year the firm is increasingly becoming recognized 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 €650 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 €50 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 advised Rodon Anaptyxiaki on a €62,5m structured finance issue with Emporiki Bank. (European Legal 500, 2008 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm handles ship finance, particularly relating to yachts, and also recently advised Attica Bank on various loan facilities involving securities including ship mortgages and assignments of insurances. (European Legal 500, 2008 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has a substantial team that has been advising the Sbokos Hotels Group on the issuance of a €17m bond loan, and Eurocorp on regulatory issues. The Bank of Attica is a flagship client for which the firm has been handling an increasing amount of work. (European Legal 500, 2007 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm advised the Bank of Attica in the issuance of a €100m bond loan. Other highlights include advising Attica Ventures (one of the Bank of Attica’s affiliate companies), in several share participations in domestic corporates. (European Legal 500, 2006 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm acts for a range of clients on issues such as regulatory advise and syndicated loans. The firm was instructed by the Bank of Attica and its affiliate companies. (European Legal 500, 2005 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm is active in banking and securities issues. (European Legal 500, 2004 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm is recommended in banking and securities law. (European Legal 500, 2003 ed.)

Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm has a reputation for banking and securities law, advising on the secondary listing of local companies Aioliki AEEX and Ideal Group. (European Legal 500, 2002 ed.)

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Examples of work

• Provision of legal advice to a European Payment processor with regards to the EU Directives on the settlement finality in payment and security systems (including their implementation under Greek legislation) as well as the irrevocability and enforceability of clearing and settlement agreements.
   
• Offering commercial solutions to bank institutions and shipping companies, structuring the loan transactions and drafting loan documentation for the financing and acquisition of bulk carriers, chemical tankers, tugs, cruise ships and yachts as well as for working capital, refinancing, etc.
   
• Provision of on-going legal advice to a major international ATM manufacturer & IT services provider on a broad range of legal matters, including various corporate governance issues to complex commercial transactions (e.g., contemplating a recapitalization plan, negotiating contracts, drafting and advising on dispute resolution).
   
• Provision of legal services and consultation to the Greek subsidiary of a German company in relation to a secured facilities agreement with a UK banking institution
   
• Provision of legal services and consultation to the Greek Consignment Deposit and Loans Fund with reference to loans (including Greek public entities and the European Investment Bank), consignments, securitization, etc.
   
• Provision of legal services to a world’s leading premium drinks business, regarding credit facilities to be granted to employees of a third country (associate) company.
   
• Provision of legal services to a Greek bank for the granting of various loan facilities for client refinancing. Our services included:
  • Drafting the loan agreement, the security documents and the corporate authorizations.
  • Attending the execution of the loan agreement and the respective security documents.
  • Supervising the transaction
     
• Provision of legal services to various hotel groups of companies regarding the issuance of bond loans.
   
• Provision of legal advice and services on corporate lending and financing to various companies.
   
• Provision of legal services and legal opinions to several hotel groups of companies, regarding the restructuring of their loan agreements, etc.
   
• Provision of legal advice, negotiations, review of agreements and legal opinion to a European group of companies, in relation with the introduction to its customers of consumer finance products.
   
• Provision of legal services to a Greek branch for the granting of various loan facilities for client refinancing. Services included drafting the loan agreement, the security documents and the corporate authorizations, attending the execution of the loan agreement and the respective security documents, and supervising the transaction.
   
• Advice for a compliance procedure with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission for the merger of a Greek bank and its leasing subsidiary.
   
• Negotiations, drafting of security documents and accession deeds to a senior multicurrency term and revolving facilities agreement.
   
• Participation in the negotiations and drafting of a Syndicated Bond Loan Agreement.