Dr. Yannis Kelemenis

Managing Partner
  • + 30 210 3612800 (ext. 114)
  • + 30 210 3612820
  • yk@kelemenis.com

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Overview

Yannis is the managing partner of Kelemenis & Co. He was born and raised in the Greek island of Chios before moving to Athens for his undergraduate studies. He holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Athens (LL.B) and from the American College of Greece (B.A.), and postgraduate degrees from Oxford University (M.Phil and D.Phil). He went up to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford’s most prestigious scholarship) to which he was elected for a period of three years by the Rhodes Trust. At the concluding stages of his doctorate, he studied on a scholarship grant of the A.G. Leventis Foundation of Cyprus. Following the completion of his postgraduate studies and before moving back to Greece, he was recruited by international law firm Herbert Smith to work for its London office.

Yannis’ expertise lies primarily in corporate and commercial matters, finance, corporate tax, restructuring and litigation. In terms of sectoral expertise, he has been heavily involved in energy, tourism, capital markets, and food & beverage. In doing so, he has worked, on both contentious and non-contentious matters, for some of the best known multinational companies and financial institutions over the past fifteen years. He has been repeatedly selected by the EU Commission, the World Bank and EBRD to advise on the legal approximation of Eastern European and Middle East economies with the EU acquis communautaire. In so doing, he has advised the governments of Greece, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Albania and Egypt. supreme court of Greece / best lawyers in Greece for foreign clients / best greek legal advice / best legal support in Greece / best legal representation / best legal cover / best law firm choice in Greece

Yannis is a recommended lawyer for M&A, corporate & commercial work, energy, and litigation in all leading international legal directories (e.g. Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, IFLR, PLC Handbooks and European Legal Experts). He has authored several articles and chapters in edited volumes including the Greece chapter for Sweet & Maxwell’s leading loose-leaf publication “Energy Law and Regulation in the EU”, as well as the Greece chapter on Greek commercial law for the Digest of Commercial Laws of the World published by Oceana of the Oxford University Press. His latest publication is “Greek Business Law: A Handbook for Businesses and Legal Practitioners” published by Greek law publisher “Nomiki Bibliothiki”. Yannis is authorised to appear before the Supreme Court of Greece.

When not working, Yannis and his wife are busy with their son and two daughters.

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Degrees

LL.B (University of Athens);
BA (American College of Greece);
M.Phil, D.Phil (Oxford University)

Practice areas

  • Corporate/Commercial
  • M&A
  • Banking & Finance
  • Corporate Taxation
  • Insolvency/Restructuring
  • Litigation & Arbitration
  • Energy and Natural Resources

Languages

English, Greek

Professional associations/memberships

Athens Bar Association, The American Bar Association – Associate Member, The International Bar Association, Multilaw, First Law International, Institute of Energy for Southeast Europe (IENE)

Indicative Clients & Cases

  • The syndicate of seven Greek banks for the security interests of a Β€95-million bond loan to a listed food company
  • Metaxa on labelling and bottling requirements under EU and Greek law
  • the Greek Power Transmission System Operator (ADNMIE) for claims exceeding €60 million against power suppliers
  • Baring Asia Private Equity on a contemplated acquisition of equity and debt in a Greek public company
  • DEPA, the Greek Public Gas Corporation, on a wide range of regulatory and litigation matters
  • The Greek Ministry for Energy for the harmonization of Greek primary and secondary legislation with the 3rd EU Energy Package
  • Chevron/Texaco on all their commercial and corporate matters in Greece
  • GE and GE Healthcare on a wide range of corporate and public procurement issues
  • China Development Bank in a €94-million project finance facility in Greece

Testimonials

Chambers Global 2015
The “very intelligent” Yannis Kelemenis has a solid market reputation for advising clients in the tourism, food and beverage, and energy sectors (For Corporate/Commercial).
Chambers Global 2015
Yannis Kelemenis of Kelemenis & Co is praised by clients for being “clever, punctual and consistent.” Clients also value his “significant expertise, flexibility and analytical way of thinking.” (for Dispute Resolution)
Chambers Europe 2014
Yannis Kelemenis of Kelemenis & Co is a noted litigator, with particular expertise in corporate and energy disputes.
Chambers Europe 2012
Managing partner Yannis Kelemenis is hailed as a rising star on the Greek legal scene, with clients mentioning that he “understands how clients work and can really understand our problems. He is really commercial… a seasoned lawyer with excellent case management skills.”
Legal 500 2012
Partner Yannis Kelemenis is active across a number of areas in the firm and is very well spoken-of by clients. “Yannis Kelemenis is one of the best tactical litigators. Also, his style is very calm and very thorough and clients gain an instant sense of being in very good hands,” comments one.
Chambers Global 2011
Yannis Kelemenis is an excellent practitioner with a great deal of experience of handling cross-border work.
Chambers Europe 2010
The team excels in cross-border transactions and investment disputes, and is led by the “confident, talented and relaxed” Yannis Kelemenis… who is lauded as “a very experienced corporate adviser with a great grasp of the transactional process.”
PLC Which Lawyer 2009
Prolific and respected deal-focused corporate advisor with acknowledged advisory experience in deals involving the hotel and leisure, energy and food industries
Legal 500 2008
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”.

Publications

Yannis Kelemenis & Evangelos Tsachas, “The SSE-CAO and the Integrated Electricity Market”, in Energyworld

Issue 3, September-October 2014, pp. 50-53.

Yannis Kelemenis & Evangelos Tsachas, “Developments in the Greek Electricity Market”, in Energyworld

Issue 2, July-August 2014, pp. 50-51.

Yannis Kelemenis & Konstantina Soultati, “Legal Developments in the Greek Natural Gas Market”, in Energyworld

Issue 1, May-June 2014, pp. 62-65

Γιάννης Κελεμένης και Θανάσης Κυριακόπουλος, «Συντονιστικό Γραφείο Δημοπρασιών Διασυνοριακής Ισχύος της Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης (South East Europe Coordinated Auction Office)

ο ρόλος του στην ενοποίηση των αγορών ηλεκτρισμού» (The South East Europe Coordinated Auction Office: its role in the integration of national power markets) εις Νικολάου Ε. Φαραντούρη (επιμ.), «Ενέργεια: Δίκτυα & Υποδομές», Αθήνα: Νομική Βιβλιοθήκη, 2014, σσ. 57-77.

Yannis Kelemenis, Greek Business Law

A Handbook for Business and Legal Practitioners, Athens: Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2013, pp. 300

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘The Commercial Laws of Greece’ in Stephan Kinsella and Patrick Tinsley (eds), The Commercial Laws of the World, New York

Oceana, 2012, Release 2012-3, pp. 1-145

Γιάννης Κελεμένης, Κωνσταντίνα Σουλτάτη και Ειρήνη Σαρτζετάκη, The Civil Liability of Transportation System Operators in the Power and Gas Markets and of the Power Market Operator) εις Νικολάου Ε. Φαραντούρη (επιμ.)

Ενέργεια: Δίκαιο, οικονομία και πολιτική, Αθήνα: Νομική Βιβλιοθήκη, 2012, σσ. 77-114.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Procedure before Civil Courts’ in Greek Law Digest

The Ultimate Legal Guide to Investing in Greece, Athens: Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2011, pp. 34-39.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Greece’ in Earle H O Donnell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation 2010, London

Law Business Research, 2009, pp 108-114.

Yannis Kelemenis and Konstantina Soultati, ‘Greece’ in Earle H O’ Donnell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation 2011, London.

Law Business Research, 2010, pp 108-114

Yannis Kelemenis and Athanasia Papantoniou, ‘Greece’ in Simon Bushell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Dispute Resolution 2010, London

Law Business Research Ltd, 2009, pp. 94-100.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Greece’ in Craig Spurn (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Oil Regulation 2010, London

Law Business Research, 2010, pp. 58-62.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Greece’ in Robert Tudway (ed.), Energy Law and Regulation, London

Sweet & Maxwell, 2010, pp. 10003-10502.

Γιάννης Κελεμένης, ‘Ενεργειακή Διπλωματία – Το στοίχημα της Ελλάδας

Η θέση της χώρας στη γεωπολιτική σκακιέρα» (Greece’s geopolitical position in energy diplomacy), Περιοδικό Διπλωματία, Τεύχος 62, Μάρτιος 2009, σσ. 34-35.

Γιάννης Κελεμένης, ‘Αναπτυξιακός Νόμος: Κριτική της τελευταίας τροποποίησης’ (Incentives Law: A critique of the latest amendment)

Εφημερίδα Ναυτεμπορική, 23.2.2009, σ. 46.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Electricity’ in Greek Law Digest

The Ultimate Legal Guide to Investing in Greece, Athens: Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2011, pp. 492-497

“Yannis

in The Euromoney Project Finance Yearbook 2009-10, pp. 35-38.

Yannis Kelemenis and Athanasia Papantoniou, ‘Greece’ in Simon Bushell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Dispute Resolution 2009, London

Law Business Research Ltd, 2009, pp. 105-111.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Greece’ in Earle H O’ Donnell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation 2009, London

Law Business Research Ltd., pp. 108-114.

Yannis Kelemenis and Ioanna Lazaridou - Elmaloglou, ‘Greece’ εις Simon Robinson (ed.), The Mergers & Acquisitions Review 2008, 2nd ed., London

Global Competition Review, 2008, pp. 182-192.

Yannis Kelemenis and Athanasia Papantoniou, ‘Greece’ in Simon Bushell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Dispute Resolution 2008, London

Law Business Research, 2008, pp. 97-103.

Yannis Kelemenis and Athanasia Papantoniou, ‘Greece’ in PLC Cross-border Dispute Resolution Handbook 2008/09, Vol. 1, London

Practical Law Company, 2008, pp. 129-138.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Greece’ in Earle H O’ Donnell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation 2009, London

Law Business Research, 2008, pp 108-114.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Greece’ in Craig Spurn (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Oil Regulation 2008, London

Law Business Research, 2008, pp. 71-76.

Yannis Kelemenis and Ioanna Lazaridou - Elmaloglou, 'Greece' in Simon Robinson (ed.), The European Mergers & Acquisitions Review 2007, London

Global Competition Review, 2007, pp. 83-90.

Yannis Kelemenis and Athanasia Papantoniou, 'Greece' in Craig Pollack & Gordon Blanke (ed.), International Comparative Legal Guide to: Litigation & Dispute Resolution 2008, London

Global Legal Group, 2007, pp. 124-131.

Yannis Kelemenis, 'Greece' in Earle H O’ Donnell (ed.), Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation 2008, London

Law Business Research, 2007, pp. 82-88.

Yannis Kelemenis, ‘Rising to the Challenge: The Growth of Wind Power in Greece’ in Michaela Crisell (ed.) Renewable Energy Finance Yearbook 2007/2008, London

Euromoney, 2007, pp. 47-50.

Yannis Kelemenis, 'Greece' in Robert Tudway (ed.), Energy Law and Regulation (Release 17), London

Sweet & Maxwell, February 2007, pp. 10001-10504.

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