Harry Karampelis

Harry leads our Litigation & White-Collar Crime practice group and is an experienced and highly skilled litigator and courtroom advocate. He has represented clients at all levels of the Greek courts up to the Supreme Court as well as working with industry authorities and regulators including the Hellenic Gaming Commission, the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission, the Independent Authority for Public Revenues, the Regulatory Authority for Energy and the Hellenic Competition Commission.

He has represented major clients from many industry sectors in a wide range of disputes including issues relating to contracts, tort, agency and distribution, intellectual property, life sciences and moral damages, on which he is one of Greece’s leading experts.

Harry also represents individuals in court against criminal charges associated with business practice.

Notable Litigation & White-Collar Crime cases

• Successfully advised the leading US search engine on a critical hearing in a defamation case, which was a result of the #MeToo movement in Greece, brought by a well-known Greek actor against Google for the removal of allegedly defamatory content uploaded online, regarding the commission by him of sexual offences against his female coworkers.
• Successfully advised the leading US search engine on a preliminary injunction over liability for content published online by users for a famous Greek cardiologist and Professor of Medicine.
• Successfully advised the leading US search engine on a case regarding the request of an archbishop to remove a number of YouTube videos, which, according to the Claimant, violated his personality rights as the videos were posted without his consent.
• Successfully advised the leading US search engine on a defamation case, in which the Claimant alleged that defamatory content appeared on web search in relation to a sex crime.
• Successfully advised the leading US search engine in a challenging case in which the Claimant requested that Google is ordered to disclose information in relation to YouTube.
• Advised the leading US search engine, as exclusive legal advisers in Greece ever since we helped them establish a presence in the country in 2007. This includes all due diligence relating to the launch of any new product or service in Greece as well as other commercial issues.
• Advised Whirlpool Hellas before the tax authorities and Administrative Courts, in its dispute with the tax authorities regarding the assessment of stamp duty for tax years 2013 and 2014 for the amount of €1,5m.
• Representing a leading news agency headquartered in NYC, before the Greek civil, employment and criminal courts in cases of alleged violation of IP and employment rights of freelancers and photographers
• Representing the Greek pharmaceutical arm of a multinational Group of companies, before the Greek civil courts in cases of compensation following side-effects produced by use of its products.
• Representing a major beverage bottler before the Greek civil and employment courts in cases of closing of operational departments of the company, strikes, dismissals and products boycott, as well as moral damages caused to the company.
• Representing a global beauty company in matters of termination of distribution agreements and interim measures proceedings in Greece for the provisional maintenance and protection of products.
• Representing Greece’s leading provider of network payment services, Cardlink, before the Greek civil and criminal courts against supplier entity whose representative committed embezzlement and violated several of its contractual obligations.
• Representing Greece’s leading provider of payment network services (Cardlink) before the Competition Authority.
• Advising Greek affiliate of Miele, a German manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances and commercial equipment, in pending litigation disputes following the interpretation and termination of distribution agreements.
• Representing the Greek affiliate of a global player in the cable and optical fiber industry headquartered in Paris before the Greek civil courts in a case of defamation of the entity by a member of its own Board of Directors.
• Representing the Greek affiliate of an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores, before the Greek civil and criminal courts against a former director accused of embezzlement.
• Representing Chinese investors in Greek SPVs in interim measures proceedings against the SPVs’ owners regarding amending the composition of the Board of Directors following an abusive Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting.
• Representing Swiss fund Valartis and the bondholders in filing bankruptcy proceedings against Folli Follie Group, a listed entity with global operators with financing difficulties defaulting on its debt obligations against creditors for over €500m.
• Representing administrators of funds having acquired the Greek systemic banks’ Non – Performing loans before the Greek courts against all kinds of debtors.
• Representing Bombardier, a Canadian multinational manufacturer of business jets and rolling stock, in cases against the Greek State following the termination of an offsets agreement.
• Representing groups of companies in automotive sector in Greece in several civil disputes against suppliers, customers and independent authorities.
• Representing the Greek affiliate of a leading consumer goods company before the Greek administrative courts in cases of imposition of fines, as well as before the Greek Independent Authorities in cases of regulatory compliance.
• Advising a leading bookmaker based in London, for regulatory and compliance issues re online gaming and betting in Greece.
• Defending top executive of a Japanese automobile manufacture before the Greek investigating judges in criminal case of alleged tax evasion.
• Representing a French multinational investment bank and financial services company, in criminal case against top executive for alleged fraud, embezzlement and money laundering.
• Representing the Greek affiliate of a leading electronics manufacturer in a criminal case against an employee for alleged fraud and forgery.
• Representing a technical and business services organization and a maritime classification society, in criminal case against former employee for alleged embezzlement and forgery.
• Advising a cosmetics company on regulatory matters in Greece.
• Representing a telecommunications company, before all competent authorities and Greek courts in regards to licensing regimes and compliance matters.
• Representing an American company operating a worldwide online payments system before the Greek civil courts in a dispute initiated against it by a Greek entity regarding complex matters of interpretation and implementation of PSD2 Directive.
• Defending legal representatives of entities before the Greek criminal authorities and courts in cases, including tax crimes, labor accidents, defective products and environmental offences, where the legal representative is deemed to be liable for the criminal sanctions provided for by the respective legislation.