Private International Civil Law

Private International Civil Law is a branch of law that deals with legal relationships that have an international dimension, involving more than one country. This area of law determines:

1. Which national legislation applies in cases where different legal systems are involved (e.g., a contract between a Greek and a German company).
2. Which court has jurisdiction to hear a dispute when the parties involved come from different countries or when the subject matter of the dispute involves multiple states.
3. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, meaning decisions rendered by courts in other countries.

Greek Private International Civil Law is incorporated into the Greek Civil Code, specifically in Articles 4 to 33 and covers issues such as marriages and divorces between individuals of different nationalities, international commercial contracts, inheritance matters involving assets in more than one country, and international intellectual property rights. Its aim is to ensure that legal disputes with an international element can be resolved in a fair and predictable manner.

Our Fir team has leading-edge expertise in litigation and arbitration dealing with private international law issues including territorial jurisdiction, forum convenience, conflicts of laws, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.