Nikolas Avgouleas

Experience

Nikolas Avgouleas joined Fortsakis, Diakopoulos & Associates (FDMA) in 2009 and has since built a distinguished practice in public law with a strong emphasis on public procurement, PPPs and privatizations, as well as environmental and energy law. He represents major international and Greek clients in dispute-resolution matters before state courts and arbitral tribunals, reflecting a career dedicated to navigating complex regulatory and transactional challenges in the Greek public-law landscape. His workload demonstrates a consistent focus on the interface between public authorities and private sector participants, including infrastructure, energy projects and large-scale tender procedures.

A core element of Avgouleas’s professional profile is his leadership in high-stakes public-law matters. He has headed teams advising on significant procurement and privatization initiatives, often coordinating multi-disciplinary efforts across FDMA’s practice areas to deliver comprehensive legal strategies. His work routinely involves advising on tenders, bid defenses, and post-tender disputes, as well as defending clients in complex regulatory challenges before administrative courts and EU-influenced processes.

Avgouleas has also been involved in several landmark matters that underscore his role in the Greek public procurement and infrastructure sphere. Notable engagements include acting as legal counsel to the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Finance in relation to a 110 million euro public-private partnership (PPP) for financing, construction, maintenance, and operation of a new building complex intended for housing the General Secretary of Infrastructure. He led the FDMA team in this high-profile transaction, illustrating his capacity to manage multi-party projects with substantial public interest and financial scale. This engagement highlights his proficiency in aligning financial structuring with regulatory requirements in the public procurement space. ([fdmalaw.com](https://fdmalaw.com/our-people/our-people-nikolas-avgouleas/))

Avgouleas has also played a key role advising the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund SA (HRADF) on privatization processes, including the privatization through the sale of shares of the Heraklion Port Authority SA. His team’s work in this area reflects a disciplined approach to complex privatizations that intersect European Union public procurement rules, state aid considerations, and privatization strategy. ([fdmalaw.com](https://fdmalaw.com/our-people/our-people-nikolas-avgouleas/))

Further, he has supported prequalified bidders in the Hellenic Coast Guard’s tendering procedure for the procurement of up to 14 fast patrol vessels, demonstrating experience with defense-related procurement and the tendering processes that govern sensitive security and public-safety acquisitions. Avgouleas has also advised another HRADF-related privatization procedure for the Volos Port Authority SA, underscoring his involvement across multiple port- and infrastructure-related privatization initiatives. ([fdmalaw.com](https://fdmalaw.com/our-people/our-people-nikolas-avgouleas/))

Beyond port privatizations, Avgouleas has advised the Operator of the Greek Electricity Distribution Network in challenges before the Supreme Administrative Court related to tendering for smart metering solutions, illustrating his engagement with energy-market regulation and technology procurement. He has represented the Greek subsidiary of a multinational in relation to wind-park licenses, including disputes over electricity production licenses for wind projects totaling 330 MW, highlighting his expertise in energy-sector regulatory issues and state-regulator interactions. His leadership in a major e-Government ID tender—covering software, hardware, and services for the new electronic IDs of Greek citizens with a substantial budget—further demonstrates his involvement in large-scale, technology-driven public procurement matters. Avgouleas has also assisted wind-farm operators with disputes before the Court of Auditors regarding state subsidies, and he has supported HRADF in disputes before the Council of State arising from various privatization and procurement projects, underscoring a broad portfolio across public procurement, energy, and privatization disciplines. ([fdmalaw.com](https://fdmalaw.com/our-people/our-people-nikolas-avgouleas/))

In addition to his project-specific work, Avgouleas has advised major actors in the Greek gas and electricity markets on regulatory developments and financial-law implications, reflecting a deep engagement with the regulatory framework that shapes large-scale energy investments. He has also advised and represented clients in relation to interconnection projects, including the interconnection of the Cyclades islands to the mainland transmission system. His bilingual capabilities (English and German) support his ability to manage cross-border aspects of Greek public procurement and energy matters. ([fdmalaw.com](https://fdmalaw.com/our-people/our-people-nikolas-avgouleas/))

Specialty

Avgouleas’s practice centers on public law, with a particular concentration on public procurement, PPPs, and privatizations. He is recognized for handling disputes in the Greek administrative and energy spheres, often involving complex tenders, regulatory compliance, and high-value infrastructure transactions. His expertise also spans environmental and energy law, positioning him to address the regulatory and permitting components that accompany large-scale public projects and energy developments.

• Practice areas: Public law, public procurement, PPPs, privatizations, environmental law, energy law, dispute resolution before state courts and arbitral tribunals.
• Focus industries: Infrastructure and construction, energy (including electricity distribution and wind-energy projects), telecommunications and public administration IT/tendering, port and asset privatizations.
• Types of cases handled: Tender disputes and bid challenges, awards and post-award disputes, privatization transactions, regulatory challenges under EU and Greek law, state-aid considerations, and proceedings before the Supreme Administrative Court and other Greek tribunals.

Education

• Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany – LL.M. in German Law (European Public Law)
• National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Law, Athens, Greece – Master’s Degree in European Law (EU Tax Law)
• National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Law, Athens, Greece – Law Degree (Ptychion)

Avgouleas is a member of the Athens Bar Association and is qualified to practice before the Supreme Court. He speaks English and German, enabling him to engage effectively with international clients and cross-border matters.