Dimitris E. Paraskevas is the managing partner of Elias Paraskevas, a leading Greek law firm. The firm is ranked first in the section "Privatisation and Projects" by The European Legal 500 (2003 and 2006) and rated one of the top law firms in Greece by both Chambers Global and the European Legal 500. Mr. Paraskevas also serves as the chairman of the Elias Paraskevas charitable foundation, the Hellenic London School of Economics Alumni Association, and is a board member of many companies and charitable organisations.

Mr. Paraskevas:

• practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, privatisations, corporate finance, equity capital markets, real estate and joint ventures, and has advised more than two hundred international companies, banks and investment banks with regard to transactions in excess of € 40 bn;
• has been named one of the two top Mergers and Acquisitions attorneys in Greece and one of the international leaders in Mergers and Acquisitions law worldwide by the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (2005 and 2006); he also ranks as one of the five best lawyers in Greece according to the Legal Media Group to the World’s Leading M & A Lawyers (IFLR 2006) and one of the top ten Greek corporate lawyers according to Chambers Global;
• is a former Member of the High Level Group of the European Commission on the Future of Industrial Relations and Managing Change in Europe;
• has served as a Legal Expert and former Representative of Greece to the Hague Conference regarding the law applicable to disposition of securities held through indirect holding systems;
• has acted as an advisor to a number of international agencies and organisations including the OECD, the UNIDO, the Council of Europe, and the SOEC;
• has participated in several legislative committees as an industry expert, and his articles have been published in major international magazines such as "Euromoney" and the "European Competition Law Review". He has authored the chapter on Greece in "Cross Border Collateral: Legal Risk and the Conflict of Laws", edited by R. Potok, and published by Butterworths, as well as the respective chapters in Getting the Deal through: Mergers and Acquisitions (2005 and 2006) and in The International Comparative Legal Guide to Merger Control (2006 and 2007); and
• was the Chairman of the European Countries in the UNCTAD's working group on comparative experiences from privatisation in 1994.

Prior to returning to private practice, Mr. Paraskevas served as the Secretary for Privatisation of the Ministry of Development (July 1993-July 1999). During his service, the Greek Privatisation Programme raised approximately € 10 bn. Mr. Paraskevas structured and led the negotiations in many successful complex privatisation transactions. For this work he was named by the Financial Times as Super Salesman (1999). He has also served as an Advisor to the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology (1993), and as a Member of the Board of the Athens International Airport S.A. (1999-2001).

Mr. Paraskevas ranked first in the Bar Exams of September 1987, received a law degree from the Athens University Law School (January 1986 - first class honours), holds an LL.M. in Commercial and Corporate Law from London University (September 1987 - London School of Economics and Political Science), and has received several certificates from professional and executive training associations including the Harvard Business School (Certificate in Leading Professional Services Firms) (Boston, 2003).