Our firm is a leading, full-service business law firm, with a determinedly forward-looking and results oriented mindset.
Our firm is a leading, full-service business law firm, with a determinedly forward-looking and results oriented mindset.
Our firm’s dispute resolution practice combines the depth of expertise and years of experience of an established full-service practice with the versatility and agility of a specialist dispute resolution boutique.
Our team has managed to build one of the most well-known and peer acknowledged litigation and alternative dispute resolution track records in Greece, including international (ICC / LCIA) arbitration.
In addition to litigating cases in courts and tribunals of all instances and managing complex arbitration proceedings (including before the ICC), we proactively support clients with risk assessment and devising contingency strategies for potentially contentious areas of business. Our broad expertise enables us to act for claimants, defendants/respondents, and intervenors, securing successful outcomes in matters involving highly complex, procedural or novel points of law.
With a treasure trove of litigation history that goes back to the 1930s and the origins of our firm that was originally established under the name "Simitis" Law Offices, we have represented clients in precedent-setting commercial disputes. Almost a century later, we continue to be trusted with the handling of entire dispute portfolios for global powerhouses and household names in a wide range of claims.
The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 edition has, once again, placed our dispute resolution practice in Tier 2, noting that our “super-responsive specialists consistently manage complex litigation and arbitration proceedings before tribunals and courts of all instances”.
We are qualified to litigate before all national civil, criminal, and administrative courts of Greece, including the Cassation Court (Areios Pagos) and the Council of State. Our current five top litigators have been defending cases before courts for 30 to 50 years each.
Our competition team represents clients before the Hellenic Competition Commission in all related proceedings from sector and company inquiries, dawn raids and discovery to hearings before the Greek Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Administrative Court. We are experienced in leniency and settlement proceedings and whistleblowing procedures. We argue cases before all regular Greek courts where competition law claims are raised. Our team prepares, files and defends petitions for merger clearance and intervenes in related cases. Our sector experience ranges from automotive to leisure wear, and from pharmaceuticals to the beverage industry.
We design contract termination strategies and implementation. We also assist our clients by advising on potential claims and litigate where claims are raised, including goodwill indemnity and other civil law (contract or tort) claims such as lost profits, contractual and third party damages, non-depreciated investments, inventory claims and IP infringements.
We conduct asset traces. Our litigation team litigates debt and asset claims and damages, ranging from commercial debts to recovery of consignment assets, and undertakes enforcement through confiscation and auction of properties and collection of debts.
Our partnership with Ecovis Hellas, a tax specialist and accountancy consultancy, enables effective tax compliance and litigation advice and litigation. Our transactional experience with imports and exports involves our firm in customs duties and related tax disputes. We have successfully litigated tens of millions Euro worth of customs and related claims. Our company and good governance practices allow us to advise on the prevention and discovery of financial misconduct, audit and provide forensic evidence and prosecute white-collar crime, involving fraud and embezzlement.
Our team provides legal representation to clients, offering advice on rights, obligations, and potential courses of action, while also engaging in negotiations, mediation and litigation to resolve conflicts.
Our firm is a leader in domestic and international arbitration in technology, commodity futures, construction, wind farm and shipping disputes. We have advised on and/or conducted ICC, LCIA and LMAA arbitrations, litigated award annulment actions and are regularly invited to present and discuss arbitration law issues at Greek and international arbitration conferences and contribute articles to legal journals.
‘Consistently managing complex litigation and arbitration proceedings before tribunals and courts of all instances, the ‘super-responsive’ specialists at Ballas Pelecanos Law cover all aspects of injunction applications, white-collar crime cases, and IP disputes.’
‘Ballas Pelecanos Law is our go-to firm for IP litigation support before the Greek courts. Their advice is provided in a timely fashion and is always well considered and practical, setting out the strengths and weaknesses of arguments, costs and timescales.’
‘They stand out for their level of sophistication, their deep knowledge of the courts and arbitral institutions, their strong connection to the Athens community, and their ability to be pragmatic and find commercial solutions to sticky problems.’
