Landmark legislation allows UK lawyers to practise in Greece

The Greek government has passed a new law through Greek parliament, enabling UK lawyers to practise in Greece under their home title.

This significant development marks the culmination of more than three years of continuous efforts by the Law Society of England and Wales in close collaboration with UK government officials, law firms and the Greek Bar Associations of Athens and Piraeus.

Greece has been one of our priority jurisdictions in Europe and in fact the world.

Following Brexit, UK legal professionals faced considerable obstacles working in key sectors such as shipping, insurance and finance in Greece as they had lost the right to register to practise in the country.

Several of the UK’s largest law firms, many of which are among the top 50 globally, have a significant presence in the Greek market, predominantly in Athens and Piraeus*.

This new legislation allows lawyers qualified in the UK and based in Greece to register with a Greek Bar to advise clients on English law as well as public international law, thereby protecting their ability to operate in the market, now and in future.

This law is a direct result of our continued collaboration with the UK government and negotiations with the EU Commission, Greek government and counterparts since the announcement of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

As part of the TCA, Greece committed to allowing UK lawyers to continue practising under their home title.

President of the Law Society Nick Emmerson commented on the passing of the legislation:

“This is a landmark achievement for UK lawyers and law firms. The Law Society has worked tirelessly with the UK government to ensure that our members can continue to provide their services in one of the continent’s most important markets. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those involved in this process, including our counterparts in Greece and the UK government, for their unwavering support and commitment.

“This new law signifies a strong step forward in safeguarding the interests of UK legal professionals abroad and reaffirms the importance of collaborative international relations in the legal sector.

“England and Wales remain an open jurisdiction not just to Greek lawyers but to all foreign lawyers, who are and will continue to be welcome to practise here.”

Justice minister Heidi Alexander said:

“UK lawyers are among the best in the world and this legislation creates exciting opportunities for them to practice in Greece.

“I want to thank the Law Society for their close collaboration on this move which will help bolster our world-renowned legal services sector which contributed £34 billion to the UK economy in 2022.

“We will continue to work with our UK and international partners to strengthen the UK’s legal services trading ties across the world."

Minister of state for trade policy Douglas Alexander said:

"Making it easier for UK firms to sell their services abroad is key to this Government's driving mission to deliver economic growth.

"This change will make it easier for UK lawyers to practise in Greece and is a step in the right direction to improving opportunities for UK firms as we continue to reset our relationship with EU partners."

Notes to editors

• * Piraeus is the second largest port in Southern Europe and 4^th in Europe.

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