Ilias G. Anagnostopoulos

Tell us a little bit about your practice and what makes it unique.

• The combination of superior advice with forceful litigation is the hallmark of our firm. We offer our clients, in all situations, a carefully designed overall strategy that includes all necessary synergies to achieve the best outcome; and when it comes to litigation, our firm’s talented and dynamic team commands respect in the courtroom. We pride ourselves on having an impeccable track record in prominent cases through multiple jurisdictions.

What common questions are you asked by clients, and what are your answers?

• Clients seek practical solutions to their cases. We deliver on their expectations offering them clear, concise and creative advocacy.

Describe one of your most interesting or memorable cases in the past year.

• Among the cases we won in the past three years I would single out a 2017 judgment of the Court of Appeal Athens (sitting as a first-instance court) in a widely publicised and politicised bribery and money laundering case. After a multi-month trial the Court convicted a former minister for money laundering in relation to bribes paid by Siemens in exchange for contracts. The Court acquitted the co-defendant Mr T (our client), a Greek businessman and close friend to the minister who had opened a bank account in Switzerland to which the bribes were transferred. On the facts of the case and the prosecution’s evidence, few believed that we had a real chance of winning this case. However, we decided to ride against the wind and persuaded the Court that T acted in good faith and had no knowledge of the dirty origin of the money. The proudest moment for a trial lawyer is always when he or she achieves what at first sight seems to be impossible.

What is most challenging about your area(s) of expertise?

• In the past criminal defence lawyers were called to the scene only after the disaster had occurred. In the business crime area this is not the rule anymore. Affected corporates and individuals have developed an understanding that timely and competent advice by experts in this field in relation to risk management is indispensable in order to address the ever-increasing needs in an extremely demanding environment. Only defence lawyers who excel among their peers have an eye for criminal risks and can offer proper guidance on how to navigate through multiple criminal and regulatory risks.
  Nowadays, most white-collar crime cases have important cross-border aspects. A strategic decision in any of the jurisdictions involved may have serious repercussions in all the others. A timely and careful co-ordination of all initiatives through multiple jurisdictions is of paramount importance in order to achieve a globally positive outcome of the case. We are fortunate to have an excellent network of prominent colleagues around the world and be able to develop an integrated strategy in each case tailored to the needs of our clients.

Were there any particular inspirations (people or events) that spurred your interest in your practice area(s)?

• My first inspiration was my father, George, a forceful litigator of high integrity. Following him into the courtroom as a teenager I was fascinated by the trial drama. At the Law School of the National University of Athens it was Professor Nikolaos Androulakis, a thought leader in his area, who navigated us through the fundaments of criminal law; and during my doctoral studies at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany, my supervisor, Professor Winfried Hassemer, a brilliant and creative intellectual, guided me through the multiple challenges of criminal law theory and practice. When I started my career in criminal defence, I was inspired by Mr Christoforos Argyropoulos, an admirable lawyer of the highest caliber and moral authority.

What other interests do you have?

• I love my family, music, classic cars and travelling.