Elite

The competition practice at Dryllerakis Law Firm has an excellent reputation as one of the most active before the Competition Commission. Senior partner Emmanuel Dryllerakis leads the team, which includes the highly regarded ​​Cleomenis Yannikas. The firm’s founder, John Dryllerakis – who was a member of the national competition commission’s committee between 1990 and 1995 – still provides part-time assistance to the antitrust group.

Much of the firm’s work focuses on behavioural matters. The team acts for Elais-Unilever Hellas in appealing against a €27 million fine for vertical restraints relating to the sale of margarine products. Greece’s Court of Appeal reduced the fine in a decision that is now pending before the Council of State. The firm also represents Attica Bank in a probe by the country’s antitrust enforcer into alleged anticompetitive agreements between the biggest Greek banks and Interbanking Systems Dias. Other notable work includes defending Ilioakmi against the authority’s allegations of online resale price maintenance. The team also acted for Kathimerini Publishing and Dimera Publishing in a complaint against press distribution monopolist ARGOS Distribution, securing interim measures from the Greek competition agency in November 2020 after the latter company attempted to change its commercial policy. Additionally, the firm also intervened on behalf of Carlsberg-owned Olympic Brewery in Athenian Brewery’s appeal against its €31 million abuse of dominance fine. The case is pending before the Supreme Administrative Court after a lower court reduced the fine by 15%.

Dryllerakis & Associates is also involved in state aid work. It acts for Regency Entertainment and Hellenic Casino Parnitha in rival Casino Loutraki’s appeal before the EU General Court against the European Commission’s finding that the two companies had not benefited from state aid. It also advises LARCO Mining and Metallurgical on state aid issues arising from its privatisation and state-guaranteed loans, with the EU General Court reviewing the case after the European Court of Justice partially accepted the company’s challenge to a prior recovery order.