Banking and finance in Cyprus

‘Enormous speed, energy, pointing out to the client the issues which may be relevant even though they are outside the scope of their advice. When under supervision of the leading counsel, they are pro-active and do not wait for instructions. They act independently, but copy you in or consult when their advice may have broader impact.‘

‘Top of the list for Cypriot law work. Responsive and helpful.’

‘Christia-Lydia Kastellani: technically strong and on top of her matters.’

‘Great practice, always available, perfect technical skills and legal knowledge alongside business and industry understanding.’

‘Artemis Amalia Metaxa and Christia-Lydia Kastellani are both true professionals, with deep market knowledge and business understanding.’

‘Due to tight schedules the requirements imposed on the team were very challenging, but the lawyers perfectly met all our needs in an efficient and prompt way. The team was very flexible with the time as we had to get legal advice urgently 24/7. Compared to other legal consultants in CY, they were much more professional in all areas.’

‘The team we worked with consisted of two persons: Anna and Eleni. It is amazing how they could provide such big piece of legal work on the spot and in a very detailed and fast way. They are super professionals.’

‘A large team with a wide range of expertise, which still manages to keep a uniquely united front. This leads to excellent collaboration and customised service.’

‘All team members were keen on developing professional and personal relationships with me and my team. Namely Mr. Elias Neocleous and Mr. Dimitris Papoutsis, cultivated an excellent relationship with the bank.’

‘The team is very experienced and responsive. They work extremely hard to achieve the best possible results for their clients.’

‘We work mainly with Elias Neocleous. He is always available, very motivated and rigorous in his approach to every matter. He works extremely hard to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients.’

‘Excellent understanding of the client’s needs and ability to find and negotiate appropriate solutions is what makes Elias Neocleous & Co LLC unique. The team’s long-term experience with international banking & finance business and ability to implement deals within strict deadlines is one of its key strengths.’

‘Business acumen, understanding of the wider background of transactions, ability to offer solutions to problems, negotiation skills and protection of client’s interest. Dimitris Papoutsis and Demetris Roti.’

‘Responsive, knowledgeable, commercial and clear advice.’

‘Ioannides Demetriou LLC has a strong banking and finance practice, advising financial institutions on a wide spectrum of legal matters. They provide excellent hands-on partner involvement with outstanding lawyers’ support.’

‘Katerina Hadjichristofi is an excellent corporate lawyer, very committed and approachable. Her advice is practical and sound.’

‘The team that handles our requests for advice is highly skilled and knowledgeable, and responds to our requests in a timely manner. Its advice is relevant and practical, enabling decision-making from our management. They are available whenever you ask to speak to them and eager to offer advice either by phone or in writing.’

‘Our collaboration so far has been excellent and no problems have been encountered. They are a customer-friendly law firm and they are highly professional and well experienced, solving our queries promptly and efficiently.’

‘They are highly professional, well experienced, keen to be of assistance, and give efficient and prompt solutions to our queries and problems. Their work reflects their in-depth expert knowledge and experience.’

‘We have been working with Mrs Katerina Hadjichristofi for the last six years, during which she has shown the ability to understand our requests and make sure the team delivers tasks on-time. She has proven to be an expert in the financial services sector and specifically the investment funds industry. Moreover, she is always easy to reach and capable of working to strict deadlines.’

‘Savvas Yiordamlis is always happy to assist us and has excellent knowledge of the legal framework. It is a pleasure working with him.’

‘The cooperation with Ioannides Demetriou LLC is, at all times, excellent. The service is rigorous and the associates are always eager to assist. Christina Ioannidou is a professional with in depth knowledge of the legal framework in banking, finance and corporate issues and with a pragmatic approach. Savvas Yiordamlis is always available to assist and work under tight deadlines, whilst delivering quality of work, whether this relates to court or out of court issues.’

‘Effective teamwork drawing on the skillset of each individual team member.’

‘Multidisciplinary knowledge, which helps interpret legal precedent appropriately and apply it to the relevant matter.’

‘The team is one of the most experienced on the island in this sector. High level of service and great responsiveness.’

‘Precise and prompt in their assignments. Deliverables of the highest quality.’

‘Exceptional team of professionals. Excellent quality of work and very cooperative.’

‘Professionalism and efficiency. Always available. personal attention of the partners. experts in their fields.’

‘They’re very responsive and quick to answer questions, particularly if things are urgent. They are very knowledgeable about Cypriot law as well and were very helpful with resolving commercial issues from a Cypriot standpoint. They also are very good at running their own work streams in parallel with ours, which is really helpful where there is a fast timetable or a lot of various work streams running in parallel. They are great team players.’

‘Commercially focused with swift turnaround times.’

‘Tonia Antoniou is knowledgeable, accessible and provides a great service.’

‘We are very happy with the services of MK’s banking practice and engage them for almost all our projects with Cyprus law. Their advice is always prompt, on-point and thorough.’

‘We are pleased to work with Lorena Chalarambous as our primary contact. She is always efficient and client-oriented.’

‘We have worked closely during the transaction with Mr. Kyriakos Constantinou, who is a very solution-driven lawyer and supported us promptly with high-quality legal advice.’

‘The team at Patrikios Pavlou & Associates consists of gifted and creative consultants who consistently deliver high-quality services. Their energy and enthusiasm for service is endless and they always ensure a solution-focused and expertly designed outcome. The team is reliable, flexible and a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend them.’

‘Patrikios Pavlou & Associates LLC team holds the unique skill of providing high-quality legal advice while understanding the business’ needs. I would highly recommend each and every individual working at Patrikios Pavlou Law Firm.’

‘The firm’s managing partner, Stavros Pavlou, is a leading authority on Cypriot law. The team is diverse and well leveraged.’

‘Professional, knowledgeable – Stella Strati.’

‘Exceptional attention to details and to clients’ needs, high quality and ability to meet the strictest and ever-changing deadlines (this relates both to Angelos Onisforou and Angeliki Epaminonda)’.

‘Elena Georgiou, Lia Iordanou and Angeliki Epaminonda are excellent lawyers. They have great experience in Cyprus corporate law. Very fast feedback on various matters.’

‘Stavros Pavlou – very open and collaborative, personally involved in complicated matters. Angelos Onisiforou – very active, deep understanding of the case- bright witted and creative.’

‘We worked with Alexis and Grigoris. Alexis is a true leader, with very deep knowledge of banking and transactional work. He impressed our UK colleagues in several deals. He is a deal maker. Grigoris is also a very good and professional lawyer with high ethics.’

‘Alexis Erotocritou was our main point of contact and I was incredibly happy with how he was able to come up with solutions to issues that seemed to be at a dead end. I think what makes him stand out from his competitors and peers is a tailored solution that truly suits his clients’ needs. I would definitely recommend working with Alexis to any that set up business in Cyprus.’

‘The team has broad experience, where each member contributes his knowledge and dedication in perfect synergy. Alexis Erotocritou delivers results that always exceed expectations, not only doing what should be done, but suggesting  a better approach and overall being proactive.’

‘Very knowledgeable and experienced people. Approachable 24 hours. I am impressed by the firm’s responsiveness, capabilities and commercial awareness.’

‘The firm is one of the best (if not the best) law firms we ever worked with and has all characteristics that you will find at an international law firm. The firm also handled several cases for our clients, some of whom were HNW.’

‘We worked on this area with  Alexis Erotocritou and Maria Papatheodoulou. Alexis Erotocritou and Maria are excellent lawyers with high commercial awareness. Alexis is very responsive and has managed to solve various issues during several transactions we were part of. Maria is a bright junior lawyer.’

‘Very prompt when undertaking a task. The level of quality and professionalism in their firm is outstanding.’

‘We mostly work with Alexis Erotocritou. His knowledge of banking and finance matters is exceptional and his commitment to the client’s needs and best interests is commendable. He conducts himself with the highest of ethical standards and has a transparent approach to everyone he works with.’

‘I am old fashioned. I look for competence, availability and results – all for a sensible price. This firm delivers that. Panayotis Mouaimis and Michalis Mouaimis are each excellent. Each delivers what I want: competence, availability and results – cost effectively.’

‘Stelios Americanos has a unique team of very experienced lawyers who can support on all types of banking transactions at a reasonable price. Olga Petrova is very responsive and always meets deadlines. Despina Americanou is always ready to help and resolve complex issues.’

‘This law firm provides solid advice at reasonable prices and is reliable. We regularly use them in large multijurisdictional transactions. They work efficiently and manage to get the government authorities to issue and apostille documents just as quickly.’

‘Stelios Americanos manages to get things done. He is the conductor of an orchestra that plays magnificently.’

‘The team is very competent and highly motivated to provide seamless legal support. Russian speaking partners are always available. Olga Petrova helps to coordinate resources with the firm effectively communicating with Russian speaking client.’

‘Stelios Americanos has a good banking and finance team. They respond to questions quickly and perform work in a timely manner. They have a good knowledge of the legal issues and are one of the better firms in Cyprus.’

‘Stelios Americanos and Despina Americanou are both very knowledgeable and know the market well. We also work with Olga Petrova, who as a Russian native speaker, is useful to have on Russian deals.’

‘They have a very strong and competent team and I am very pleased with their services. I think the years of cooperation says it all. I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

‘While working with AGP for many years now I have spoken with most of the teams. If I must mention someone, it would be Angelos Paphitis, who is a highly competent lawyer and professional. Angelos is not only a very intelligent individual but also extremely responsive, supportive and willing to go the extra mile for clients. This, combined with a commercial perspective, makes him and his team a highly valued expert adviser. From the team I mostly work with Maria Hinni and Margarita Sofokleous, who are both well-educated and professional lawyers.’

‘As we have been working with AGP for so many years now I have cooperated with nearly most of the lawyers and consultants, particularly Angelos Paphitis, who is technically excellent, very engaged and proactive. He gives pragmatic, commercially relevant and timely advice. He is helpful with updates on relevant legal developments with a clear appreciation of their impact. Needless to say that he is an outstanding professional and a highly skilled advocate.’

‘Maria Hinni is very commercial, understands what’s important to us, meets deadlines and explains key concepts. Margarita Sofokleous is a wonderful legal counsel who is willing to put herself into the client’s shoes and provides consistent, effective, professional responses.’

‘Their team is growing constantly with new highly skilled and innovative professionals joining the department. AGP is always innovative in the way they operate as a firm especially when it comes to technology as this helps them better assist their clients which is their goal.’

‘I am in communication on a daily basis with Mrs Elena Kanarini, who is a very responsive individual, and I am happy with her ongoing availability in responding to our enquiries. I choose to work mostly with Elena and her team as she is a smart, fast, experienced and diligent professional. However when I need true practical and strong advice I always turn to Angelos Paphitis whom I try not to interrupt often. He is a strong character, with incredibly high knowledge when it comes to banking and finance laws.’

‘This law firm is part of a new generation; they are really specialised in banking and finance – not only in legal terms but also on regulatory aspects – which today is a win-win for us to have. They are up-to-date, able to provide all sorts of advice to us and we intend to support them.’

‘The team at Alexandros Economou LLC has my highest recommendation. Not only are they extremely responsive and efficient, but they are also able to comprehend the clients’ needs and concerns. If I only had two words to describe the firm, those would be reliability and professionalism. When it comes to Cyprus law, we trust Alexandros Economou LLC with some of our toughest projects.’

‘What I find remarkable about the team is its dedication and team working skills. This gives us a great sense of comfort when working with them, especially knowing that Alexandros is peeking around the corner to alert us to any potential issues and concerns. Maria Katsikidou and Electra Theodorou have always been extremely efficient when advising us on Cyprus law matters.’

‘The team is very prompt and knowledgeable and the benefit of the firm is that you have direct access to the owner and the senior team. I am mostly liaising with Alexandros Economou, who is the owner of the business. Alexandros is very knowledgeable and commercial and is always able to provide his comments on any situation.’

‘The team consists of knowledgeable individuals who treat each case and client with sufficient care and diligence, always striving for the most suitable result that will satisfy the needs of the client. They have both a legal and a commercial understanding of the transaction at hand and their advice and comments are always invaluable.’

‘Alexandros Economou as the head partner, leads a well educated group of individuals, who form a very good team and it is always a pleasure working with them. Maria Katsikidou has been always attentive and spot-on on her comments and advices while at the same time delivering on time and always with the added value aspect. Electra Theodorou is a person who will always be responsive immediately, with sufficient care and value to her response.’

‘Very responsive and commercially minded. Clients are also content with their fee quote handling. Alexandros Economou (Partner): Great skills in swiftly understanding the structure of a cross-border deal and gives appropriate CY law solutions. Electra Theodorou (Associate): Prompt and precise, even under challenging circumstances.’

‘We can count on them delivering the results we target. Always available to undertake and explain legal and business aspects. Their experience and dedication is second to none. Alexandros Economou, Electra Theodorou and Maria Katsikidou make the best legal team I have ever worked with.’

‘Our group has worked with many law firms across the world over the years and I would not hesitate to say that Alexandros Economou LLC is at the top in the few areas they practice. Banking and Finance and M&As (in which we are constantly engaged in) are the core areas and we wouldn’t turn to anywhere else for legal work in these areas. Every single bit of advice they give is business-minded and at the same time so clear that even a child can comprehend it.’

‘This is definitely a dedicated and talented team that has a client focused approach. The team provides expert professional and timely advice. It responded to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and always catered to our needs. The quality of communication and politeness of the lawyers and paralegal staff are exceptional. The firm has excellent and well-drafted policies to ensure compliance with GDPR issues and the lawyers are business oriented. The firm’s billing is transparent.’

‘During the last year, I worked with Athos Demetriou and Anna Skouri. Athos Demetriou is an exceptional lawyer and very experienced in regulatory matters, financial services and banking projects. He is always available and ready to provide alternative legal and commercial oriented advices. Athos has great communication skills. Anna Skouri is always on top of things, is a skilled lawyer and can handle various matters quickly and efficiently. She provides high quality transactional work with a business approach.’

‘Athos and his team are a group of highly talented and experienced individuals, who are always at your disposal to address your needs. The team is very friendly and responsive and we have a great and efficient cooperation with them.’

‘The senior people are hands-on and always available, going the extra mile to best accommodate your needs in a timely manner.’

‘The partners have an excellent knowledge of the field, are able to safeguard your interests and provide valuable solutions for each case.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge and structured thinking process.’

‘Personalised service, deep technical expertise, involvement of senior partner in important and critical matters.’

‘One of the major advantages working with the team is the reliable and confidential service, as well as the deep knowledge of the material. The team includes Athos Demetriou and Anna Skouri – the cooperation with the team is invaluable.’

‘A team of knowledgeable, well qualified and experienced colleagues, who are always ready and responsive to give proper advice. Andreas Thoma is a respectful colleague having the capacity to lead his team, manage its workload and indicate the best available solution for the client.’

‘Always looking for innovative and creative ideas in a challenging environment. Bright and forward looking with vast knowledge and experiences.’

‘Excellent and knowledgeable personnel. Commercial approach, great responsiveness.’

‘The firm has recently been enhanced through a new partner: Calliopi Nicolaidou. Calliopi brings with her a breadth of experiences from London and local systemic banks, which makes her unique in her delivery.’

‘The team in general is very responsive, and they delivered everything on time (even when the deadlines were less reasonable). Their approach was cool-headed, and they were very professional, especially during calls.’

‘I have worked mostly with Natalie Sepou. She was very pleasant to work with and very responsive. Most of my questions were answered promptly and her follow-on questions were very pertinent. I have also worked with Sofia Panayi from Natalie’s team and she was a big help, especially when Natalie was on holiday.’

‘Kinanis LLC had an amazing approach and insight for the subject matter. Extremely professional, provided practical, suitable and on time advice. At the same time, they made us feel we had their full support and they delivered when it mattered most. We had an excellent service and efficient communication with all the associates we dealt with.’

‘As a client, I feel confident that the team knows what issues are key to me and they need little background information or anything else to offer to the point service. I have been working mostly with Maria Makridou. Maria is great at managing the daily tasks and maintaining working relationships with servicing banks and state institutions.’

‘I find Andri Michael and Andrea Ioakim to be very knowledgeable, kind, loyal, trustworthy, cooperative, assisting, excellent to work with and sensible.’

‘In comparison with other institutions, Kinanis LLC’s banking team is always proactive and solution-oriented. Their main task is for a client to be satisfied and achieve a result. We have been working with this company for more than 20 years. It is the best confirmation of our appreciation.’

‘Banking and finance is one of the main practices at Kinanis LLC and the one they are truly renowned for. They have invaluable experience of cross-border corporate finance transactions and secured and unsecured lending. In their work they combine in-depth financial expertise, commercial awareness and technical proficiency.’

‘We work with Christos P.Kinanis and Yiolanda Rotsides and other lawyers of Kinanis LLC. They are highly experienced, versatile and dynamic specialists whose expertise is always surprising us. There were a number of very complex and challenging tasks involving these lawyers and their performance was nothing short of amazing.’

‘Kinanis LLC’s team is thorough, innovative and forward-looking and our mutual clients appreciate this. We are very pleased that we cooperated successfully on all our mutual projects especially while serving a client in the financial technology industry. The team’s interest and knowledge in technology (blockchain) provides a competitive advantage when compared maybe with other firms.’

‘I am old fashioned. I look for competence, availability and results – all for a sensible price. This firm delivers that.’

‘Michael Damianos is excellent. He delivers what I want: competence, availability and results – cost effectively.’

‘The team is very flexible and ready to find unique solutions. Very responsive.’

‘Michael Damianos is very experienced and was able to address most of the many queries arising during the transaction on the spot or shortly thereafter.’

‘The team is always available and ready to help, however short notice you may have.’

‘Michael is a star Cyprus lawyer, who has been a well-known and professional practitioner for years. I would particularly highlight his commercial and pragmatic approach towards tackling various legal issues, coupled with his amazing responsiveness, which makes him stand out in the market. Also, Maria Anastasiadou is an associate to be mentioned; she is smart and quickly grasps your questions, and delivers practical advice.’

‘Lawyers are practical, to the point and dedicated to achieving the corporate goal of transaction.’

‘Michael Damianos is dedicated to the matter, responsive and forward thinking.’

‘Approachable, reachable, professional, quality product, timely deliverable, reasonable pricing. Always available, pleasant, delivers on time, professional, high technical competence.’

‘The firm’s team comprises of professionals covering a wide spectrum of legal expertise and thus is able to offer comprehensive support and advice to their clients. They are responsive, efficient and attentive to their clients’ needs, with forward-thinking problem solving skills.’

‘Irina Loutchina has been a valued adviser to us in relation to banking and finance matters, always eager to assist with her practical problem solving skills. She has an exceptional turnaround in delivering her advice, and her dedication and availability make her our go-to external counsel. She has excellent communication skills and deep knowledge and understanding of the issues at hand.’

‘An honest and effective team which works closely with the client and delivers!’

‘Fast and reliable partners. Alexandros Tsirides and Irina Loutchina are effective and honest partners in their fields.’

‘They are quick and professional. Highly educated.’

‘Strong, experienced team, well connected in the market and particularly the Cyprus legal and maritime community. Partners are readily available to help and the firm is committed to delivering on time.’

‘High calibre, very experienced individuals, with strong skills, friendly attitude and a commercial approach.’

‘Great team – very reliable and professional. Without doubt this is the best choice in the Cyprus market and I would never hesitate to get them on board for any project involving Cyprus. Elvina Montanios is our go-to contact for any Cyprus law work. She is very professional and experienced and always on call.’

‘Adam Montanios and Anna-Maria Leotsakou are both excellent. Very responsive, very commercial and easy to work with.’

‘I have worked with Montanios & Montanios for many years. They are very professional, responsive and experts in their field. The “go-to” firm in Cyprus on ship finance matters. The team at Montanios & Montanios is excellent. I have dealt with Maria Toumazi for many years and, more recently, Anna-Maria Leotsakou. They are both excellent lawyers, very professional and a pleasure to work with.’

‘The partners are hands-on and very capable, good explanations of legal systems, background law, follow up by phone if more expedient, efficient and also very pleasant to work with. Adam Montanios is very service minded and does also follow up by phone to explain complex issues to avoid unnecessary email exchanges and lengthy debates. Gets the deal done within the requested time.’

‘Knowledge of sophisticated legal documents (e.g. LMA) – capacity and competency to cope with complicated corporate cases. Problem solving mindset and a culture to offer solutions.’

‘The team members stand out for their responsiveness, availability, integrity, delivery of work, knowledge, professionalism and constructive cooperation.’

‘Mr Alexandros Alexandrou is our point of contact. He is a highly professional legal adviser, with in-depth knowledge of the legal framework, as well as the peculiarities governing our bank. He is always a person to rely on and has guided us successfully through complicated situations and legal battles.’