Corporate Law & Governance
Strategic legal advice for businesses at every stage of their corporate lifecycle — from formation and growth to investment, restructuring and exit.
Strategic Legal Support for Businesses
Corporate law is not simply about incorporating a company and keeping its filings up to date. Every significant business decision can have legal consequences for the company, its shareholders, its directors and its management.
Our firm provides practical, commercially focused legal advice to companies, entrepreneurs, shareholders and investors throughout the life of a business. We advise on the establishment and structuring of companies, corporate governance, shareholder relationships, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations and regulatory compliance.
We help clients determine the corporate structure that best fits their objectives, whether they are establishing a new business, bringing in investors, restructuring an existing company or preparing for an acquisition or exit.
Our work includes the drafting and negotiation of shareholders’ agreements, share purchase agreements, investment agreements, board and shareholder resolutions, corporate policies and other key corporate documentation.
We also advise shareholders and directors on their rights, responsibilities and potential liabilities, with particular attention to situations involving conflicts of interest, changes in ownership, contested management decisions and corporate disputes.
For transactions involving multiple jurisdictions or international investors, we coordinate the Greek legal aspects with the wider commercial and legal structure of the transaction.
Why Choose Our Firm
Good corporate legal advice should support the business rather than simply react to legal problems. We take the time to understand how your company operates, where it is going and what decisions it needs to make, so that our advice reflects both the legal framework and the commercial reality.
Whether you are a founder establishing a new company, a shareholder protecting your investment, a management team facing a major corporate decision or an investor considering an acquisition, we provide clear advice designed to help you make informed decisions and manage legal risk.
Our approach combines day-to-day corporate support with strategic advice on significant transactions. In M&A work in particular, we aim to find workable solutions rather than obstacles, while making sure the risks are properly identified and allocated.
Our Approach
We take a proactive and practical approach to corporate law. Rather than limiting our involvement to individual transactions, we aim to understand the broader structure of the business and anticipate legal issues before they become obstacles.
Depending on your needs, we can assist with:
- selecting and restructuring the appropriate corporate vehicle;
- preparing and reviewing corporate documentation;
- establishing shareholder and governance arrangements;
- advising directors and management on their duties;
- drafting and negotiating investment and acquisition agreements;
- carrying out legal due diligence;
- structuring mergers, acquisitions and corporate reorganisations;
- resolving shareholder and corporate disputes;
- maintaining ongoing corporate and regulatory compliance.
For larger transactions, we work closely with the client’s financial, tax and other professional advisers, so that the legal structure supports the overall transaction strategy.
Our objective is simple: to give you the legal clarity and protection you need to make important business decisions with confidence.
Core areas of expertise
Company Formation & Structuring
Advice on establishing and structuring Greek companies, including the IKE, AE and EPE forms and partnerships, together with the articles of association and registration with the General Commercial Registry (GEMI).
Corporate Governance & Compliance
Advice to boards, directors and shareholders on governance, decision-making procedures, minutes and resolutions, statutory obligations and ongoing compliance.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Legal support throughout M&A transactions, including legal due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiations, documentation and completion.
Shareholders' Agreements
Drafting and negotiation of agreements governing ownership, voting rights, management, transfers of shares, drag-along and tag-along rights, investor protections, deadlock resolution and exit arrangements.
Capital Restructuring
Legal advice on capital increases and reductions, share transfers, bond issues, corporate reorganisations and other restructuring transactions.
Regulatory Compliance
Advice on the regulatory obligations applicable to companies, including corporate reporting, anti-money-laundering requirements, the beneficial ownership register and data protection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best corporate structure for a new business in Greece?
There is no single structure that is right for every business. The appropriate corporate form depends on the number of shareholders, the intended ownership structure, investment plans, management arrangements, liability considerations and expected growth.
In practice, the private company (IKE) is the most common choice for new and smaller businesses: it allows a highly flexible constitution, has no meaningful minimum capital requirement, permits non-capital contributions such as work, and limits each partner’s liability to their contribution. Where outside investment or a listing is contemplated, the société anonyme (AE) is often more appropriate. We assess your objectives and advise on the structure that best supports the business both now and in the future.
How can you help with an acquisition or merger?
We assist throughout the legal side of an M&A transaction, from the initial assessment through to completion. A transaction typically begins with a non-disclosure agreement and a memorandum of understanding, followed by legal due diligence on the target to identify corporate, employment, tax or other liabilities.
We then draft and negotiate the transaction documents — usually a share purchase agreement, or asset purchase documentation where the business rather than the shares is being acquired — including the representations, warranties and indemnities that allocate risk between the parties, along with the shareholders’ agreements and corporate resolutions needed to complete.
What rights do minority shareholders have?
Minority shareholders have a range of statutory rights under Greek company law — principally Law 4548/2018 for the société anonyme — including the right to request the convocation of a general meeting, rights of information, the right to seek an audit of the company and, in defined circumstances, the right to have their shares bought out.
In practice, the strongest protection comes from a well-drafted shareholders’ agreement, which can provide veto rights over key decisions, board representation, restrictions on share transfers and an agreed exit mechanism. We advise shareholders on all of these, and on protection against decisions that adversely affect their interests.
Can you help us with corporate governance and compliance?
Yes. We advise companies, directors and management on their ongoing corporate obligations, including board and shareholder resolutions, corporate approvals, internal governance procedures, statutory publication requirements and regulatory compliance.
We also advise board members on their duties of loyalty and care, and on how to structure and document decisions so as to limit the risk of personal liability. The aim is to ensure that important corporate decisions are properly taken, recorded and implemented.