The Legal 500

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

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC’s banking and finance practice continues to draw local and international clients, and is noted for its ability to work at ‘the highest professional level’. Led by the highly recommended Kyriacos Georgiades, the team has seen a marked increase in refinancing and restructuring work, including advising German lenders HSH Nordbank and KfW IPEX-Bank on the restructuring of a $65m facility for Ortanio Holdings. The team also advised CITIC Ka Wah Bank and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation on new term and revolving loan facilities of $40m for China Fisheries International.

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

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC has an ‘excellent’ practice and is noted for its size, practice specialisation, and depth of knowledge. Corporate is a core practice area for Elias Neocleous, who is ‘brilliant’ and ‘capable of handling complex transactions’. The team advised Cyprus-resident company Madura Holding on the sale of its estimated $5bn stake in Russian potassium producer Uralkali.

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

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC’s six-partner dispute resolution practice is a dominant force in the market, and is noted for its ‘effective court room tactics’ and ‘depth and breadth of expertise’. A first port of call for multi-jurisdictional cases, and able to draw on its resources in other jurisdictions, the team continues to act for Itera in an action involving concurrent proceedings in the US, Switzerland and Russia. The team has also seen an increase in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution work. Costas Stamatiou is singled out.

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

A first choice for many, Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is notable for its collaborative culture and physical presence in Brussels. It assisted with the Hogan & Hartson LLP/Lovells LLP merger, and regularly advises in high-value acquisitions. The practice encompasses public procurement disputes, state aid, merger control and antitrust matters. The ‘talented’ Maria Kyriacou leads the team.

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

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC’s ability to give ‘advice tailored to the client and the situation’ has drawn big-name clients such as Vodafone, Holland & Barrett, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola; it represented the latter in a case involving trade mark infringement and parallel importing, receiving a favourable judgment for the client in 2010. Maria Kyriacou is ‘very responsive, diligent and pragmatic’.

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

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC has a high-profile team led by Panayiotis Neocleous, and focuses on dry corporate shipping matters, including mortgage assignments and shipping finance, regularly advising lenders such as HSBC and Japan Finance Corporation. The firm recently advised Islamar on three independent finance agreements of approximately €6m.

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

Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC has a ‘heavy real estate angle’, undertaking commercial and high-end residential property work. The firm’s expertise in this field is frequently incorporated into its commercial and finance work, and the team also provides standalone advice to developers and construction companies. The team is led by Lefkios Tsikkinis, a veteran in the area, and recently advised real estate investment company Qatari Diar on a proposed development in Nicosia with an estimated value of €500m.

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

The tax practice of Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC is driven by the transactions handled by the firm’s corporate team. The team has an ‘exceptional grasp’ of multi-jurisdictional and restructuring issues, and recently advised investment group KKCG SE in relation to the demerger and share distribution of three engineering companies. Elias Neocleous is singled out for praise.