Employment & Immigration

The Greek labor market is characterized by a complex and rapidly changing regulatory framework making Employment Law compliance an area of critical importance. Our clients rely on our in-depth knowledge of EU and national legislation, as well as on our ability to identify and keep on pace with current industry trends and market practice.

Our Employment Law team consists of outstanding and dedicated lawyers with extensive expertise in the sector and a deep understanding of the most recent developments and the clients’ needs, providing specialized and targetted services focusing on:

• the structuring of innovative solutions in connection with complex matters (e.g. complex takeovers, restructurings etc.),
• the implementation of projects that, due to high importance, require an equally high level of expertise, legal due diligence capacity and know-how, as well as adequate resources (e.g. due diligence on complex labour issues, negotiating key management contracts, implementing extensive redundancy schemes),
• the provision of advice on issues that are new and untested (e.g. new forms of employment, adaptation to new legislation etc.).

We also advise businesses and individuals on complex immigration issues, coordinating the entire process, from transfer of staff across international operations to hiring migrant workers. We have a long standing cooperation with global law firms, as well as with local subsidiaries of multinational companies, on immigration matters and have received a number of mandates to assist in the process of the issuance of various types of residence permits, which we have completed to the client’s satisfaction.

Our team always works seamlessly with other departments within our Firm – including our Regulatory, Corporate, Intellectual Property and Data Protection departments – aiming to provide holistic advice.

Services

Our team of expert Employment & Immigration lawyers provides high quality services, covering diverse client needs.

Drafting, negotiation and amending of employment contracts
Preparing sophisticated employment agreement templates that aim to address holistically all issues in the relationship between employer and employee, while maintaining the required flexibility.  Also, negotiating complex contracts with executives.

Compensation and benefits
Advising on executive compensation based on the Greek market practice in line with the remuneration policies applying to each sector and assisting on the drafting of special incentive schemes (stock option plan etc.).      

Termination of employment contracts
Our services include settlement efforts, pre-litigation strategy, risk assessment, severance calculation, negotiations with the employee. In case of no agreement, we assume implementation of the unilateral termination. In case of a mutually agreed termination, we provide drafting and negotiation of the relevant contract with focus on release from liability and non-compete/ no solicitation/ confidentiality arrangements.

Workforce restructuring and collective redundancies
Advising on the legal framework, designing the strategy, assessing the legal options available and their practical limits, conducting preliminary negotiation with the stakeholders (mainly unions and/ or key influential employees), assessing other types of limitations affecting the potential redundancies (e.g. already obtained subsidies that require minimum number of employees), examining  outplacement options and alternative measures, preparing informational package, assisting on the consultation process, implementing fair and objective selection criteria (avoiding potential discrimination issues), drafting the relevant legal documentation, preparing for potential litigation, drafting and collecting the corporate authorizations for the implementation of the scheme (e.g. board approvals etc), liaising with the competent authorities, addressing data privacy issues, implementing the scheme and following-up on the paperwork, maximizing the unemployment benefits, addressing tax issues, participating in other relevant project workstreams (e.g. PR and HR), notifying the authorities, assisting the business in its transition to the new restructured status and general wrapping up.

Application of new corporate policies
We mainly draft the work regulations and codes of conduct while ensuring that the employer maintains maximum flexibility, regarding the “director’s right” limits and that full compliance with the relevant legislation is always achieved.

Assistance to collective bargaining
Providing advice on the legal regime, assisting on negotiations, preparing legal documentation, assisting in the effective implementation of all such agreements.

Due diligence reviews on employment issues
Conducting full analysis on all potential Labour Law issues in the target company.

Privacy and Data protection issues
Assisting to achieve full GDPR compliance, assessing the compliance in the cases of due diligence on targets.

General compliance assistance
Providing regular advice to the HR department in connection with Labour Law, issues such as time schedules, overtime working, leave days, work from home, COVID-19 effects to employment status etc.

Advice on M&A structuring
Focusing on issues arising out of the transfer of undertakings and the application of the TUPE provisions including thorough advice on the effect of TUPE and the notification and consultation obligations burdening the employer.

Employment related mediation and litigation
Advising and representing our clients before all national courts of any instance in full range of individual and collective employment/labour conflicts.

We advise national and multinational companies as well as executive employees of any sector, including banking institutions, pharmaceutical companies, telecommunication companies, luxury retailers, insurance companies etc.

Evangelos Courakis
Partner
    +30 210 360 7811
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    encourakis@koutalidis.gr






Ioannis Kaptanis
Partner
    +30 210 360 7811
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    gkaptanis@koutalidis.gr