Acting on its own, as well as often in collaboration with the firm’s London office, the ‘extremely knowledgeable’ team at Norton Rose Fulbright provides ‘accurate and solutions-oriented advice’ to a lender-focused client base. Team head Yianni Cheilas  is well-versed across a myriad finance techniques, to include syndicated loans, sale and leasebacks and ECA-backed facilities (including within the LNG sector) and has also recently been leading on a number of sustainability/green-linked financings. A ‘true problem-solver’, Evi Platsidaki is also an integral member of the team, providing UK law advice to clients (of particular importance given most shipping loans are governed by English law) including to facilitate newbuilds and in an acquisition finance perspective.

Balancing 'in-depth legal knowledge with practical, commercially focused advice', Stephenson Harwood is a popular choice among lenders, in particular, to draft loan documentation to Greek and international shipowners governed under English law. In this context, the team also benefits from access to lawyers in other key maritime offices, including London, Singapore and Hong Kong, ensuring that is able to provide a one-stop-shop service on cross-border deals. Nigel Bowen-Morris has vast experience at advising banks providing secured loans to Greek shipping companies and is noted for his 'commercially-driven and client-focused' advice. Appreciated for his 'ability to blend sound legal judgement with business acumen', Greek and UK law-qualified partner Chris Vartzis co-heads the team alongside Bowen-Morris, and as part of his wide-ranging practice has developed particular expertise advising borrowers and lenders on matters with a nexus to Turkey. At associate level, the 'approachable and reliable' Stynos Antoniades and 'hardworking and thorough' Christina Voulgaraki excel at advising on acquisition finance facilities of new-building and second-hand vessels and also regularly advise on sale and leaseback transactions.

 

Combining deep industry knowledge with a core understanding of a myriad financing transactions, including sale and leasebacks, structured tax-based leasing products and conventional term loans, Watson Farley & Williams – Greek Branch is well-placed to advise banks and shipping operators across a range of new money and distressed/refinancing mandates. The team is also able to leverage the expertise of lawyers at the firm in other key maritime centres, including London, Hamburg and Hong Kong, and also benefits from the expertise of many lawyers on the ground in Athens who are able to advise on English law-governed financing documents by virtue of having UK law qualifications. Dual Greek and UK-qualified Alexandros Damianidis is one such practitioner whose versatile offering includes expertise at handling vessel acquisition financing, debt refinancing and corporate loans to shipping companies; he also recently acted on the buy side on a major transaction relating to a portfolio of HSBC's shipping loans. Christina Economides is also dual qualified and regularly acts on the creditor and debtor-side on the financing and refinancing of new build vessels. Konstantinos Mexias, who rejoined the firm from Ince & Co in October 2023, is also a key member of the team and whose additional New York qualification enhances its ability to advise NYSE-listed shipping companies. The team is headed by Alexia Hatzimichalis.

The ‘responsive’ team at Constant & Constant (the Maritime Division of TLT in Greece) ‘delivers an impeccable quality of work’ to lenders, including in relation to syndicated and bilateral new build facilities, as well as to refinance existing indebtedness. ‘Very experienced’ UK and Greek law-qualified team head Jeremy Watson is the fulcrum of the practice, drawing upon excellent connections as a result of his many years’ at the pinnacle of the local market. As well as creditor finance work, Watson is also adept at advising shipping companies negotiating newbuild contracts and JV agreements. Local Greek qualified partner Stelios Andreiotis has excellent traction among local and international ship finance lending institutions, which are appreciative of his expertise on acquisition finance, restructuring matters and enforcement procedures.

Hitherto best-known for its litigation offering, HFW has recently made waves in the market with the recruitment of the 'commercially responsive and focused' Ronan Le Du and Robin Parry  from the now defunct Ince & Co. Both accomplished finance lawyers with strong traction among banks, owners and funds, they now co-head the team, bringing strong leadership to a nine-strong practice that now has the resources and expertise to handle a significant volume and range of work, including in the context of syndicated and bilateral, pre- and post-delivery financings and club deals.

 

Hill Dickinson LLP provides 'commercial, focused and solutions-oriented' advice across a wide variety of financing work, to include secured lending transactions and capital markets matters. Jasel Chauhan provides 'a very hands-on service' to banks and owners/operators, ensuring that he has an excellent perspective from both sides of the table. Drawing upon 'a deep knowledge of of both Greek and international concerns', newly promoted ship finance head Anthony Paizes also has a multi-faceted practice that includes cross-border financings utilising often highly structured techniques, as well as more commoditised secured lending mandates. Leveraging skills developed in private practice as well as in her previous roles in-house at major shipping companies, Vanessa Tzoannos is able to provide 'a very efficient and pragmatic approach' to handling work in the space, including within the mercantile and yachting sectors - where her offshore law capability (Marshall Islands and Liberia) adds value to clients. Kostas Karachalios is also valued by owners and lenders for his expertise at handling work across the full spectrum of secured bank loans, sale and leaseback structures and mezzanine finance.

Leveraging 'a thorough understanding of the shipping industry', Timagenis Law Firm delivers 'practical and business-oriented solutions' to an owner-focused client base across the panoply of their finance (both new money and financing deals) and operational needs. Recognised as a 'maritime law guru', Christos Timagenis  provides 'insightful and market-oriented advice' for both private and listed shipping groups and is also well-placed, by dint of his dual Greek and New York law qualifications, to advise on Greek shipping companies seeking to raise equity and debt finance on the US capital markets. Recognised as 'a true expert in ship finance and ship sales and purchases', Lily Politsopoulou-Timageni has vast experience within the sector, with a 'meticulous approach and thorough analysis' that provides great comfort to clients. Yiannis Timagenis co-heads the team alongside Politsopoulou-Tamgeni and Timagenis, while senior partner Gregory Timagenis provides considerable gravitas to clients on transactional work, as well as in the context of ship finance litigation.

PPT Legal provides 'a commercially-minded and efficient service' to a compelling mix of domestic and international operators and lenders, seeking or providing finance to facilitate a wide range of activity, including new vessel acquisitions and to refinance existing indebtedness. Team head John Papapetros has a strong reputation in the market and excels at advising on complex cross-border mandates. Vicky Katsouli and Sonia Horvathova are also key members of the team and regularly handle work for key lender client Aegean Baltic Bank.

Led by Eleni Papakostas, the ‘formidable’ team at Sarantitis provides a ‘solutions-oriented service’ to stakeholders in the industry across a range of transactional matters, including, inter alia, drafting the documentation required for the sale and purchase of ships; bank shipping-finance agreements; registering corporations and ships in various countries.