Corporate lawyers in Greece: from setting up the company to selling it.

What a corporate lawyer does

A corporate lawyer makes sure the company is properly set up and runs lawfully: who manages it and with what powers, who holds the shares or company parts and with what rights, how decisions are taken and what is registered with ΓΕΜΗ. The work usually shows when something changes: a new partner joins, a founder leaves, an investor or a bank arrives, or the company is sold. That is when the articles, the books and the registrations are checked against each other.

The company's annual obligations

The ordinary general meeting of an ΑΕ and the ordinary meeting of partners of an ΙΚΕ must be held by the tenth calendar day of the ninth month after the financial year ends, to approve the annual financial statements; the minutes and approved statements are filed with ΓΕΜΗ. For 2026 the deadline was extended by 30 calendar days by Law 5338/2026. We help with the notice, the minutes and the filings, so the company is not exposed when it seeks finance or is sold.

Who may run the company

Before appointing a board member, manager or liquidator, a check is worth making: a person entered in the ΓΕΜΗ Register of Disqualified Directors may not be appointed, and an appointment made anyway is void. A company that knowingly entrusts its management to a disqualified director faces a fine of €50,000 to €1,000,000. Law 5338/2026 widened access to the register and changed the test for private persons from a specific legal interest to a reasonable interest.

When clients come to us

Clients usually write to us when:

• a new business starts and the form and articles must be chosen;
• a partner or shareholder joins or leaves, or management changes;
• an investor, bank or buyer is about to examine the company;
• partners or shareholders disagree;
• the company needs to merge, divide or convert.

ΙΚΕ, ΑΕ or ΟΕ

The choice of company form shapes liability, cost and flexibility for years. In a general partnership (ΟΕ) the partners are liable for the company's debts without limit, jointly and severally. A private company (ΙΚΕ) offers limited liability with flexible contributions: partners can contribute capital, work or services, or a guarantee. A company limited by shares (ΑΕ) needs a minimum share capital of €25,000, fully paid up, and suits companies that expect outside investors, want to be run by a board of directors or may eventually seek a listing.

Companies are set up through the One-Stop Shop service and registered with the General Commercial Registry (ΓΕΜΗ) under Law 4919/2022. We advise on the form that fits the business plan, and on converting the company later if the plan changes.

Share transfers and acquisitions

A transfer of ΙΚΕ company parts must be made in writing. It takes effect towards the company once the company is notified, and towards third parties from its entry in the company's register of partners. Registered shares in an ΑΕ are transferred by entry in the shareholder register. Errors at this stage are common and can surface years later, typically when the company is sold or seeks financing.

In acquisitions we handle due diligence, the structure of the deal, the share or asset purchase agreement and completion. Larger transactions may need clearance from the Hellenic Competition Commission: a concentration must be notified where the combined worldwide turnover of the parties is at least €150 million and at least two of them each have turnover in Greece above €15 million. Cross-border mergers, divisions and conversions follow Law 4601/2019, as amended by Law 5055/2023.