M&A

Mergers, acquisitions, disposals, divestitures and joint ventures are all fundamental tools and important strategic options for corporations, financial institutions and private equity investors. As the global environment becomes increasingly complex and the Greek economic recovery gains traction, M&A activity is accelerating across industries and the full spectrum of domestic and cross-border transactions. Together with our clients, we participate in groundbreaking transactions and market “firsts” offering pragmatic, creative and business-minded solutions.

As a team, we pride ourselves on being an established market leader within this field, with an exceptional track record in high profile mergers and acquisitions that have taken place within the Greek market in the last few decades. Our strength lies in our in-depth experience and high awareness of market practice coupled with our innovative mindset and ability to design optimal structures tailored to the legal and business objectives of our clients.

Our M&A practice is supported by other specialized legal teams across the Firm’s practice areas which allows us to provide a 360-degree analysis of all transaction-related aspects including Antitrust, Tax, Regulatory, Capital Markets, Banking & Finance, Data Privacy, Real Estate, Environmental, employee benefits and dispute resolution. Our Finance team’s expertise is just as strong, thus cementing our ability to also offer acquisition financing support in domestic, as well as cross-border transactions.

We represent the full range of market participants: purchasers, sellers, target companies, financial advisors, sponsors and stakeholders in domestic and international transactions, including mergers, divisions spin offs, share deals, asset deals, transfers of going concerns, conversions and shareholder agreements. Regardless of how complicated the structure and nature of the deal at hand, we are always ready to embrace the challenges that an M&A transaction may present, and are proud to possess the transaction skills necessary to deliver accurate advice and bespoke solutions tailored to each client’s needs.

Services

In the context of an M&A transaction, our practice covers a wide range of services including, among others, the following:

  • assisting on the design and implementation of the transaction structure, with the aim of maximizing efficiency while ensuring regulatory and legal compliance,
  • performing legal due diligence services and highlighting legal risks to the transaction,
  • negotiation and drafting of all transaction documents, regardless of the stage and structure of the transaction,
  • advising on merger control and other regulatory aspects and liaising with regulatory authorities,
  • dealing with any other transaction-related aspect with the support of our specialized teams, such as on tax, labour, procurement or dispute relation issues,
  • post-closing assistance, including on matters concerning transition and integration of activities.

Our team of experts at Koutalidis Law Firm have advised among others the following:

  • Macquarie Asset Management, in a consortium with British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) and MEAG, in its recent €2.5bn acquisition of Reden Solar
  • Waterwheel Capital Management in one of the first secondary trades involving an NPL portfolio originated by a Greek Bank. Eurobank S.A. completed the securitisation of the €3.2bn Mexico Portfolio consisting predominately of non-performing exposures of residential mortgage loans.
  • Macquarie Group in completing the acquisition of a 49% ownership interest in the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA (HEDNO), one of the largest privatizations to have ever taken place in Greece valued at €2.1bn.
  • Viva Wallet on reaching an agreement with J.P. Morgan for its acquisition of around 49% in the Greek fintech company.
  • Cohn Robbins Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CRHC), a blank check company, in connection with the public listing on the NYSE of Allwyn Entertainment (the new group-wide brand of SAZKA Entertainment AG), a leading multinational lottery operator and majority shareholder of OPAP.
  • United Group B.V. on a EUR 980 million acquisition of the Greek telecoms operator WIND Hellas.
  • Nexi S.p.A on its agreement with Alpha Bank SA for the establishment of a strategic long-term partnership for Alpha Bank’s merchant acquiring business unit in Greece.
  • SouthBridge on the first investment concluded by its recently launched new investment fund, SouthBridge Europe Mezzanine II SCA SICAR, in the company Biologiko Xorio, the Greek market leader in organic food product supply and distribution.
  • Interxion, a member of the Digital Realty Group, with more than 4,000 clients, in over 284 data centers across 24 countries, in connection with the acquisition of Lamda Hellix S.A. , the largest colocation and interconnection provider in Greece, hosting in its two-data center campuses in Athens approximately two-thirds of Greek data center communities.
  • Alpha Bank, Eurobank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank in their capacity as sellers on the sale of equity and debt restructuring of the Greek sea farm companies Nireus S.A. and Selonda S.A..
  • The sellers (including Southbridge Europe Mezzanine Investment Fund and the founding shareholders of Skroutz SA) on the sale of a significant minority stake in Skroutz S.A. to CVC Capital Partners.
  • Southbridge Europe Mezzanine Investment Fund on the sale of Arivia Group to Upfield Group BV.
  • Eurobank Ergasias S.A. on the sale of 80% in Eurobank Financial Planning Services S.A. to doValue S.p.A.
  • Kanakis family (in their capacity as sellers) on the sale of 100% in Stelios Kanakis S.A.to Orkla Food Ingredients AS (OFI)Damco Energy S.A. (member of the Copelouzos Group) on the sale of 10% in Senfluga S.A. to Damco Energy S.A.

WHO TO CONTACT

Koutalidis Law Firm’s Website Wins Gold Award for UX/UI Design

We are delighted to announce that Koutalidis Law Firm’s website has won the Gold Award for UX/UI Design in the B2B Website category at the 2023 UX/CX Awards. This prestigious recognition was made possible with the invaluable support and expertise of gnc | web and George Chouliaras, whose contributions were→

K.Protopapa & E.Papoutsi recognized as Women Leaders by IFLR1000

We are proud to announce that two of our esteemed female partners have been recognized by IFLR1000 in their 2023 edition, one of the most prestigious legal directories in the world. Katia Protopapa, Partner and Head of our M&A practice along with Effie Papoutsi, Partner of our Banking & Finance→

Koutalidis Law Firm Shines once again in IFLR1000’s 2023 Rankings

We are elated to share that the much-anticipated IFLR1000 rankings for 2023 have been unveiled, and Koutalidis Law Firm has made its mark yet again. Our firm has been honored with a Tier 1 ranking, underscoring our unwavering commitment to providing top-notch legal services. This year’s research by IFLR1000 featured→

Koutalidis Law Firm is listed in the 2nd of The Legal 500’s EMEA Green Guide.

Koutalidis Law Firm is selected and listed in the second edition of The Legal 500’s EMEA Green Guide. The guide refers to some of the key firms engaging with energy and sustainability projects in the EMEA region. As Koutalidis is currently advising on a pipeline of RES projects with a→

Koutalidis Law Firm is Top Ranked once again on Chambers & Partners Europe 2023 rankings

Chambers & Partners Europe rankings have been announced and Koutalidis Law Firm is once again Top Ranked! This achievement demonstrates the commitment, integrity, and service excellence of our team members as we always seek to deliver impeccable legal advice. More specifically our clients mentioned, Banking & Finance: “They have a→

Koutalidis Law Firm is recognized on IFLR’s shortlist for its 2023 Europe Awards

Koutalidis Law Firm is delighted to be recognized on IFLR’s shortlist for its 2023 Europe Awards. Judged independently by IFLR’s editorial team, the awards focus exclusively on legal innovation in cross-border transactions that reached a financial close in 2022. The winning deals, law firms and in-house legal teams will be→

Koutalidis Law Firm is ranked as a Top Firm by Chambers and Partners Global in their 2023 Guide

Koutalidis Law Firm is ranked as a Top Firm by Chambers and Partners Global in their 2023 Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers for Business. More specifically Chambers review states, “Koutalidis is highly sought after by domestic and international lenders for capital markets and financing mandates. The firm regularly advises→

Chambers and Partners shortlists Koutalidis as Greece Law Firm of the Year

We are delighted to announce that Koutalidis Law Firm has been shortlisted as a candidate for the “Greece Law Firm of the Year” at the Chambers European Awards 2023! A humble thank you to all our clients who have reviewed and rated our services! The Chambers Europe Awards recognise a→

Koutalidis Law Firm is now ISO Certified

Koutalidis Law Firm is pleased to announce that it has completed its ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 certification. To obtain these certifications, we carried out a thorough assessment process that included a wide range of audits, studies, improvements and planning aimed at achieving a high level of quality assurance and→

Koutalidis Law Firm’s Website Wins Gold Award for UX/UI Design

We are delighted to announce that Koutalidis Law Firm’s website has won the Gold Award for UX/UI Design in the B2B Website category at the 2023 UX/CX Awards. This prestigious recognition was made possible with the invaluable support and expertise of gnc | web and George Chouliaras, whose contributions were→

K.Protopapa & E.Papoutsi recognized as Women Leaders by IFLR1000

We are proud to announce that two of our esteemed female partners have been recognized by IFLR1000 in their 2023 edition, one of the most prestigious legal directories in the world. Katia Protopapa, Partner and Head of our M&A practice along with Effie Papoutsi, Partner of our Banking & Finance→

Koutalidis Law Firm Shines once again in IFLR1000’s 2023 Rankings

We are elated to share that the much-anticipated IFLR1000 rankings for 2023 have been unveiled, and Koutalidis Law Firm has made its mark yet again. Our firm has been honored with a Tier 1 ranking, underscoring our unwavering commitment to providing top-notch legal services. This year’s research by IFLR1000 featured→

Koutalidis Law Firm is listed in the 2nd of The Legal 500’s EMEA Green Guide.

Koutalidis Law Firm is selected and listed in the second edition of The Legal 500’s EMEA Green Guide. The guide refers to some of the key firms engaging with energy and sustainability projects in the EMEA region. As Koutalidis is currently advising on a pipeline of RES projects with a→

Koutalidis Law Firm is Top Ranked once again on Chambers & Partners Europe 2023 rankings

Chambers & Partners Europe rankings have been announced and Koutalidis Law Firm is once again Top Ranked! This achievement demonstrates the commitment, integrity, and service excellence of our team members as we always seek to deliver impeccable legal advice. More specifically our clients mentioned, Banking & Finance: “They have a→

Koutalidis Law Firm is recognized on IFLR’s shortlist for its 2023 Europe Awards

Koutalidis Law Firm is delighted to be recognized on IFLR’s shortlist for its 2023 Europe Awards. Judged independently by IFLR’s editorial team, the awards focus exclusively on legal innovation in cross-border transactions that reached a financial close in 2022. The winning deals, law firms and in-house legal teams will be→

Koutalidis Law Firm is ranked as a Top Firm by Chambers and Partners Global in their 2023 Guide

Koutalidis Law Firm is ranked as a Top Firm by Chambers and Partners Global in their 2023 Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers for Business. More specifically Chambers review states, “Koutalidis is highly sought after by domestic and international lenders for capital markets and financing mandates. The firm regularly advises→

Chambers and Partners shortlists Koutalidis as Greece Law Firm of the Year

We are delighted to announce that Koutalidis Law Firm has been shortlisted as a candidate for the “Greece Law Firm of the Year” at the Chambers European Awards 2023! A humble thank you to all our clients who have reviewed and rated our services! The Chambers Europe Awards recognise a→

Koutalidis Law Firm is now ISO Certified

Koutalidis Law Firm is pleased to announce that it has completed its ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 certification. To obtain these certifications, we carried out a thorough assessment process that included a wide range of audits, studies, improvements and planning aimed at achieving a high level of quality assurance and→

Koutalidis Law Firm’s Website Wins Gold Award for UX/UI Design

We are delighted to announce that Koutalidis Law Firm’s website has won the Gold Award→

Read More
K.Protopapa & E.Papoutsi recognized as Women Leaders by IFLR1000

We are proud to announce that two of our esteemed female partners have been recognized→

Read More
Koutalidis Law Firm Shines once again in IFLR1000’s 2023 Rankings

We are elated to share that the much-anticipated IFLR1000 rankings for 2023 have been unveiled,→

Read More
Koutalidis Law Firm is listed in the 2nd of The Legal 500’s EMEA Green Guide.

Koutalidis Law Firm is selected and listed in the second edition of The Legal 500’s→

Read More
Koutalidis Law Firm is Top Ranked once again on Chambers & Partners Europe 2023 rankings

Chambers & Partners Europe rankings have been announced and Koutalidis Law Firm is once again→

Read More
Koutalidis Law Firm is recognized on IFLR’s shortlist for its 2023 Europe Awards

Koutalidis Law Firm is delighted to be recognized on IFLR’s shortlist for its 2023 Europe→

Read More
Koutalidis Law Firm is ranked as a Top Firm by Chambers and Partners Global in their 2023 Guide

Koutalidis Law Firm is ranked as a Top Firm by Chambers and Partners Global in→

Read More
Chambers and Partners shortlists Koutalidis as Greece Law Firm of the Year

We are delighted to announce that Koutalidis Law Firm has been shortlisted as a candidate→

Read More
Koutalidis Law Firm is now ISO Certified

Koutalidis Law Firm is pleased to announce that it has completed its ISO 27001:2013 and→

Read More