‘top legal and technical expertise and knowledge, eager to help the customer, immediate response … willingness to help on all issues, highly motivated’
The Legal 500 EMEA 2023
'stands out as a firm that has commitment, expertise, dedication and diverse specialist knowledge ... always available ... deal with any matter with diligence and speed'
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022
'dedicated to their clients, highly professional and experts in their fields of specialisation … very prompt with their responses and legal opinions … always very clear and informed'
The Legal 500 EMEA 2021
Our team advises market leading, internationally operating insurance companies on their business, compliance and the provision of services in this highly regulated sector.
We advise on commercial and regulatory issues arising in the course of our clients' day-to-day business and also represent them in corporate transactions arising in this sector. We work on an ongoing basis for several leading insurers and reinsurers, as well as for local and foreign insurance and reinsurance intermediaries.
Insurance Contracts & Commercial Agreements
We have extensive experience in advising on the preparation and negotiation of insurance contracts, as well as the regulatory review of insurance policy terms and conditions. We evaluate and audit coverage in contracts and draft bancassurance, joint venture, insurance mediation, agency, outsourcing and other commercial agreements. We also work with our Employment department to advise on pension plans within employment contracts.
Corporate & M&A Transactions
We have assisted clients in formulating, negotiating and finalising bancassurance undertakings in the context of complex corporate transactions. We have also acted and provided regulatory and corporate advice in relation to mergers, acquisitions, restructurings and insolvencies of insurance companies and transfers of insurance businesses and portfolios.
Corporate Advisory & Compliance
Our team also has a substantial practice advising insurance companies and financial services providers on compliance with the legislative structure and regulatory framework governing insurance providers and intermediaries and managing the associated risks. We provide our clients with a wide range of day-to-day legal support services and liaise on their behalf with the regulatory authorities. We advise insurance companies on terminations of employment, voluntary exits, social security issues and transfers of undertakings as well as on corporate governance, the provision of insurance services and financial products, and industry specific advertising, distribution and data protection matters. We undertake the establishment of insurance and insurance mediation companies and local subsidiaries of multinational providers and the obtaining of new authorisations.
Insurance Disputes
We are experienced in representing clients in relation to high value insurance litigation arising in this sector. These include disputes relating to coverage, claims distributions, the interpretation of contractual documentation, regulatory enforcement and disputes arising from insolvencies and relationships with intermediaries.
Recent Experience
Sale of 80% of Ydrogios Insurance Share Capital
We advised the majority shareholders of Ydrogeios Insurance in their entry into an agreement for the sale of 80% of their share capital with the Italian group Reale. The agreement sets out the terms upon which Ydrogios will sell the shares to Reale Group through its parent company Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni in two stages, with 70% transferred by the end of 2023 and the remaining 10% by the end of 2026.
Assicurazioni Generali Merger of Subsidiaries
We advised Assicurazioni Generali SpA, in its capacity as majority shareholder of Generali Hellas SA and Generali Hellas I (formerly AXA Insurance SA) into merging its aforementioned local subsidiaries into one entity by absorption of the latter by the former.
CVC Acquisition of Ethniki Insurance
We acted as Greek law counsel to CVC on the successful acquisition from National Bank of Greece of 100% of the leading Greek insurer Ethniki Insurance by Ethniki Holdings S.ὰ.r.l., a holding company invested in by funds managed or advised by CVC.
Advice to International Life Insurance Company
We advised an international life insurance company established in the EU and distributing its products in Greece under the freedom to provide services (FPS), in relation to the distribution of a unit-linked life insurance product, from a regulatory, consumer protection and tax perspective.
AIG Global Restructuring
We advised AIG on the Greek leg of the global restructuring of their insurance business as a result of Brexit, including setting up a new branch of AIG Europe SA (AESA) in Greece, de-registering the old branch of AIG Europe Limited (AEL) and advising on local issues related to the transfer of the insurance business from AEL to AIG UK and the cross border merger of AEL into AESA, effective from 1 December 2018, aimed at providing clients with certainty of uninterrupted UK and European insurance coverage as part of AIG’s planned restructure of its European business.
Insurance Agency Disputes
We are advising a Gibraltar based insurance company under liquidation in disputes involving the business conducted by its former Greek special agent, as well as advising and representing the client in various disputes in Greece and in the recovery of monies, information and data from various parties.
Advice to CNP Group of Companies
We advise the local entities of the CNP Group of Companies, including its insurance companies, on a day-to-day basis, advising on their corporate bookkeeping, regulatory issues, contracts and litigation matters.
AIG Greece SA Sale of Shares
We advised AIG in the purchase by two entities of the AIG Group of Companies of 100% of AIG Greece SA’s shares from local partners.
Insurance Litigation
We represent CNP Zois SA, a member of the CNP Cyprus Insurance Holdings Ltd Group, as their legal advisors in insurance related matters and as their lawyers in litigations involving insurance related disputes on insurance products sold in the Greek market on an ongoing basis.
Sale of Eurolife
We advised Eurobank Ergasias (Eurobank) in connection with the structuring and execution of an international competitive private auction process for the sale of 80% of its Greek and Romanian life and non-life insurance operations grouped under Eurolife ERB Insurance Group Holdings (Eurolife), as well as on the negotiation and execution of final transaction documentation with the winning bidder, Fairfax Financial Holdings, and Eurobank’s entering into and adjustment of long term bancassurance agreements with the Greek and Romanian life and non-life insurance subsidiaries of Eurolife.
Tax Advice in Insurance Sector
We advised a leading French multinational insurance group on the direct and indirect tax implications of restructuring its European activities, involving the registration of a branch in Greece and contributions to some local operations in accordance with EU tax incentive legislation on cross – border restructurings.
Recognitions
