The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC’s banking and finance team ‘always provides positive, practical and business-like advice’, and has ‘great strength in depth’. The group, led by ‘consummate professional’ Kyriacos Georgiades, acted for Deutsche Bank AG on Actavis Group’s debt restructuring. Other clients include AIG, Bank of America and Credit Suisse.

Within Corporate and M&A, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

‘Particularly suited to international work’, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC often collaborates with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP, Clifford Chance and Sidley Austin LLP on cross-border deals. It recently advised amazon.com on its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of the Book Depository International, and Harvard Management on a proposed joint venture in the dry bulk shipping sector. Recommended individuals include practice head Elias Neocleous, who is ‘a practical problem-solver’; Andreas Neocleous, ‘a wise man with decades of experience’; the ‘highly skilled’ Kyriacos Georgiades; Olga Mikhailova, who is ‘rational in her applications’; and Panos Labropoulos, for his ‘exceptional ability’.

Within Dispute resolution , Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a dominant force in dispute resolution, with a strong domestic client portfolio that includes Bank of Cyprus, Alpha Bank and Minerva Insurance, as well as international clients. The team saw an increase in high-value shareholder disputes in 2011. Key individuals include practice head Panayiotis Neocleous, who has ‘excellent industry knowledge’; Antonis Glykis, an expert in professional indemnity and motor insurance claims; and Costas Stamatiou.

Within EU and competition, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC’s EU and competition group acted for Danone SA alongside Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in notifications relating to the company’s acquisition of Complan Foods. Other merger clearance clients include Israel Chemicals, Philips Holding and Galerma Pharma SA. Maria Kyriacou heads the practice.

Within Intellectual property, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC handles routine IP searches and applications, as well as more complex IP protection matters. Nicholas Ktenas heads this ‘excellent’ team, which acted for Grendene SA in a parallel imports case concerning the company’s products. Other clients include Lee Cooper Group, Karelia Tobacco and Eksmo Publishing.

Within Legal market overview,

Domestic firms are largely dependent on connections with international firms, which will engage local counsel on cross-border finance and investment. A number of firms also have offices outside the jurisdiction, including Michael Kyprianou & Co. LLC, Pamboridis LLC and A.G. Paphitis & Co. LLC Law Office, all of which have offices in Greece, while Pamboridis LLC and Antonis Paschalides & Co have offices in London. Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC has a presence in Russia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Belgium.

Within Maritime and admiralty, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC provides ‘swift, clear and valuable solutions to complex issues’ in shipping disputes, particularly dry shipping, and it acted for OilChart in a $10m debt recovery matter. On the finance side, it advised Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad as lender for the purchase of an anchor-handling tug vessel. Practice head Panayiotis Neocleous and Vasileios Psyrras ‘have a lot of maritime experience’.

Within Real estate, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC handles high-end domestic property acquisitions for a largely international client base. Led by Lefkios Tsikkinis, the group is advising a Chinese investment fund on the €30m portfolio acquisition of 68 residential properties in Limassol, and continues to advise Qatari Diar on its highly publicised proposed development in Nicosia. Dispute resolution partners Christos Melides and Chrysanthos Christoforou specialise in property-related litigation.

Within Tax, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is a first tier firm,

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC’s tax group gives ‘appropriate advice with a very good service at a reasonable cost’, and is led by the ‘ever-professional’ Elias Neocleous. Cross-border work is a strength, and the team recently advised Mezzanine Management GmbH on a multimillion-dollar, multi-jurisdictional restructuring. It also provides tax advice to corporate clients such as Madura Holding, JSC Techsnabexport and KKCG SE, as well as high-net-worth individuals. Olga Mikhailova, Andreas Neocleous and Kyriacos Georgiades are also recommended.