Interview with: Stavros Pavlou, Senior and Managing Partner

What do you see as the main points that differentiate Patrikios Pavlou & Associates LLC from your competitors?

For more than 55 years, Patrikios Pavlou & Associates LLC has been has been acting for leading organizations and individuals with persistent commitment to excellence. Since 1963, our firm has been focusing on value creation for our clients and operating with the same core principles: the development of the team’s expertise and the provision of high quality services with respect, integrity and professionalism. A team of over 30 qualified and talented professional associates and legal consultants advise multinational corporations, banks, financial institutions and HNWIs on their high-profile and complex matters, attentively listening to their requests and allowing them to see solutions they didn’t think were possible. The law firm evolved to be a multi-awarded and highly respected law firm in Cyprus also due to the in depth knowledge of its strengths, the confidence in taking large projects and the ability to plan, learn, coordinate and persevere. We aim to further grow our portfolio of clients and associates, expand our international profile and our long-standing client base and strengthen our prominent relationships with respectable international law firms and associations.

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

Patrikios Pavlou & Associates LLC is located in Limassol, Cyprus, one of the most attractive international business centres and rapidly growing economies in the EU, with a remarkable 3.8% GDP growth rate (Q4 2018). The Cypriot government undertook a set of measures which aim in attracting and protecting investors’ interests and therefore, the real estate, banking, construction, financial services, company registrations and immigration sectors are currently experiencing important growth. As a result, our firm receives continuous requests with regards to matters involving corporate restructurings, banking transactions and litigation, dispute resolution through arbitration, legal assistance on citizenship by investment programmes, property contracts and negotiations, and company formations.

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

Continuous training, practice specialization, reorganisation and constant updating, selection and development of our IT systems, aim in advancing our reliability, productivity and responsiveness for optimum performance results. By securing an additional 660m² of office space, which aimed in accommodating the rising client requests in the banking, finance and corporate departments, the working environment and operational efficiency improved enormously. Additionally, the firm invests continuously in the training of its key professionals through courses, conferences and seminars, while I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and also the Honorary Secretary of the CIArb Cyprus Branch. This year, internal restructurings included the promotion of a Senior Associate to Partner, the promotion of 2 Advocates into Senior Associates and the additional recruitment of administrative and supportive staff to further improve our client service. Furthermore, the affiliated Pagecorp Group also undertook internal restructurings including a new General Manager and Data Protection Officer, to guarantee a strong presence in the Cyprus corporate services sector.

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Absolutely! As a firm we believe that it is extremely important to keep pace with the latest technological developments in order to run our operations more effectively and efficiently, improve our services and clearly and precisely communicate with our clients. Our everyday activities involve the use of a wealth of legal information and databases aiming in the increase of accuracy, swift communication with clients and secure promotion of our services on our website and on social media, always conforming to the EU Data Protection Laws. Our experienced in-house IT team handles all of our online and offline technological operations, and mobile technology allows our teams to be in secure contact with clients even when out of office. Patrikios Pavlou & Associates LLC therefore, embraces the use of technology for the highest productivity and responsiveness, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality and high quality of professional services.

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

We consistently provide legal advice and offer transaction support and judicial protection to multinational organizations, banks, financial institutions, corporations and entrepreneurs from Europe, Asia, Russia and other CIS countries, and therefore the examples where clients added value to their business are numerous. These include the restructuring of many client groups and the renegotiation and optimisation of their credit facilities, ensuring their continued survival and profitability. In the Dispute Resolution field we have successfully defended clients from malicious attacks on their assets in many high profile cases.

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

More than ever, clients need personalised services, stability and a long-term approach to their requests. Since 1963, our firm developed into a trustworthy, results-oriented, professional, and well respected law firm that offers strategic advice, consistency and care towards clients’ matters. We have been watching the development of the local services industry, including legal services, from the beginning of the creation of the Republic of Cyprus showing appreciation to all our client relationships and evolving with regards to their needs. We are committed in providing top level legal services with the utmost ethical standards acknowledging that our actions reflect on our society and the environment in which we operate. We strongly believe that the firm will continue the significant expansion it has enjoyed since its foundation, and we will continue to develop the knowledge and skills of our people. We look forward to the future and the challenges it will bring and we are confident that with persistent commitment to our principles, we will continue to provide top quality legal services with diligence, integrity and professionalism for many years to come.