Greece
Greece is home to one of the oldest western civilisations and is widely held to be the birthplace of such cornerstones of modern life as democracy, science and western literature. A member of the European Union since 1981, and a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001, Greece represents an interesting business market that is set to continue to expand ahead of many other European markets.
For all its long and extremely eventful history, Greece is today quickly catching up with the other developed countries in continental Europe. Fuelled by the recent investment for the Olympic Games, both Athens and Piraeus (two of the major cities for lawyers) have been rejuvenated whilst retaining all of their historic charm.
Law firms
Both Athens and Piraeus are dominated by local Greek law practices that will usually only hire Greek qualified lawyers. However, several international firms have placed offices in Piraeus to take advantage of the extremely lucrative shipping industry that operates there. Firms are now also locating in Athens as the corporate market continues to expand.
Principle areas of demand
To work for a UK firm in Greece, lawyers need to practice in either banking or finance, corporate or shipping law. There is particular demand for dry-shipping litigators to work on charterparty disputes, collision cases and hull/cargo claims in the Greek shipping market, based in Piraeus. Athens tends to be the centre for the expanding Corporate and PFI/Projects market in Greece.
Typically, unless you are seconded from your own firm, demand is for lawyers who are dual qualified in the UK and Greece, and who have previous experience of working in the Greek market. It follows that fluency in Greek is also often a prerequisite.
Remuneration & benefits
Salaries and cost of living are generally considerably lower than London, although some of the international firms will match London City rates to attract top quality candidates. Greek local salaries are much lower than London rates, and ex-pat lawyers are generally put on to these lower local packages once they have been out in Greece for a while.
Outside the office
Greece is a fantastic place to live for people who have any enjoyment of history or travelling. With a network of over 400 islands, most of which are a short boat trip away, there is always a new sunny destination to explore. Nightlife tends to start late in the evening, with a plethora of fantastic sea-front restaurants from which to choose before moving on to a wide selection of nightclubs and bars.
Athens holds all sorts of gems for the historically minded, and outdoor activities in Greece range from water-sports to snow skiing in one or other of the two well-known resorts in Greece. The climate is perhaps the country’s biggest selling point, with one of the lowest annual rainfalls and highest daily average of sunlight hours in Europe.
For further information on the legal market and job opportunities in Greece please contact your nearest Taylor Root office:
London:
Guy Adams E: guyadams@taylorroot.com T: +44 (0)20 7415 2828
Dubai:
Shane Morton E: shanemorton@taylorroot.com T: +971 4 319 7601
Hong Kong:
Michael Luckett E: michaelluckett@taylorroot.com.hk T: +852 2973 6333
Sydney:
Sandra D'Souza E: sandradsouza@taylorroot.com.au T: +61 (0)2 9236 9000
Melbourne:
Tim Fogarty E: timfogarty@taylorroot.com.au T: +61 (0)3 8610 8400
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