Banking and Finance
The firm’s highly experienced Banking and Finance team handles secured and unsecured lending, international high-value financing and refinancing transactions, including project financing, syndicated, subordinated and mezzanine financing, and related securities such as share pledges, floating charges, financial collateral and other securities.
The firm regularly advises on compliance and banking regulatory and licensing requirements, ISDA agreements and related products, asset preservation and security enforcement and procedures.
The highly experienced members of the team bring the wealth of their experience to their department making our banking team one of the strongest in the country.
The firm’s litigation team supports the banking team by dealing with debt collection and security enforcement, representing in this respect both local and international banking institutions.
The firm’s main client base consists of high profile international lenders, arrangers and facility agents (on single-lender and syndicated, secured and unsecured loans) as well as borrowers, guarantors and security providers. Our clients include international financial institutions such as EBRD, IFC, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse as well as local banking institutions, such as Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic Bank and AstroBank.
Contact persons: Marios Hadjigavriel and
Christiana Vassiliou
Capital Markets
The Capital Markets practice of the firm covers the full range of capital markets products and specialises in debt and equity capital markets, derivatives and structured finance, securitisation, corporate trust and agency.
The firm’s team is highly experienced, having played an active part in major developments in capital markets related to Cyprus and regularly acts on public offerings including initial, secondary and dual public offerings on regulated or non-regulated markets, both within and outside the EU, as well as private placements, Eurobond issues, reverse takeovers etc..
The team regularly acts for lenders, underwriters, and issuers, issuing legal opinions and advising clients through every step of an equity raising transaction.
The key to our success in this field is our analytical rigour and expertise noting that most of the cases we work on in this area are unprecedented in Cyprus and our clients and overseas counsels therefore rely on our vast experience, know – how and technical expertise to apply untested areas of the law to the case at hand.
Moreover, our firm advises, on a regular basis, Cypriot public companies listed on both local and foreign stock exchanges, on all aspects of their operations, starting as early as the conversion of private companies to public companies or the incorporation of newly registered public companies in Cyprus. Our legal advice includes the day-to-day business management of such companies and their compliance with relevant Cypriot legislation. We also frequently provide advice to clients on listing and delisting procedures, participation in tender offers, schemes of agreements, buy-back programmes, employees’ motivation and compensation programmes, squeeze-out procedures of minorities and other complex corporate matters.
Contact persons: Stelios Triantafyllides and
Elvira Georgiou
Competition Law
Whether a client seeks basic preliminary advice or full representation in a hearing before the Commission for the Protection of Competition, our firm can provide valuable guidance in relation to various Competition Law issues.
Our firm’s Competition Law experts have had a long standing experience and practice with clients coming from a diverse variety of industries, such as, but not limited to, the car industry, the energy and gas industry and the banking industry. We provide advice to established clients of the firm on a regular basis by assessing their marketing and promotional policies so as to ensure compliance with Competition rules and reviewing agreements and business ventures with other entities for anti-competitive clauses and concerted practices. We also deal with day to day Competition Law issues arising in the normal course of a client’s business such as complaint filing. In addition we provide legal representation to clients and guidance through the various procedures before the competent competition authorities and challenge the decisions of the latter in recourse proceedings before the Supreme Court.
Contact persons: Marlen Triantafyllides
Constitutional, Public and Administrative Law
Our firm has had a long standing practice and specialisation in Constitutional, Public and Administrative Law issues. Ever since the Declaration of Cyprus Independence and the establishment of the Cypriot Constitution, our firm has been representing clients before the Cyprus Constitutional Court, and subsequently, the Supreme Court of Cyprus which has assumed exclusive jurisdiction on Constitutional, Administrative and Public Law matters, either by challenging decisions taken by public bodies on behalf of private clients or by representing public bodies and defending their decisions in recourse actions brought against them.
Through its diverse long standing clientele, our firm has gained a vast experience in Constitutional, Public and Administrative Law matters, especially in relation to recourse proceedings, ranging from the formulation of coherent legal arguments, the drafting and filing of the necessary documents, the preparation of both oral and written legal submissions and legal representation in hearings before the court.
Contact persons:
Constantina Amvrosiou and
Riana Pasiourtidi
Contract Law
Contract Law governs all transaction and interactions in the commercial world. Our firm can provide valuable contractual advice and guidance whatever the nature of the contract in question.
Our firm provides a variety of services in relation to Contract Law, for both private and commercial clients. From giving preliminary advice to clients on the terms and implications of a contract at the pre-drafting stage to the actual drafting of the contract, from understanding the intentions and objectives of a client to ensuring that these are reflected and implemented by the terms of a contract, from explaining the contractual obligations of the client under a contract already entered into or a contract contemplated and assessing the consequences of a breach on the client to fighting contractual claims before a court. Our firm’s litigation team is always able to provide appropriate contractual advice on a variety of areas of law such as, but not limited to, Employment Law, Land Law (licensing, leasing, selling and conveyancing), Corporate and Commercial Law.
Corporate & Commercial Law
The firm’s Corporate and Commercial Department constitutes the cornerstone of our practice. The experience of the firm’s highly reputable and exceptionally specialised team is second to none on the island. The team members provide high-quality practical and innovative advice on all aspects of company law.
The types of work under this area include:
- Formation, acquisition and sale of Cyprus companies;
- Shareholder agreements and corporate governance issues;
- Capital-raising transactions;
- Public and private offerings of securities and securities law compliance;
- Local and cross-border mergers and acquisitions;
- Management buy-outs and earn-outs;
- Corporate management and
- Re-domiciliation of companies in and out of Cyprus.
A full array of relevant legal services is provided to a wide domestic and international client base which includes: commercial banks, investment banks/funds, consulting firms, insurance companies, financial services companies and other financial institutions, media and entertainment companies, technology and telecommunications companies, transportation companies, companies in the food and beverage sector, the pharmaceutical industry and high-net-worth private individuals.
Furthermore, our team possesses great experience in legal drafting, reviewing, negotiating and/or advising on various types of commercial contracts (such as share purchase agreements, service agreements, agency agreements, licensing arrangements and distribution agreements).
We are also in a position to provide legal advice, guidance and support in relation to the areas of intellectual property, data protection and GDPR, as well as on regulatory issues, which include, for example, legal assistance on anti-money laundering matters (such as KYC procedures, updating of records, monitoring and reporting to regulatory authorities).
Our firm’s vast legal expertise and local knowledge of the aforementioned areas allows us to provide clients with a well-informed insight into current market conditions, and places us in a unique position to provide pragmatic and thorough advice on how their interests will be best served and secured while carrying out business transactions.
Contact persons: Olga Adamidou and
Vasiliki Triantafyllides
Data Protection Law
We have significant experience in advising clients from different sectors on all aspects of data protection audit and compliance.
We regularly provide support to our clients on data protection issues that arise in connection with commercial and corporate transactions and litigation and regulatory matters.
Contact persons: Christiana Vassiliou and
Olga Adamidou
Employment Law
Our team principally advises individual directors and mid and large sized Cypriot companies. We also advise on Cyprus employment law issues which may arise by our international clients on their Cyprus operations and any Cypriot employment law.
We provide specialist advice on all aspects of Cyprus employment law (both contentious and non-contentious), including unfair dismissal and discrimination, contracts of employment and employers' handbooks and court proceedings.
Contact persons: Marlen Triantafyllides
Energy Law
The Energy and Natural Resources Industry is an area in which our firm has acquired extensive experience and expertise through our notable client base which includes some of the world’s Fortune 500 oil and gas companies. We have been actively involved and can offer professional legal advice and assistance on a wide variety of Energy and Natural Resources issues, including Oil & Gas exploration issues, Electricity production and distribution issues, renewable Energy Sources issues, licensing and regulation compliance, competition, mergers and acquisitions, financing, commercial and trading contracts, energy disputes and related litigation, public procurements as well as all related commercial, corporate and energy taxation issues.
Financial Services Regulation
In a world where there is increasing regulation on the financial and investment sectors, with businesses having to devote more resources to governance, risk and compliance issues, our firm’s regulatory team offers in-depth and technical support to domestic and international financial services companies, brokers, asset managers, investment banks and financial institutions such as EMIs/Payment Services Institutions on vast spectrum of complex financial services matters.
Our experienced team can advise on set-up and structure, licensing requirements, as well as provide legal advice and support with respect to the licencing application, taxation, M&A transactions, regulatory development and cross-border regulatory issues and on any other regulatory, compliance, employment, consumer protection, data protection, anti-money laundering regulation and contentious matters concerning investment services, payment services, e-money, digital currencies and funds.
We have an effective working relationship with the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (the “CySec”), being their preferred retained legal advisor. Our portfolio of clients include several Cypriot investment firms and FX trading companies such as Etoro (Europe) Limited as well as a number of traditional investment firms, crypto asset service providers, EMIs//Payment Services Institutions, Alternative Investment Funds, Fund Management Companies, and other trading and regulated companies. Our team has also been involved in the drafting and consultation stages of legislation concerning investments services and funds in Cyprus.
Contact persons: Olga Adamidou and
Elvira Georgiou
Fintech, Digital Assets & Crypto Currencies
The evolving nature of conducting business through new age business models and the turn of companies to decentralised alternatives presents new opportunities and challenges.
Our firm has grown to be in the forefront of the revolutionised world of Fintech, Digital Assets & Crypto Currencies, advising regulators, investors and businesses (including regulated financial companies, start-ups and consumer businesses) on a range of legal, regulatory, compliance, M&A and transactional issues.
We are well-positioned to provide guidance, assistance and support to clients and we possess the necessary experience to tackle new matters such as advice on new services and products, operations of crypto assets exchanges, financing, corporate governance, AML, bankruptcy implications and consequences etc.
The team members aim at keeping themselves up-to-date with the rapid changes of the financial services world. Acknowledging the limitations of the regulatory framework, we offer an insightful and practical approach to accommodate clients’ needs while at the same time ensuring compliance with relevant obligations.
Contact persons: Olga Adamidou and
Christina Kelepenioti
Immigration Law
At a time when the movement and relocation of persons is becoming increasingly frequent, our firm would like to highlight that we have a dedicated Immigration Department which possesses experience in all areas of Immigration Law and may advise on any relevant matter. Our immigration services include,
inter alia, assisting clients (both EU and non-EU nationals) with their applications for: i) temporary work and residence permits and; ii) permanent immigration permits for the Republic of Cyprus, with or without a right of employment. The Russian-speaking members of our team are always available to assist our Russian-speaking clients, should any language issues arise during the application process.
Our firm offers a one-stop shop whereby the members of our Immigration Department (a) advise clients’ on the most appropriate type of permit in each case, (b) provide guidance during the collection of the required documents for such permit application, (c) arrange for the submission of such application to the relevant governmental authority/-ies (personally accompanying, where required and/or if requested, the clients’ to the offices of the authorities) and (d) follow step by step the progress of the application, from the moment of its submission up until its approval and the issuance of the relevant documentation.
Contact persons: Vasiliki Triantafyllides and
Olga-Maria Zenon
Insolvency Law
We have a multi-disciplinary team comprising finance, tax, corporate, insolvency lawyers, which provides comprehensive and solid advice in a fast-changing legal landscape.
Our insolvency team also advises on the duties and responsibilities of the insolvency practitioner in the circumstances of litigation and on all forms of court application, sanctions, directions and the overturning of transactions.
Drawing from the strength of our corporate practice, we also advise financial institutions and other creditors, insolvency practitioners, company directors and shareholders on strategies for corporate recovery and all aspects of insolvency procedures, as well as pre-insolvency considerations on such matters as wrongful trading and directors' duties.
We have acted for debtors, secured and unsecured creditors (including financial institutions, insurance companies and bondholders), creditor committees, special opportunity/situation investors, directors/officers and insolvency practitioners. This breadth of experience provides our lawyers with valuable insight into the approach of all key stakeholders across the capital structure and enables us to deliver innovative and practical solutions.
Contact persons: Marios Hadjigavriel and
Christiana Vassiliou
Intellectual Property
Our firm’s Intellectual Property Department, offers high quality, experienced and professional legal assistance in a wide range of intellectual property matters, from registry searches to complex intellectual property litigation. Our long-standing international and corporate involvement in the fields of media, technology, communications and electronics has equipped us with a broad understanding of the manner in which intellectual property affects today’s commercial world. Οur team can advise and deliver all the appropriate legal and technical services on all matters of intellectual property protection including the registration, clearance, prosecution, enforcement and exploitation of trademarks, patents and designs as well as assist on all matters of copyright law and the interconnected commercial issues.
Contact persons: Demetris Antoniades and
Irene Papamichael
Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation
The firm’s litigation team is one of the best in Cyprus and is led by George Triantafyllides, a widely admired member of the Cyprus Bar Association.
The litigation department covers all areas of general and commercial law and offers:
- a wide range of dispute resolution;
- practical advice and guidance to clients in an effort to avoid lengthy court actions;
- detailed advice on proceedings and procedures;
- representation of clients in litigation disputes before all national courts and tribunals;
- both domestic and international arbitration under internationally recognised arbitration bodies.
Legal assistance and guidance in relation to various litigation matters is provided. Whether immediate action is required in an interim order application or well-thought tactics in a long standing lawsuit before the Courts, the client can always rely on the firm’s experienced litigation team for the appropriate service and tailored advice.
The team specialises, non-exhaustively, in interim order applications, Norwich Pharmacal orders and other types of disclosure orders, as well as freezing orders.
The firm’s litigation practice is not limited to fighting cases before the District Courts or the Supreme Court of Cyprus, but also extends to claims before all courts and tribunals in Cyprus, including, among others, the Employment Tribunal, the Rent Tribunal, the Tenders Review Authority and the Commission for the Protection of Competition.
Alternative means such as the option of arbitration and mediation are also areas where we excel in the Cyprus legal market.
Contact persons: George Triantafyllides and
Marlen Triantafyllides
Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures and Corporate Restructuring
Our team advises local and international organisations on all aspects of buying and selling public and private companies and businesses. Our clients include sellers, buyers, financial advisers and institutional sponsors. We provide the full range of services for an M&A transaction and related work. Our firm is renowned for being one of the strongest in the market for mergers, acquisitions and takeovers of publicly listed companies. We also have strong institutional relationships, working with the local regulatory authorities.
Our international experience on both buy and sale side, means we are well placed to deliver commercial value for our clients. We represent buyers and sellers from all over the world, from entrepreneurial start-ups to large multinationals. We pride ourselves on providing clients with innovative practical solutions as well as legal acumen.
Our team of lawyers helps businesses set up joint ventures in transactions involving the structure of international groups and the associated tax and regulatory issues.
Included in the practice area is corporate restructuring; our work in this field primarily stems from cross-border transactions involving Cyprus entities, which are governed by wider tax planning and corporate consolidation strategies. The team is able to draw upon the firm’s expertise in practice areas such as tax, competition, and company law as well as the firm’s corporate litigation practice, not only in terms of the court applications and hearings, required in connection with the capital restructures and reorganisations or transfers of corporate seats, but also in ensuring that clients are protected to the maximum in safeguarding their exit or non-dilution strategies.
Contact persons: Stelios Triantafyllides and
Olga Adamidou
Real Estate and Construction Law
Real estate increasingly involves cross border, highly structured and sophisticated arrangements. Our law firm advises clients on development and planning of construction projects as well as provides advice in relation to loans, investment, tax and finance of such projects. We also offer advice on the terms of acquisitions, sales, transfers or financing of property.
Our litigation team has vast experience in handling property and construction disputes in arbitration proceedings and in courts. Our law firm advices both individual and corporate clients. We also undertake to advice in relation to the acquisition of property by foreigners, estate planning and administration.
Contact persons: George Triantafyllides and
George Loizou
Sanctions
Economic sanctions are an increasingly common and powerful foreign policy tool that are usually implemented by governments or international bodies in response to grave geopolitical events that may be deemed to be a threat to national security.
The implementation of sanctions poses now huge financial, criminal, reputational, political and regulatory risks, both for legal entities and for private individuals. Failure to comply with sanctions regimes can result in the imposition of significant civil and criminal penalties, including fines and even imprisonment.
Sanctions also tend to affect the relationships with designated persons and businesses that fall under the jurisdictions that are targeted by said sanctions. Due to the fact that sanctions can be imposed at any time without prior notice to the targeted persons, our experienced team is responsible for closely monitoring the fast-paced changes that take place around the world and keeping itself up to speed with new regulations relating to sanctions, in order to be in a position to provide insight into the possible interpretations and applicability of the new sanctions regimes.
Our firm assists clients to remain in compliance with sanctions and restrictive measures taken by the European Union and the United Nations, by carrying out thorough due diligence and obtaining licenses and permits, as well as providing assistance with investigating potential breaches and dealing with regulators and competent authorities. Our firm can provide advice to clients with respect to both the EU and the UN sanctions, noting that our firm currently represents trade and consulting companies, investment firms as well as private individuals.
Our recent work includes submission of dozens of applications to the Advisory Committee on Economic Sanctions (SEOK) and the Unit for the Implementation of Sanctions in the Financial Sector (MEK) in the Republic of Cyprus for obtaining licences and approvals according to the exemptions provided by the EU Regulations.
Contact persons: Nicos Stylianou and
Christiana Vassiliou
Tax
Our tax department has a reputation for developing effective solutions to tax problems that are both tax-efficient and practical, meeting the requirements of the clients within the real constraints under which they operate.
The firm’s tax practitioners are integrated into the firm’s transactional teams and they advise corporations and individuals on a wide range of Cypriot tax issues which may arise in the context of international and local transactions in a variety of industry sectors. Key clients of the firm in this field include local and international groups of companies as well as financial and other local and international institutions.
The firm’s litigation department, led by George Triantafyllides, is regularly involved in various high profile tax cases. Furthermore, Stelios Triantafyllides often provides advice to the Republic of Cyprus in connection with tax matters, including assisting the latter with the drafting of Cyprus tax laws and also with the preparation of reports submitted to international organisations with the aim to enhance the attractiveness of Cyprus as a holding company jurisdiction and a premier international business centre.
Contact persons: Olga Adamidou and
Anna Charalambides
Shipping & Maritime Law
Cyprus is a modern first class shipping centre ranked amongst the leading shipping centres in the world. The Cyprus flag which duly adheres to all international safety and security standards is highly ranked among international fleets. Cyprus today ranks amongst the top 3 largest third-party ship management centres worldwide and number 1 in Europe and is a party to a vast number of international maritime conventions, double tax treaties and bilateral cooperation agreements.
Our firm’s highly-skilled finance lawyers provide legal services to worldwide clients (ship-owners, ship managers, charterers, insurers, financial institutions etc.) in a vast spectrum of Shipping and Maritime Law matters, both at contentious and non-contentious level, including the following fields:
1. Registration of vessels under the Cyprus flag (incl. the Registry of Small Vessels), bareboat (parallel-in and parallel-out), de-registration of same and filing of transfers of ownership of vessels at the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus.
2. Registration of mortgages over vessels and of mortgages/charges over ship-owning companies and de-registration thereof with the competent Cyprus authorities.
3. Registration of Cypriot ship-owning companies with the competent Cyprus authorities and their maintenance (the official launch of the special-purpose “Shipping Limited Liability Company” is expected within 2023).
4. Negotiating and drafting agreements (including, but not limited to, supporting security documents) on ship financing transactions and with regard to Cypriot vessels and their ship-owning companies such as (syndicated) vessel financing agreements, mortgages, share pledges, assignments etc. as well as registration (and de-registration) of same with the competent Cyprus authorities.
5. Negotiating and drafting any other transaction documentation with regard to Cypriot vessels and their ship-owning companies such as agreements for ship-building, ship repair, S & P, lease, chartering (including bareboat, time and voyage charter parties), ship-management, affreightment, agreements relating to marinas’ and port services, hire of private security companies, etc.
6. Advising on and dealing with any other shipping-related aspect such as Companies Law, Tax Law, Labour Law, ITF, Environmental Law, Immigration Law etc.
7.
Representing the clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings in Cyprus related to claims and disputes arising from all aspects of the business of a Cypriot vessel such as security/mortgages’ enforcement, employment of officers and crew, personal injury and death claims on a vessel, maritime insurance, P & I coverage, collisions, salvage, demurrage, general average, coverage and subrogated recoveries, pollution, cargo arrest proceedings, freight and off-hire, loss or damage to cargo etc.
Contact persons: Marios Hadjigavriel and
Spyros Hadjinicolaou
Trusts
The firm boasts a growing and thriving trust practice which counts amongst its client base international fiduciary service providers, trust companies, families, high-net worth individuals and banks.
The practice covers all aspects of trust law and the law of foundations and includes:
• establishment, restructuring and termination of commercial trusts;
• establishment, restructuring and termination of charitable, private and purpose trusts;
• acting in contentious and non-contentious trust disputes.
The team members are highly experienced in the area of trusts law and their expertise includes advising on trust law, trustee duties, trustee liability, trust variation resettlement and restructuring, contracts between trustees and third party service providers, non-contentious trust disputes and good trust governance.
Contact persons: Christiana Vassiliou and
Anna Charalambides