Chris Vartzis

Career

Chris Vartzis is a partner and Head of Greece maritime finance. He is an asset finance specialist with particular focus on and extensive experience in, the financing of all types of vessels (including yachts) and aircrafts (corporate jets) working with major global banks and financial institutions specialising in asset financing (including ECA facilities). Chris also advises owners in the context of negotiation and entering into ship financing facilities.

Chris has substantial experience in syndicated and bilateral loan facilities, sale and lease back transactions and related facilities, restructurings, work-outs, IPOs, intercreditor and subordination arrangements, accession deeds, financing and sale and purchase of second-hand vessels and financing of newbuildings with expertise in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese newbuildings, shipbuilding contracts and refund guarantees. In addition to working with and advising major Greek shipowning groups, he also works on markets outside Greece, especially in Turkey, working with Turkish diversified conglomerates and financial institutions and with shipping groups in Bulgaria, Croatia and Norway.

Dual qualified in England & Wales and Greece, he is known for his experience and motivation to develop solutions for complex, cross-border financing transactions and clients value his commercial and innovative legal approach and his proactiveness and efficiency.

Chris is listed as "Leading Individual" in shipping finance by The Legal 500 (Legalease) EMEA guide in 2025 and is ranked Bank 2 in the Chambers Europe 2025 edition for shipping finance.

Clients describe Chris as “top notch, probably the most responsive lawyer [they] have ever worked with" with "extensive experience combined with a commercial approach and excellent communication skills” regularly acting on cross-border mandates involving in different jurisdictions including Turkey. Clients also outline his “’out-of-the-box’ thinking" and that "he knows the trade, understand the issues and finds solutions to get matters to the finish line".