Biography
Ioannis specialises in commercial litigation and international arbitration, including banking disputes, particularly those involving financial products, investment banking and derivatives, and also in commercial and business disputes with an emphasis on joint venture and shareholder disputes, shareholder protection, business break-ups and fraud.
His key industry sectors are financial services, energy/oil & gas, shipping/international trade, telecoms, IT and infrastructure projects. He often advises in circumstances where these sectors overlap. The key geographies for Ioannis’s practice are Greece, the Balkans, the Middle East, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa. He also has considerable experience of regulatory and internal investigations.
His cases often involve an international element, usually with competing multiple jurisdictions and laws. His clients include banks, insurers, intermediaries, venture capitalists and equity investors and large corporates in England and internationally.
Ioannis is ranked in the Chambers UK 2023 Guide for international arbitration, which describes him as “the definition of a smooth operator – he keeps everyone motivated and knows what tactics to employ.” Previous guides have noted that he “consistently produces extraordinary, excellent work and he fills the client with great confidence and comfort”. He is further described as “adept at handling BIT claims” and “is very experienced and brings a wealth of knowledge to the field.” He is also recognised in The Legal 500 UK 2023 as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for civil fraud, international arbitration, commercial litigation and banking litigation, and he is praised for his “superb commercial and practical sense.” He has also been described as having “a real technical mastery of banking law“, “an excellent arbitration lawyer, who is smart, efficient and very responsive“, and “a very experienced and creative lawyer, who is able to think out of the box.” He has also been praised as a “brilliant advocate“. The Guide also notes that he is “is experienced in cases involving Greece, the Balkans, Central Asia, the Middle East, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa“. Past guides also commend Ioannis as a “highly rated litigator” and noted “is well known for joint venture and shareholder disputes, business break-ups and fraud and banking disputes“. He has been further is commended for being “a great litigator who offers his advice on the basis of the commercial goals that clients set“.
Ioannis is also ranked in Chambers Global 2022 for his international arbitration practice. Chambers notes “he consistently produces extraordinary, excellent work and he fills the client with great confidence and comfort.” Ioannis is also recognised in Who’s Who Legal 2022 Arbitration Guide. He has been described as “well recognised for his top-notch arbitration practice among peers who say he is “very experienced and engaging with the tribunal”.”
Experience
- Advising a natural gas exploration company on a dispute with its ENRON J. V. partner, in the High Court, Court of Appeal and ICC Arbitration.
- Acting for banks and customers in relation to trade finance and documentary credit disputes in connection with commodity trades, including oil, metals and soft commodities.
- Advising a US listed R.E.I.T. in connection with disputes about the financing of a J.V. concerning a major Spanish real estate development.
- Advising depositors on 2013’s Cyprus bank collapses and actions against the government in attempts to recover damages.
- Acted for the Greek partner in a JV with Magyar Telecom in relation to a dispute with Macedonian Telecom arising out of the privatisation of the Macedonian telecoms sector, where Ioannis had advised on the initial successful bid on privatisation as well.
- Acting for various companies belonging to a major advertising and media group in relation to joint venture disputes and other business litigation, as well as employee fraud.
- Advising several clients in connection with the break-up of partnerships or joint ventures or the aftermath of failed common business ventures.
Publications
Signature hires from Squire Patton Boggs in London – CDR News – 17 May 2021
Signature hires from Squire Patton Boggs in London – Global Arbitration Review – 10 May 2021
Pandemic places spotlight on ADR for in-house teams – International Bar Association – 5 March 2021
What the new ICC and LCIA rules tell us about the concerns of users – Global Arbitration Review – 17 November 2020
UK boutique launches Paris practice – Global Arbitration Review – 16 July 2020
Agreeing to arbitrate to mitigate delays caused by COVID-19 – Blog – 5 May 2020
It is not just and convenient for an injunction restraining arbitration proceedings to be granted – Law360 – 9 August 2019
Koshigi Ltd v Donna Union: can an arbitrator be warm and friendly with Counsel? – The Law Society Gazette – 16 April 2019
Article in relation to Koshigi Ltd v Donna Union – The Times Law Brief – 13 February 2019
Keeping control: Resolving energy, natural resources and infrastructure disputes – Corporate Disputes – 8 January 2019
Say what you mean – Lawyer Monthly – 3 September 2018
Arbitrating multi-party and multi-contract disputes – LexisNexis Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law – November 2018
International arbitration: a time of change – IBA Global Insight – November 2018
Areas of Expertise
Ioannis Alexopoulos's Latest Published Articles

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