Our People

Sonia Horvathova has been a member of the shipping finance team in Athens office since 2008. She specializes in asset finance, covering a range of industries with emphasis on shipping. Sonia advises ship owners, banks and financial institutions on a broad range of shipping matters including banking and financial services, ship finance, ship sale and purchase and sale and leaseback transactions, syndicated loans, security packages and loan restructurings. She regularly advises on shipbuilding contracts, refund guarantees and construction financing. Her expertise covers also project finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate projects and public offerings. Prior to joining the firm, Sonia had the opportunity to gain valuable experience at several international high profile law firms where she advised corporate clients and financial institutions on a number of major transactions including asset finance and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Sonia has been a member of the Piraeus Bar Association since 2011. She holds a master’s degree in law from Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia. Sonia is fluent in English, Greek, Slovak, Czech and also speaks some German.

Experience, key assignments and notable projects

• Acting on behalf of Attica Holdings S.A.in relation to the restructuring of Attica Group existing debt (including a €200,000,000 bond loan issued by Blue Star Ferries Maritime S.A. originally led by Citibank International Plc and with Aegean Baltic Bank S.A. as the new agent and loan facilities in the aggregate amounts of €253,927,710 (originally) provided by KfW IPEX – Bank GmbH) plus new bond loans in relation to a €25,000,000 common bond loan and a €50,000,000 exchangeable bond loan subscribed to by affiliates of Fortress Credit Corp. with Eurobank Ergasias S.A. as agent, a €50,000,000 convertible bond loan was issued by Attica Holdings S.A. in relation to the above mentioned exchangeable bond loan and a new €42,425,000 bond loan led by Piraeus Bank S.A.
• Acting on behalf of Navios Europe (II) Inc. on the acquisition of fourteen vessels from debtors of HSH Nordbank AG through an innovative financing structure. This project involved the acquisition of seven bulkers and seven container vessels with a purchase price of US$327.7 million in cash funded by a US$135 million senior bank debt and a US$14 million investment from Navios Maritime Holding Inc., Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation and Navios Maritime Partners L.P. and the assumption of US$192 million subordinated HSH participating loan facility. This transaction was concluded in June 2015 (V&P Law Firm is one of the finalists for the Lloyd’s List Global Awards - Deal of the Year Award 2015 in respect of this transaction).
• Acted on behalf of NAVIOS EUROPE INC. on the acquisition of ten vessels from debtors of HSH Nordbank AG through an innovative financing structure. This project involved the acquisition of five tankers and five container vessels with a purchase price of US$127.8 million in cash funded by a US$120.4 million senior bank debt and a US$10 million investment from Navios Maritime Holding Inc., Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation and Navios Maritime Partners L.P. and the assumption of US$173.4 million subordinated HSH participating loan facility. This transaction was concluded in December 2013.
• Assisted NAVIOS MARITIME PARTNERS L.P. in connection with US$260,000,000 syndicated senior secured term loan facility and a subsequent increase of such facility by US$ 179,500,000.
• Assisted NAVIOS MARITIME ACQUISITION CORPORATION in relation to US$610,000,000 offering of first priority ship mortgage notes due 2021.
• Assisted the bondholders in relation to a US$300,000,000 offering of first priority ship mortgage notes by ELETSON HOLDINGS INC. (Marine Money Public Debt Deal of the Year Award 2013).
• Assisted NAVIOS MARITIME HOLDINGS INC. & NAVIOS MARITIME FINANCE II (US) Inc. in connection with issuance of US$350,000,000 unsecured notes due 2019.
• Assisted NAVIOS MARITIME ACQUISITION CORPORATION & NAVIOS ACQUISITION FINANCE (US) Inc. in connection with issuance of US$400,000,000 first priority ship mortgage notes due 2017.
• Assisted NAVIOS MARITIME ACQUISITION CORPORATION & NAVIOS ACQUISITION FINANCE (US) Inc. with the issuance of additional US$105,000,000 first priority ship mortgage notes due 2017.
• Assisted HSH NORDBANK AG, UNICREDIT BANK AG and AEGEAN BALTIC BANK S.A. in relation to restatement of a syndicated loan agreement in relation to a loan facility of US$65,000,000 to EDT Shipmanagement group of companies and amendment of related Spanish tax lease structure.
• Assisted CANFORNAV group of companies in relation to a US$115,805,000 loan facility by CREDIT SUISSE AG.
• Assisted CANFORNAV group of companies in relation to numerous loan agreements with international banks including CREDIT SUISSE AG, UNICREDIT BANK AG and CREDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK regarding a pre-delivery and/or post-delivery financing for twenty four newbuilding and secondhand vessels.
• Acted on numerous syndicated loan transactions containing seller’s credit and sale and lease back arrangements.
• Acted for shipowners on numerous ship sale and purchase negotiations and transactions and negotiations of shipbuilding contracts with Chinese and Spanish shipyards.
• Advised international bank in connection with its equity financing of an airline company with its seat in the Slovak Republic.
• Assisting international clients with restructuring of their groups with respect to Slovak Republic and with a number of acquisitions of Slovak companies by foreign investors.