1 December 2010

Chambers Europe

The recently published 2010 edition of Chambers Europe says the following about Kelemenis & Co.:

Corporate / Commercial

This “proactive, reliable and highly effective” firm has a strong focus on the energy sector. Members of the team recently advised Endesa Hellas in relation to the construction of a 430 MW thermal power plant. The firm is also counsel to GE for corporate and commercial, regulatory and contentious matters. A further area of focus for the firm is the hotels, leisure and travel sector, where it has advised on several hotel and resort acquisitions and acted for the management team of Youtravel.com on a company restructuring. Yannis Kelemenis is lauded as “a very experienced corporate adviser with a great grasp of the transactional process.”

Dispute Resolution

Sources describe this respected business law firm as “professional, reliable and hands-on.” Clients particularly admire the group’s ability to meet tight deadlines and praise its “direct and effective approach.” The team excels in cross-border transactions and investment disputes, and is led by the “confident, talented and relaxed” Yannis Kelemenis. The outfit has been appointed to the Greek panel of GE and also recently acted for a subsidiary of Salam International of Qatar against the Greek subsidiary of Siemens.

IFLR 1000

The recently published 2010 edition of IFLR 1000 says the following about Kelemenis & Co.:

The Greek market is a crowded one, with reputedly about 20,000 lawyers in Athens alone. Competition, added to the mixing of traditional structures for firms and allocation of fees with new corporate firm cultures, create spin-offs and a variety of styles. There is no clear recipe for success, as structures vary widely in the top five firms alone.

The big four established firms are Bernitsas, Karatzas, TJ Koutalidis and KGDI, with newly rebranded Potamitis Vekris nipping at their collective heels. A notable development in capital markets is the establishment of Your Legal Partners, a spin off from KLC, while young firm Kelemenis & Co, formed in 2003, is beginning to gain traction in the market.

Legal 500

The recently published 2010 edition of Legal 500 says the following about Kelemenis & Co.:

Tax

Kelemenis & Co.’s quality and organisation is closer to what you would expect from a well-run Western European firm than a Greek one. It was recently called on by The Energy Community Secretariat to provide advice on direct and indirect tax issues for a joint venture in Montenegro. The team is described as “quick, business-minded and practical”.

Corporate and M&A

‘Well organised and hands on, with an international outlook’, Kelemenis & Co has attracted new hotel and leisure clients – a traditional area of strength – as well as an increasing number of energy-related mandates. Key deals in 2009 included acting for Champion Europe on the termination of a Bulgarian distribution contract as well as on the acquisition of a Bulgarian sportswear retailer. Clients recommend Yannis Kelemenis as ‘standout figure’.

Dispute resolution

Kelemenis & Co. provides ‘to the point, professional and practical solutions’ in commercial disputes and was recently appointed as General Electric’s legal counsel. The team recently acted for Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP on the enforcement of a UK court decision, and advised Kalo Nero on arbitration proceedings relating to a €14m land dispute.

Employment

Kelemenis & Co.’s association with First Law International, a law firm network covering 30 jurisdictions, means it is often called on to provide Greek law advice on cross-border issues, including recently advising Solvay on amendments to its employment agreements. In addition, the team acts for clients such as AON Holdings and Sonae Sirae on termination and HR matters.

Energy

In addition to providing regulatory and transactional advice to energy and environmental companies such as Blue Aegean Energy, Endesa Hellas and Veolia, Kelemenis & Co won the international tender to advise on the creation of the Coordinated Auction Office in southeasten Europe.

Banking, finance and capital markets

Kelemenis & Co has a prominent profile in the leisure and hotel industry, advising on corporate finance issues. The team, led by the ‘commercially aware’ Yannis Kelemenis, acted for Aquis Hotels & Resorts on the €100m financing of eight hotels and resorts, and advised Youtravel.com on its corporate restructuring and debt financing.

EU and competition

Kelemenis & Co.’s EU practice is quite active in the higher education sector, where it continues to act for the University of Teeside. Yannis Kelemenis and Iro Stamataki are ‘trustworthy and professional’ lawyers for EU and competition mandates.

Intellectual property

Kelemenis & Co.’s IP practice is advising Metaxa on trade mark disputes with two competitors. It also files commercial trade marks for clients such as Smileyworld and Aquis Hotels & Resorts.

Projects and privatisation

Kelemenis & Co. has a prominent role on energy projects for clients including Blue Aegean Energy and the Energy Community Secretariat.