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About
Provided by Yianni Cheilas
Practice Areas
Yianni Cheilas is a banking, finance and restructuring lawyer based in London and Athens. Yianni has significant experience of advising across a broad range of finance transactions, including: syndicated facilities; secured, structured and unsecured facilities; international and cross-border transactions; ECA-backed facilities (Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Norway); bond issues; Greek 'bond loan facilities'; sale and lease backs; sovereign debtor finance; sale of loan portfolios; securitisations; and structured and complex banking products.
Yianni represents lenders in restructurings, work-out arrangements and monitoring 'problem' loans. He has been involved in numerous distressed debt and enforcement cases and regularly handles joint ventures and shareholder agreements, including transactions involving funds, management investors and financial investors.
Yianni advises clients across various sectors and industries, including: shipping, offshore and asset finance; asset-based lending; property finance; energy finance; hospitality; corporate lending in general; infrastructure; restructuring and insolvency; and financial institutions.
He has significant knowledge of the global shipping market, particularly the LNG space, where he has been involved in the construction, acquisition, chartering and financing of more than 150 LNGCs, FSRUs, FSUs and similar units.
Yianni represents a number of first-class international banks, financial institutions, multi-laterals and large corporates, including companies conducting business in Greece and in Central and Eastern Europe.
Yianni was appointed as head of Greece in 2022. He spends his time between our offices in London and Athens.
Chambers Review
Europe
Yianni Cheilas is a stellar lawyer who regularly assists clients with high-value syndicated loan restructurings, vessel refinancing deals and new-build projects. Being qualified in Greece and the USA, he is regularly instructed on complex cross-border mandates.
Yianni Cheilas is well regarded for his expertise in handling ship financing transactions. He is also well placed to assist with note issuances and restructurings. Qualified in Greece, the USA and England & Wales, he is often the choice of national and international banks and corporates.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Yianni is a very good manager who follows all the work efficiently."
"Yianni is a very good manager who follows all the work efficiently."