My specialisation in law and architecture/design is a direct result of my unique background.

I started my professional life as a lawyer with a robust academic background (Master in Law, University of Cambridge) and practiced for a number of years. At some point, law stopped being enjoyable so I pursued a career in interior architecture, which is what I do today.

This unusual career path has equipped me not only with a great deal of expertise in both fields (law and architecture/design) but also with the ability to think both in a logical, structured way and in a more creative way. Such thinking is immensely helpful for a translator and I consider it one of my main assets. My other important asset is my experience: I never stopped translating throughout the years. As a result, I have many years of experience as a translator and editor.

Until 2005, I practised full-time with one of the larger law firms in Thessaloniki, where I mostly handled cases for foreign clients. Until 2007, I continued with the same firm in an of counsel relationship.

My considerable experience as a legal translator includes the translation of contracts, articles of association, pleadings, court decisions and other litigation documents, arbitral awards, legal opinions, powers of attorney and legal articles. I began translating as a law student and continued to translate or proofread most documents for my cases in order to ensure their accuracy.

I have taught legal English to judges at the Greek Judicial College and to attorneys at seminars organised by the Thessaloniki Bar Association. I also used to teach at the summer programme of Tulane Law School.

Apart from my linguistic skills, my strength as a legal translator lies in the deep understanding of both the Greek legal system and common law, which is the legal system of most English-speaking territories. Many concepts of common law do not exist in civil law jurisdictions like Greece and vice versa. Therefore, a competent legal translator has to be able to come up with appropriate terminology that actually makes sense. Due to the complexity of legal concepts and wording, only an experienced lawyer is able to produce a final text which is precise, unambiguous and blunder-free. In any case, producing accurate texts is part of my professional training.

In 2009, I received a BA in Interior Design and I currently work as a freelance interior designer and design writer. I have provided translation and editing services to some of the best-known architectural practices in Thessaloniki and I am currently working on a book on digital architecture.

Although the terminology of architecture is nowhere as complex as that of law, there are many cultural and linguistic traps that one has to be aware of. In fact, the very word "design" has no direct, all-encompassing equivalent in Greek!

English and translating have always felt natural to me. Although Greek is technically my native language, as a child I had the privilege of living and going to school in London and New Orleans. As a result, I consider myself bilingual for most practical purposes.

In addition to law and architecture/design, I also enjoy the variety of translating documents in other fields, such as the Internet and e-commerce, photography and imaging, art, journalism, cooking and wine.

I only ever accept projects I know I will be able to complete on time and to a high standard.

My rates reflect my unrivalled expertise and vary somewhat depending on volume, complexity and urgency, but generally start at EUR 0.08 per source word for translating and EUR 0.025 per source word for proofreading/editing or EUR 40 per hour. Certified translations can also be provided at extra cost.