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As the Greek supreme Court has rendered its ruling last month, (negative as expected) the six month delay is now up and running for the much anticipated filing in front of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg  which for many is their last hope to recover what has been unilaterally haircut  by the Greek State from their Greek State bonds they bought before the crisis. Those people and also several institutional investors who never consented into any kind of haircut or rescheduling of repayment dates are now looking forward in what is considered as the final solution to a lengthy and exhausting legal battle against a sovereign State which failed to honor its committments. Our office in conjunction with one of the best experts in the world Italian professor Andrea Saccucci  is heavily preparing for the filing of many clients priate individuals and instututional alike. Mr. Kokkinos was himself in Strasbourg in early June (5th and 6th of June 2014)  for examining procedural issues of the petitions before the ECHR by the International Association of Lawyers.

ELC partner C. Kokkinos and the Italian Professor of International Law at the University of Naples Mr. A. Saccucci have visited  the New York offices of the high ranked U.S. Law firm Lieff Cabraiser Heimann & Bernstein. This visit was in view of organizing an extended legal action in front of the European Court of Human Rights in Starsbourg, France for the 2012 haircut of the Greek sovereign debt bonds. On that meeting also participated representatives of one of the largest specialist U.K. law firm interested on joining this action against the Greek state and/or against the financial institutions who have promoted these products without complying to legal requirements currently in force (MIFID EU Directive...) This action will bring a new dimension to this dispute that has unilaterally written off 53% of the Greek sovereign debt bonds to the detriment of thousand investors around the globe. In February 2014 Mr. Saccucci had additional meetings in London for that matter. In the picture Messrs Kokkinos and Saccucci during their LCHB New York visit.

The Global Justice Forum organized by Robert Lieff and the Richmond Center for Business Law and Public Policy has opened its doors with great success at the Columbia Law School in New York. Pre-eminent University Professors, Judges and attorneys from all over the world have gathered in this prestigious event where topics of cross border international litigation will be examined and addressed. Some of the topics include the liability of financial intermediaries (Subprime mortgage backed securities, Libor manipulation issues), protecting workplace standards in the Global supply chain and prosecuting cross-border cyber crime. On the 12th of October the Global Justice Network is taking place at the same premises of the Columbia law school gathering selected international participants of the Forum.

The GJN is an organization incorporated in Ireland aiming to organize its worldwide plaintiff representation activities mainly out of Switzerland through a sophisticated network structure of international lawyers . Constantine Kokkinos a founding partner of the GJF and member of the Steering Committee of the Network is honored to be one of the keynote speakers of the event.

C. Kokkinos with other event participants from Ireland (B. O'Reily) the U.S. (N. Castellanos) and Germany (M. Ferrari)

In Greece Law 4146/2013 recently implemented, enables third countries' (non E.U.) nationals and their family members, to secure a regular residence -and thus a visa free travel within the whole Schengen area- if they invest in real estate in the country a minimum of 250.000 Euros.

Similar disposals already exist in Cyprus -where we have an open bridge- and in Spain attracting a large number of mainly Chinese and Russians nationals willing to invest in Mediterannean properties and to take advantage of a family residence in Europe.Chinese investment firms are being established for that matter and are already operating in Cyprus. Because of the financial crisis  real estate prices have become substatially lower and many investment opportunities arise mainly in prime properties.

Greek investment law 4146/2013 is indeed very interesting but it still needs some fine tuning though as to its practical implementation. Our law firm works towards standardizing compliance to those requirements in full transparency and with reasonable costs. This legal frame in conjunction with Law 3386/2005 (art. 36A) entitles a five year residence permit to those investing at least 250.000 EUR in real estate property or in long time rental (also 250.000 EUR)  of hotel and tourist accomodation enterprises (Law 4002/2011). In order to assist our potential Chinese customers we have for several years now, a steady startegic partnership in China with one of the top three law firms in this country with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guanzou and Hong Kong.  For that matter we are setting up a collaboration with reputable law offices in Moscow and in St. Petersbourg.