John Rigas, co-founder and Managing Partner at Nexus Apex Partners—a consortium of specialized tax and legal advisory firms dedicated to serving foreign and Greeks individuals, companies, and institutions based in the US, Canada, and Switzerland with assets or financial interests in Greece—talks to Business Partners about Greece’s growing potential as an investment destination and his work bridging regulatory and cultural gaps to help businesses and investments succeed.
From the Big 4 and senior management roles in accounting to founding your own advisory practice, what experiences and lessons have most influenced your approach to leadership?
One lesson has stood out throughout my career: clients are not looking for a tax return, a legal opinion, or a regulatory memo; they are looking for solutions. Working with multinational companies taught me that successful projects often depend on understanding both the technical framework and the people involved. This is especially true in Greece today, where significant reforms have modernized tax administration, licensing procedures, and digital government services. For example, a North American investor considering Greece often needs guidance not only on tax matters but also on how business is conducted locally and who the relevant stakeholders are. My leadership approach is therefore built around responsiveness, practicality, and relationship-building, helping clients translate opportunities into results.
Leadership should be built around responsiveness, practicality, and relationship-building, helping clients translate opportunities into results
What is the vision behind Nexus Apex Partners?
Nexus Apex Partners was created because we saw increasing demand for a firm that could connect international investors with opportunities in Greece while also helping Greek businesses expand abroad. In recent years, Greece has become more attractive to foreign capital thanks to reforms, digitalization, and a more attractive, stable business and tax environment. At the same time, many investors from the United States, Canada, and the Middle East still require local guidance to navigate the market. Our vision was to create a multidisciplinary platform combining tax, legal, public affairs, and strategic advisory services under one roof. Whether assisting a family office acquiring assets in Greece or a Greek company seeking partnerships in North America, our role is to bridge both regulatory and cultural gaps that can often determine the success of a project.
How do you plan to support clients in navigating an increasingly complex business environment?
Our ambition is to become a leading cross-border advisory firm connecting Greece with North America and the Middle East. We believe clients increasingly need integrated advice that combines tax, legal, regulatory, public affairs, and business strategy. For example, a US company entering Greece may need assistance with market entry, stakeholder engagement, licensing, tax structuring, and government relations simultaneously. Similarly, a Greek company expanding into the United States or Canada often requires guidance on business culture, local partnerships, and regulatory expectations. Our priority is to help clients navigate these challenges through practical, coordinated solutions. As Greece continues to strengthen its position as an investment destination, we see significant opportunities to support both inbound and outbound business activity.
Successful projects depend on understanding both the technical framework and the people involved
Having worked extensively with both Greek and multinational businesses, how do you see the current tax and regulatory landscape in Greece, particularly in terms of competitiveness and attracting investment?
The Greek business environment has improved significantly over the past decade. The expansion of digital government services, the modernization of tax administration, and the introduction of a more transparent regulatory framework have reduced many of the barriers that historically discouraged investment. Looking ahead, further progress in judicial efficiency, regulatory predictability, and the speed of public administration will remain essential to sustaining Greece’s competitiveness and longterm investment appeal.
At the same time, Greece is increasingly emerging as an attractive jurisdiction for international investors and business groups seeking to establish their European headquarters through holding company structures. Under certain conditions, the Greek tax framework offers a number of competitive advantages, including participation exemption regimes for capital gains arising from the disposal of qualifying shareholdings, the possibility of contributing existing companies into corporate structures at fair market value without triggering capital gains taxation, and exemptions on dividend income received from qualifying subsidiaries within the European Union and, in certain cases, from non-EU jurisdictions.
There are also provisions within the Greece–United States Double Taxation Treaty that merit review and modernization. The treaty is one of the oldest tax agreements concluded by the United States with a European country, and while it has served as a stable framework for decades, certain provisions no longer fully reflect current international tax standards and business realities. Updating specific aspects of the treaty and aligning them more closely with the provisions commonly found in more recent US tax treaties with European Union member states could further facilitate cross-border investment, enhance tax certainty, and strengthen the economic relationship between Greece and the United States.
These features, combined with the country’s broader economic reforms and continuously improving business environment, are strengthening Greece’s position as a regional business and investment hub. As economic ties between Greece, the United States, and Canada continue to deepen, maintaining a stable, competitive, and investor-friendly environment will be critical to attracting new investment and supporting cross-border business activity.
Nexus Apex Partners recently became a member of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce through the Chamber’s Washington DC office. What was behind this decision?
Joining the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce was a natural decision because our work sits at the intersection of the Greek and North American business communities. The Chamber has played an important role in promoting trade, investment, and dialogue between Greece and the United States, particularly at a time when bilateral relations are stronger than ever. We see this relationship translating into tangible business opportunities, from technology and infrastructure investments to energy, tourism, and professional services. For Nexus, Chamber membership provides access to a network of companies, investors, and decisionmakers who are actively shaping this transatlantic relationship. It also supports our broader mission of helping businesses navigate not only different regulatory systems but also the cultural and commercial differences that often influence the success of international partnerships.
