About

Betty Smyrniou is a Senior Counsel at Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners. She  is one of the leading Greek experts in aviation law, with a practice that spans aircraft finance and leasing, engine transactions, repossessions, lease-related security structures, and the full range of regulatory and operational questions that arise from operating aircraft into and out of Greece. She also represents airline operators in EC Regulation 261/2004 passenger-rights disputes.

Alongside her aviation work, she leads the firm’s Employment, Pensions & Benefits practice and  advises multinational corporations, international financial institutions, public and private companies and, on occasion, high-profile individuals on the full spectrum of employment law – from day-to-day advisory and restructuring to contentious proceedings.

Her recent aviation mandates include advising SMBC and Orix on the delivery of new aircraft to Greek airline companies; AerCap,Castlelake, and other lessors on transfers of lease and ownership rights for aircraft operated in Greece, mortgage registrations and refinancing; Willis Lease Finance Corporation on engine leases with Greek airline companies and Azorra on aircraft lease deliveries mortgage registrations and repossession matters. Her litigation experience extends to aircraft and engine repossession claims, disputes arising from lease contracts and related security structures, and lien enforcement, as well as other commercial aviation contracts (ACMI, wet leases etc.).

On the employment side, she acts for a roster of leading employers — including Accenture, Dell, ICAP, DNV, Mango and Mars – on employment advisory, restructuring and HR matters, and regularly represents clients in litigation and employment disputes before employment tribunals and civil courts.

Beyond her client practice, she is an established author on aviation and employment law, contributing to Aviation Law (ICLG), Getting the Deal Through, the Pillsbury World Aircraft Repossession Index and Clifford Chance publications on employment law.

Clients value her combination of technical precision and commercial judgement, as well as her hands-on approach and capacity to stay on top of demanding, multi-track workloads – particularly in highly regulated and operationally sensitive environments where clarity, speed and risk mitigation are essential.