In her role as head of legal administration for O1 Advisory, Nicosia-based Adina-Viviana Szemethy is tasked with providing legal support to one of the largest Russian commercial real estate investment companies, O1 Properties.

Over her nearly four-year tenure at the company, Szemethy made her mark with her involvement in a number of transactions for the acquisition, financing and restructuring of major projects in O1 Properties’ portfolio including White Square, Ducat Place III, Legend, Vivaldi Plaza, Lighthouse, Silver City, White Stone, Bolshevik, I-Cube, Zarechye, Nevis. She has also reformed the legal function by drafting a manual of procedures, whereby all internal processes to be used by the legal administration department are described in detail, including the deadlines to be observed in accordance with Cypriot company law. ‘The manual of procedures is a useful instrument of work for all the colleagues who deal with the legal administration operations on a daily basis, being consulted in case of doubt or whenever the filings with the Registrar of Companies require a specific algorithm to be followed’, Szemethy says.

‘The legal administration department is able to avoid delays and mistakes in the day-to-day activity, which is important for the entire company’. Szemethy has also impressed with her work in drafting an employment manual, which highlights key labour provisions, and constitutes the basis of employment and labour relations within the company, as well as her maintenance of a computerised system of corporate registers for administrated companies. Szemethy formerly served as a legal and compliance manager at Panglobe between 2009 and 2014.