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Litigation & Arbitration · Sub-Practice

When recovering a commercial debt
takes more than a demand letter.

Recovering commercial debt in Greece takes more than an out-of-court demand. It takes a strategy that starts with an out-of-court claim and, where necessary, moves quickly to a payment order, to court proceedings and, where assets are available, to enforcement.

What We Handle Discuss Your Claim
Out-of-court pressure before proceedings
A demand letter can help the case or make it harder. Wrong wording, omissions or a mistaken legal basis can create problems for the court proceedings that follow. That is why we do not treat the out-of-court demand as a formality, but as part of the overall recovery strategy.
Is a Greek business holding your money?
Request a meeting to assess the claim, the recovery routes available and the realistic prospects of payment.
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What We Handle Our Approach Process Experience Related

Scope of Practice

Debt recovery,
from the demand to the payment.

We act for creditors at every stage of the recovery process — extrajudicial demand, the order for payment procedure, ordinary litigation where the debt is disputed, enforcement against identified assets, and representation in formal insolvency proceedings. A debt recovery lawyer in Greece assesses the debtor's assets at the outset, because a judgment against an empty company is worth little.

Out-of-Court Demand & Negotiation
Targeted out-of-court demands and negotiation with the debtor to resolve commercial claims without proceedings, without compromising your later legal options.
Payment Order
We assess whether the claim and the documents available allow a payment order to be issued, as a faster alternative to ordinary court proceedings. Where the statutory conditions are met, we obtain the order and then take the steps required to collect the debt.
Disputed Commercial Claims
Where the debtor disputes the claim, the liability or the amount, we pursue it before the Greek courts, from first instance through to the remedies available on appeal. We also act in objection proceedings against a payment order and in any related court proceedings.
Cross-Border Debt Recovery
Support for foreign creditors recovering claims from debtors in Greece, and for Greek businesses and creditors with claims against debtors abroad. We draw on our experience in cross-border disputes and, where required, coordinate the process with lawyers in the relevant jurisdiction.
Disclosure Oath & Enforcement
Support for creditors once an enforceable title has been obtained, including the disclosure oath procedure and the steps required to enforce the claim. The aim is to use the statutory procedures available to satisfy the creditor effectively.
Representation of Creditors in Insolvency Proceedings
We represent creditors in bankruptcy, pre-insolvency restructuring and liquidation proceedings under Law 4738/2020, from the filing and verification of claims through to participation in the proceedings and, where provided for, in creditors' committees, with the aim of pursuing and satisfying their claims effectively.

Our Approach

Recovering a debt is not
a single legal step.

Recovering a commercial debt is rarely a single step — it is a sequence of decisions, each of which affects the next. An out-of-court demand or immediate court action? A payment order or ordinary proceedings? And, above all, what is the real prospect of collecting from this particular debtor? A debt recovery lawyer's objective is the amount collected, not the judgment obtained.

For that reason we assess the case from the outset both on the legal basis of the claim and on what is known about the debtor and the procedures available. A judgment has little practical value if it cannot lead to the claim being satisfied.

The aim is not simply to win the case. It is to collect the debt.

Our membership of the China International Receivables Management Network allows us to support Greek creditors in recovering claims from debtors in China, and Chinese creditors in recovering claims from debtors in Greece, combining our local litigation experience with cooperation with specialist lawyers in the relevant jurisdictions.

Speed first
A payment order where one is available
Where the claim is sufficiently evidenced by documents and the statutory conditions are met, a payment order can offer a faster route than ordinary court proceedings. We assess from the outset whether that procedure is available and appropriate for the case.
Cross-border
China International Receivables Management Network
We support Chinese creditors with claims in Greece and South-East Europe, and Greek businesses active in China or holding claims against Chinese counterparties, through the China International Receivables Management Network and our network of correspondents.
Focus on assets
Recovery, not just a judgment
So far as the information available allows, we assess the debtor's asset position before choosing the route for pursuing the claim. That way the legal cost and the strategy for the case can be weighed against the amount that can realistically be recovered.

How We Recover Debt

The route from the
claim to the payment.

STEP 01
Assessing the Claim
We examine the contract, the invoices and the evidence available, assess whether the conditions for a payment order are met, and consider the debtor's likely responses and the information available about their asset position, before any formal step is taken.
STEP 02
Demand & Negotiation
Where appropriate, we seek to resolve the claim out of court through a targeted demand and negotiation with the debtor. Where the nature of the claim or the circumstances of the case require it, however, we move straight to the appropriate court procedure.
STEP 03
Court Proceedings
We consider whether the claim can be pursued by way of a payment order and, where that is not possible or the claim is disputed, we pursue it in court. We also handle any objections brought against payment orders.
STEP 04
Enforcement & Collection
Once an enforceable title has been obtained, we take the enforcement steps required to satisfy the claim. Where there is a risk of assets being dissipated, we assess the interim measures available, and in the event of insolvency we represent the creditor in the relevant proceedings.

Our Experience

From Greece
to international markets

Commercial Debt Recovery
Payment Order & Court Proceedings
Support for creditors in recovering commercial claims by payment order or through court proceedings, depending on the nature of the claim and the evidence for it, at every level of the Greek courts.
Cross-Border
China International Receivables Management Network
Member of the China International Receivables Management Network, assisting Chinese companies with debt recovery and commercial disputes against debtors in Greece and Southeast Europe.
Insolvency
Representation of creditors in insolvency proceedings
Representation of creditors in insolvency and pre-insolvency restructuring proceedings — filing of claims, protection of creditor priority and the pursuit of recovery within formal procedures.
International Networks
AEA International Lawyers
Membership of AEA International Lawyers enables coordinated cross-border debt recovery where a debtor or its assets are located outside Greece, working with trusted correspondent firms.

Does a Greek business owe you money?
Assess your options.

Request a meeting to assess the claim, the recovery routes available and the realistic prospects of payment.

Contact +30 210 36 33 694