Security Alert
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Partner
LEARN MOREOur team has a unique focus on the full spectrum of antitrust & competition matters, as well as a long tradition and experience. Since the enactment of the very first Greek Competition Act back in the late seventies, the proliferation of EC (now EU) rules and guidelines, the decentralization of EU antitrust enforcement, the changes in merger control and the development of EU state aid law, we have been at the forefront of specialized services in this field.
The importance of EU and Greek competition law has long been recognized by major domestic clients and international clients doing business in Greece. Competition authorities have significantly increased their powers and investigation activities, whereas private enforcement is gaining more and more attention. In addition to EU courts, the Greek administrative Judge plays an important role in shaping the interpretation of both substantive and procedural rules. We have the requisite in-depth legal knowledge, familiarity with regulatory authorities and market expertise to assist our clients in defining their strategies and navigating through this complex landscape.
Competition law interacts with sector-specific regulation in network industries such as electronic communications, energy and transport, and other areas of law, such as administrative and company law, public procurement, taxation and banking. All major projects (e.g. privatizations and M&As) need to be examined from a competition law perspective. Our Antitrust & Competition experts work across the firm and maximize synergies amongst various practices to deliver optimum and holistic solutions to clients.
Also, conducting day-to-day business entails antitrust risks and, therefore, requires high compliance standards (e.g. regarding exchange of information, vertical relations, rebates or other loyalty schemes). As such, we assist our clients in managing those risks and ensuring the highest level of compliance.
Our team has the expertise and scale to provide clients with top quality services in all relevant areas such as:
Cartel investigations – dawn raids – strategy & policy tools (leniency/settlement) – interface with other jurisdictions
Compliance - exchange of information - clean teams
Trade associations & compliance
Horizontal agreements - cooperative joint ventures and alliances – joint tendering
Vertical agreements - distribution systems and agency - franchising - technology transfer
Abuse of dominance - pricing and non-pricing abuses - interface with IP rights – interface with exclusive rights (106 TFEU)
Sector specific competition rules (e.g. electronic communications, electricity and gas, transport, broadcasting) - ex ante regulation
Sector inquiries – public consultations
Merger filings - full function JVs - multijurisdictional filings
Substantive analysis with – where necessary – collaboration with economists
Remedies implementation
Third interested parties - merger opposition
Special sectors (e.g. media, defence) - Foreign Direct Investments rules
Individual aid and aid schemes – notifications – complaints
Interface with privatization, tax and public procurement matters
Implementation of recovery orders
Actions for annulment against Hellenic Competition Commission’s decisions before the Administrative Court of Appeal of Athens or before the Supreme Administrative Court– interventions
Actions for annulment against European Commission decisions before the General Court of EU
Referrals to the Court of Justice of the EU for preliminary rulings
Actions for damages (or respective defence) before Greek civil Courts for violations of antitrust rules
Actions involving state aid grounds (illegal aid) before national courts
Actions for damages before Greek administrative courts (illegal state aid cases)
2024
2024
2023
2023