Financing & Security Documentation
Facility agreements, security packages and mortgage prenotations — borrower-side legal representation opposite the bank, from term sheet to drawdown.
The bank writes the agreement. You do not have to sign it as drafted.
In any bank financing the documents are drafted by the lender’s lawyers and protect the lender. That is normal — it is not a reason to leave them as they arrive. The clauses that actually determine what happens in a difficult year — financial covenants, events of default, restrictions on distributions, cross-default, the scope of the security package — are negotiable, and almost always negotiable only before signature.
Our role here is strictly legal, on the borrower’s side. We do not arrange or broker credit; credit intermediation is a regulated activity and not one we carry on. We take on the documents, the security and the process through to drawdown.
Why our firm
Most unpleasant surprises in loan documentation are not hidden. They are simply written in language a borrower does not read closely at the moment they want the money released. We read the documents for what they mean in a bad scenario rather than the expected one, and explain in Greek or English exactly what you are taking on.
Our approach
Depending on the transaction, the work may include:
- Reviewing and marking up the term sheet before you commit to it
- Negotiating the facility agreement and the ancillary documents
- The security package: mortgage prenotation, pledges, assignment of receivables, guarantees
- Legal due diligence on the property or asset being financed
- Representation in the court process for registering a prenotation
- Working through conditions precedent and coordinating completion
- Refinancing, amendments and the release of security after repayment
Core areas of expertise
Term sheet
The first document is the most underestimated one. Whatever is conceded there is far harder to change in the facility agreement.
Facility agreements
Financial covenants, events of default, cross-default, distribution and transfer restrictions — read for the bad scenario, not the expected one.
Mortgage prenotation
The court process for registration, the amount and scope of the charge, and its release after repayment — which is forgotten more often than you would expect.
Other security
Share and equipment pledges, assignment of rents and insurance proceeds, personal and corporate guarantees — and what each one genuinely exposes.
Conditions precedent
The list that delays most drawdowns. Built and tracked as a checklist rather than discovered in the final week.
Refinancing
Renegotiating terms, moving to another institution, restructuring debt, and the legal handling of existing security.
Frequently asked questions
Do you find the financing?
No. Credit intermediation is a regulated activity and we do not carry it on. Our role is legal: we represent the borrower in the negotiation, the documents and the security, opposite whichever institution provides the funding.
Is a lawyer worth it when the bank uses standard documents?
A standard document is standard in the bank’s favour. In practice there is room on covenants, security, timelines and prepayment terms — but only before signature.
Can a foreign company borrow from a Greek bank?
Yes, although in practice banks prefer a Greek corporate vehicle, particularly where the security is Greek real estate. The choice of structure directly affects both availability and pricing, so it is addressed early.
What if the property already carries charges?
They surface in the legal review and are dealt with before drawdown — by release, ranking or restructuring the deal. A drawdown that proceeds without resolving this creates a problem for the borrower, not for the bank.