Elena Tsohou

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Greece***

Elena Tsohou

Elena Tsohou

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Biography

Elena Tsohou is a corporate and banking lawyer based in Athens.

Elena has advised on financings for a number of high profile infrastructure projects as well as on projects in the energy and mining sectors. She has extensive experience of privatisations, mergers and acquisitions as well as capital market transactions, including bond issues, international equity offerings and flotations.

Elena studied law at the University of Thessaloniki and obtained her LL.M from the University College London. She joined the London practice in 1996 and moved to Athens in 1998. She became a partner in 2000.

Elena is a qualified Greek and English lawyer and is a member of the Athens Bar, the Law Society of England and Wales and the International Bar Association.


Professional experience

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  • Lawyer, qualified in Greece (Athens Bar)
  • Solicitor, qualified in England & Wales

Corporate and banking

  • DP World - on the privatization / acquisition of a majority stake in the Thessaloniki Port Authority operating the second largest port in Greece. Ongoing.
  • A financial service company -in the acquisition (through a tender procedure) of Ethniki Insurance (the largest insurance entity of Greece). Ongoing.
  • Piraeus Bank –on the sale agreement with Holding M. Sehnaoui SAL (HMS) for the sale of shares in Piraeus' subsidiary in Cyprus (Piraeus Bank Cyprus Ltd) which together with a concurrent capital raise of €40,000,000 subscribed by HMS and a group of investors (procured by HMS) reduced Piraeus' shareholding in PBC to 17.6%. Completed in December 2016.
  • Piraeus Bank S.A. - on the sale through a tender process of a 98.5% stake in Piraeus Bank Egypt S.A.E.. We advised on the transaction structure, the preparation of the bidding and  transaction documentation. Completed in November 2015.
  • The founding families of Sani SA Group - in the sale of the Sani SA Group, which owns and operates the Sani five star luxury resort comprising of hotels, villas, marina and private beaches on a plot by the sea of 4.5 million m² surface in Kassandra peninsula (Halkidiki), Greece, to private investors led by Oaktree Capital Management. Completed in December 2015.
  • Bayer AG - on the sale of its diabetes care business to Ascencia Diabetes Care S.A. in Greece, Completed in January 2016.
  • A leading provider of chemicals and fertilizers - in its bid for the acquisition of 100% of a Greek fertilisers company, which owns certain production and storage facilities in Greece. Aborted in March 2016 after the due diligence phase.
  • Forgendo Limited, subsidiary of Emirates Telecommunications - in the transfer of its aggregate shareholding in Forthnet S.A.. Our work included, drafting the necessary agreements required for the transfer of the entire shareholding in Forthnet S.A., including agreements for the assignment of claims and for the over-the-counter transfer of shares and assisting with all transparency and market abuse notifications that had to be filed with the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission.Completed in August 2016.
  • Moneygram Payment Systems Inc - in relation to corporate and commercial law matters relating to its subsidiaries and branches in Greece ( Moneygram Payment Systems Greece S.A, Moneyglobe S.A., MIL Greek Branch, MIL Overseas Limited Greek Branch). Ongoing in 2017.
  • EXIN Financial Services Holding B.V - on the acquisition of AIG Hellas S.A, a subsidiary and the legal representative of AIG in Greece. Completed in December 2016.
  • HSBC Bank plc – on cash pooling arrangements to be offered to, inter alia, Greek clients of the Bank. Completed 2017.
  • Private investor from UAE – on its bid to acquire from the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa at Porto Heli, Greece, operated by Nikki Beach EMEA Hotels & Resorts Ltd. The deal aborted in December 2016.
  • Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (the independent government entity entrusted with ensuring the stability of the banking sector) -  in the Greek bank's recapitalisation in 2015 (which was agreed pursuant to the memorandum of understanding attached to the Financial Facility Agreement entered into between the Hellenic Republic and the European Stability Mechanism). Completed in December 2015.
  • Coca Cola Hellenic - on drafting template contracts for the procurement of goods and services. Ongoing.
  • Specialist insurer - in the potential acquisition of run off motor insurance portfolio from the Greek Motor Insurance Auxiliary Fund. Ongoing.
  • Forgendo Limited, subsidiary of Emirates Telecommunications -  in relation to corporate and commercial law matters relating to Forthnet SA, given it was the biggest shareholder.
  • EIB - on the €15 million financing of Creta Farm S.A. (Greek listed food company) in relation to an R&D project. This was the first Greek financing which benefited from the support by the European Fund for Strategic Investments( EFSI). Completed in 2015.

Energy

  • Hellenic Republic – on the full ownership unbundling of  the Independent Power Transmission System Operator S.A. (ADMIE), owner and operator of the national high voltage grid, from the vertically integrated company Public Power Corporation S.A. (PPC), ongoing
  • Eurobank Ergasias and EIB - on the non-recourse financing of three onshore wind farm projects totalling 49 MW developed by Terna Energy in Viotia, Greece, ongoing
  • Alpha Bank - on the non-recourse financing of a 33.3MW onshore wind farm project developed by a Greek subsidiary of Eren Groupe in Viotia, Greece, completed in February 2017
  • Elpedison Power – on the extension and amendment of three bond loans of a total amount of Euro 275 million subscribed by Eurobank Ergasias, Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank, HSBC, Intesa Sanpaolo and Edison International Holding, completed in November 2016
  • Eurobank Ergasias, Alpha Bank & National Bank of Greece – on the non-recourse financing of a 73.2 MW wind farm project developed by Terna Energy in the islet of Agios Georgios, Attica, Greece, completed in August 2016
  • Public Power Corporation – on the switch of  the operational status of its wholly owned subsidiary, ADMIE (the Greek electricity TSO), from the ITO to the ISO unbudling model under the Third Energy Package. Advice rendered within the period September to December 2015
  • Duet Group - on all Greek law aspects relating to Duet Group's A$1.4bn (£661m) successful acquisition of Energy Development Limited (EDL), completed in October 2015
  • Alpha Bank - on the refinancing of three operating solar PV parks with aggregate capacity 11.50MWp, owned by Hellenic Solar S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Protergia S.A., completed in March 2015
  • Alpha Bank – on the refinancing of two operating wind parks owned by a Greek subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles totalling 46MW, completed in February 2015
  • Eurobank Ergasias – on the refinancing of two operating wind parks owned by a Greek subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles totalling 48MW, completed in January 2015

Real estate

  • Hellenic Republic and Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund – on the exploitation through international tenders of a pipeline of selected real estate properties in the context of the Greek privatisation programme being the largest in the world. Ongoing.
  • Major Group – on the establishment and licensing of its REIC in Greece (being an Alternative Investment Fund as well) with a properties' portfolio of ca. €0.5 billion. Ongoing
  • Alpha Bank and Piraeus Bank – on the Babis Vovos restructuring and the spin-off of the shopping malls' business of Babis Vovos S.A. into an 100% SPV and the subsequent sale of the SPV to the banks. Completed in August 2016.
  • Globalworth Investment Advisers Ltd – on the negotiation and execution of 3 commercial lease agreements to the Greek company Namos S.A. for the lease of a restaurant, retail stores and a hotel in Mykonos island for a 20 year lease period.
  • RBS – on lawsuits filed by Marinopoulos for reducing the rent in 16 commercial properties (supermarkets) leased by Zenon Real Estate S.A. following their acquisition under a €38 million Greek bond loan with RBS as bondholder agent, as well as on actions against Marinopoulos for outstanding rents assigned to RBS as security. Ongoing.
  • RBS – on placing Zenon Real Estate S.A. under special administration following the acquisition of 16 commercial properties (supermarkets) under a €38 million Greek bond loan with RBS as bondholder agent. Ongoing.
  • English
  • Greek