General Counsel of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America today announced that attorney George A. Tsougarakis has joined the Archdiocese as General Counsel.  As the Archdiocese’s chief legal officer reporting directly to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Tsougarakis will work closely with the Holy Eparchial Synod and the Executive Committee of the Archdiocesan Council.

“The Archdiocese is going through a period of great revitalization. Having legal counsel as a permanent member of the Archdiocese’s executive staff will assist us in our ongoing mission to serve the Faithful with accountability while promoting full compliance with the laws that govern us as a religious institution,” said His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who assumed his role as leader of the Archdiocese in June 2019, adding, “George is uniquely qualified for this key role. He is an attorney of the highest caliber from one of the country’s most reputable law firms, and he is devoted to our Holy Orthodox Faith. He is a lifelong member of the Church, a former Parish Council president of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian in Tenafly, NJ, and a member of the Order of Saint Andrew for his distinguished service to the Mother Church. We are excited to be working with him.”

Tsougarakis told The National Herald, “from the moment I heard His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros articulate his goals for our Archdiocese, chief among them the embrace of our young people and all members of our community, the expansion of Holy Cross, and the completion of the St. Nicholas Shrine, I understood that he was going to be a transformational leader. Therefore, I was thrilled to be asked to serve him and the Archdiocese in the capacity of general counsel.  I look forward to the opportunity to give back to our faith which has given me and my family so much.”

Formerly a litigation partner at the global law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, Tsougarakis, spent more than 33 years there advising some of the largest companies in the world on a wide variety of complex legal issues. He will remain of counsel to Hughes Hubbard as he assumes his responsibilities at the Archdiocese.

Tsougarakis is equally excited about joining the Archdiocese: “For the next phase of my career, I have the rare opportunity as a lawyer to represent a client whose mission is personally very meaningful to me and one which I support entirely,” he said. “I look forward to serving my faith and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, for whom I have much respect and love. It will also be a privilege to work with the talented lawyers on the Archdiocesan Legal Committee, led by George A. Stamboulidis of BakerHostetler.

Tsougarakis is a graduate of Bucknell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is married to Evangelia M. Poneros, also a lawyer, and they have two children, Kira, 23 and a graduate of Barnard College, and Antonios, 21 and a graduate of Cornell University. They reside in Harlem.

The appointment is effective immediately.

Read more at thenationalherald.com

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