Full-Service Law Firm in Larnaca, Cyprus

Harris Kyriakides LLC

115 Faneromenis Avenue, Antouanettas Building
2nd - 3rd Floor
Larnaca 6031
Cyprus

+357 24828244

+357 24818877

www.kyrlaw.com.cy

Contact Mr. Harris Kyriakides

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Law Firm Overview

Harris Kyriakides LLC, Advocates & Legal Consultants, is a leading full service law firm based in Larnaca, Cyprus. Established since 1976, it is widely acknowledged and nationally recognized as being in the top tier of law firms in Cyprus. The firm offers wide-ranging legal services in Cyprus and handle complex legal and business needs across a wide variety of market sectors.

The firm operates on a departmental basis, covering nearly all aspects of legal practice and maintaining specialized lawyers, advocates and legal consultants in their own expertise. The firm provides advice and guidance regarding legal, financial and taxation issues and it maintains expertise and experience to facilitate the implementation of business projects according to custom commercial needs.

The firm has a substantial transactional and corporate practice with extensive international reach and client base range. It has consistently advised national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governmental organizations and it maintains leading clients from several industries and business sectors, including banking, insurance, real estate, telecommunications, shipping, oil, construction, motor, tourism and leisure, advertising and other. The firm has also been profoundly involved in litigation practice and dispute resolution.

Year this Office was Established: 1976

Languages: Greek; German; Russian; Swedish; Bulgarian; English.

Areas of Law

Additional Areas of Law: Drunk Driving Accidents; Dangerous Highways; Amusement Park Accidents; Farm Accidents; Children’s Injuries; Swimming Pool Accidents; State Aid; Debt Recovery & Enforcement; Pensions; Due Diligence; Redundancy; Property Division; Guardianship; Public Procurement.

Areas of Law Description

Harris Kyriakides LLC provides legal representation and services in the following areas of practice:

- Accident and Personal Injury

The legal framework applicable in Cyprus is protective to victims of road traffic accidents, through provisions of compulsory insurance for third party liability and additional safeguards. Be that as it may, trying to deal with insurance companies, handling extensive paperwork and getting a fair settlement is an overwhelming task for someone already dealing with a serious injury. Most individuals are not equipped to deal with these details following a serious accident and may not actively pursue their rights, thus losing occasionally substantial compensation awards. Harris Kyriakides LLC represents plaintiffs and defendants in all types of personal injury claims.

- Admiralty & Shipping

Harris Kyriakides LLC provides advice on the entire range of legal services in the shipping industry. Our core services involve the provision of legal advice and representation on agreements concerning shipbuilding, sale and finance of ships, formation and maintenance of shipping companies and registration of vessels under the Cyprus flag in the Cyprus Registrar of Ships as well as related matter such as charterparties and insurance. In addition, the firm is representing clients in admiralty practice, litigation and arbitration proceedings.

- Banking and Finance

Harris Kyriakides LLC advises financial institutions and borrowers on a variety of corporate matters pertaining to banking and finance law. Our clients include major commercial banks, co-operative societies, investment companies and security providers. Our practice includes negotiation, documentation and execution of credit facilities, documentation and enforcement of security (mortgages and charges), indemnities and guarantees, factoring transactions, leasing transactions, hire-purchase transactions, inter-creditor agreements, international trade finance (letters of credit and other negotiable instruments), corporate refinancing and restructuring, project and construction finance and other. We also act on behalf of several local and overseas institutions in litigation related to banking and financial disputes.

- Capital Markets

We have a long-standing reputation of advising corporates, investment banks and other financial institutions, and government and public sector bodies on securities offerings related to Cyprus. We represent both issuers and underwriters in connection with issuances of fixed income securities and we have experience in all aspects of equity capital transactions, including initial public offerings (IPOs), private investment in public equities (PIPEs) and spin-offs. We maintain expertise in transactions involving emerging markets, especially in the sectors of energy and natural resources, investment funds, infrastructure and financial institutions.

- Corporate

Building on expertise and experience of several decades, Harris Kyriakides LLC maintains a strong corporate team that provides legal advice and representation on a variety of corporate matters, both litigious and not litigious. In terms of non-litigious matters, we ensure the legality of commercial transactions, we facilitate the business process and advise on the legal and corporate aspects of corporate agreements or documents, including SPA’s, M&A’s, Pledges, Escrows, SHA, tailor-made MAA, Loan Agreements, Promissory Notes etc. In terms of judicial representation, we undertake Court applications on matters related to the Cyprus Companies Act (Cap. 113), including capital reductions, liquidations, restructurings, filings, MAA amendments, oppression remedies, and other corporate litigation.

- Commercial

Our corporate legal team focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholders agreements, company and partnership formations and maintenance, capital markets and securities and general corporate representation. Our practice also provides support for companies, corporate groups, enterprises, in-house legal teams and individuals in respect of commercial contracts and agreements covering all aspects of commercial transactions, including sale and lease of movable and immovable property, provision of services, franchise agreements, logistics agreements, license agreements, distributorship agreements and other specific contracts.

- Competition and State Aid

Harris Kyriakides LLC maintains a strong antitrust practice, encompassing the provision of advice on a complete range of antitrust, competition, regulatory and trade issues, including merger control, joint ventures, licensing and distribution, restrictive practices, abuse of dominance, cartel investigations, concerted practices for enterprises, compliance programs, state aid, liberalization and privatization. We provide advice and consultation on compliance of clients' business operations in Cyprus with applicable competition and state aid law requirements and obtaining clearance of mergers. We also represent clients in contentious proceedings, including civil wrong claims for infringement of competition and state aid laws before national courts, and proceedings initiated before the Cyprus Commission for the Protection of Competition.

- Debt Recovery & Enforcement

Harris Kyriakides LLC undertakes debt recovery and collection proceedings. We handle commercial and retail debts on behalf of local and overseas clients who are owed money from natural and legal persons residing or having property within the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Our practice includes investigations on the financial status of the debtor, designing and enforcing effective methods of securing or freezing assets prior to litigation, commencement and trial of debt collection proceedings, bankruptcy proceedings, attachment proceedings, proceedings for invalidation of fraudulent dissipation of assets and other.

- Employment & Pensions

Harris Kyriakides LLC advises on a wide range of labor and employment issues, including setting up employment policies and compliance practices, taking preventive steps to maximize protection under employment laws and regulations and effecting business transactions involving employee layoff and transfer issues, employment contracts, collective agreements, restrictive covenants, severance payments, due diligence, redundancy, unfair dismissal etc. In addition, Harris Kyriakides LLC maintains significant experience in employment litigation, representing both employers and employees in cases of redundancy claims, unfair dismissal claims, enforcement of employee's rights etc.

- Environment

We advise clients on a variety of environmental issues, ranging from land contaminations to licensing, reporting, product safety and waste management. In association with professionals and technocrats, we conduct environmental liability audits and due diligence reports. We also undertake cases involving investigations and prosecutions by statutory authorities, arising from incidents causing serious personal injury or death. In various occasions, we have represented and still represent private clients from a range of industries and sectors, including insurance, energy, construction and other. We have also represented and still represent the Republic of Cyprus in matters involving complicated violations of environmental laws, acting on behalf of the Public Prosecution Authorities and assisting in the prosecution of wrongdoing.

- Family and Divorce

In case of a post marital dispute, Cyprus law provides straightforward, swift and relatively inexpensive divorce proceedings, leading to the issuance of an order of marriage dissolution (divorce order). The jurisdiction of Cyprus Courts in divorce litigation is easily founded and is not depended on the nationality of the applicant/respondent or the place where marriage had taken place. Divorce does not have automatic consequences on property disputes and does not automatically entail an obligation to pay maintenance to the other spouse or children. Harris Kyriakides LLC advises and undertakes legal representation in all types of matrimonial law and family law disputes, including pre-marital property and tax planning, divorce, alimony/maintenance, property division, guardianship, custody and visitation rights, adoption, paternity recognition, international child abduction and other.

- Foreign Investment in Cyprus

In order to further enhance the intensity of foreign investment, the Government has liberalised the Foreign Direct Investment Policy not only for EU citizens but also for investors from third countries in most sectors of the economy. Limitations related to the minimum level of investment and foreigners' participation percentage have been abolished, allowing for up to 100% equity participation in registering companies or acquiring shares in existing companies. At Harris Kyriakides LLC we have a wealth of experience in dealing with asset management in Cyprus and legal matters related to foreign investment.

- Information Technology

We advise on matters related to software and hardware licensing, development, procurement, governance, e-commerce, information technology projects, data privacy and dispute resolution. We produce client briefings covering the Cyprus jurisdiction and assist on multinational projects. In addition, we represent clients in matters related to violations or investigations pending before the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection and we pursue related complaints on behalf of aggrieved clients. In that respect, we also advise on the protection of personal information against its unauthorized and illegal collection, recording and further use.

- Insurance

Our firm's civil trial practice concentrates on all types of insurance disputes, with particular emphasis in traffic accidents, employment injuries, damages to property etc. We represent large insurance companies as well as private corporations in matters related to coverage opinions, claims analysis and endorsements. We also defend professional liability claims for architects, engineers, physicians, nurses, physicians’ professional groups, lawyers and accountants. Our services include malpractice defense and all types of related negligence claims defense.

- Intellectual Property

Harris Kyriakides LLC has established a specialized Intellectual Property Law Centre (IPLC) providing legal services on all aspects of Intellectual Property law, including registration, maintenance and enforcement of trademarks, trade names, patents, copyright and industrial designs.

- Litigation & Arbitration

Our firm maintains an international dispute resolution team. We regularly co-operate with international law firms and acclaimed litigators in large litigation and arbitration proceedings. Our litigation and dispute resolution practice combines market leading efficiency, local knowledge of Cyprus procedures and regulations and a unique ability to work efficiently with international litigation lawyers across jurisdictions. We act for a broad spectrum of clients, particularly those in the corporate and financial sectors. Our clients include multinationals, financial institutions and international organisations.

- Mergers & Acquisitions

Many of the world's leading companies and investment banks turn to us for advice on their high-value mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate restructurings. We advise local and overseas companies on all aspects of buying and selling companies and businesses. Our team is widely recognized as having leading skills to navigate through complicated transactions. We combine transactional expertise and industry sector experience and we can support complicated and demanding international transactions, offering high quality legal advice that adds value to the clients’ needs.

- Real Estate & Construction

Harris Kyriakides LLC undertakes legal representation of individual or corporate claimants against construction companies, developers, contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, suppliers, manufacturers, design professionals, builders risk insurers and others for all kinds of damages or losses sustained as a result of architectural malpractice, construction defects or deviations from contractual warranties and representations. At the pre-contract stage, the firm also advises clients on the management and avoidance of construction claims and disputes.

- Public Procurement

Harris Kyriakides LLC provides professional advice on all aspects of public procurement matters (supplies, services and works contracts), including structuring the tender transaction and choosing the appropriate tendering procedure, preparing and advising on procurement documents and conducting the evaluation of tenders and managing the procurement process and contract award issues. We also represent individuals and corporate bodies before the Tenders Review Authority and the Cyprus Supreme Court in Public Procurement disputes. Our practice involves hierarchical and judicial recourses against the validity of tender awards made by public authorities and state organs in Cyprus, temporary measures and appellate procedures.

- Residence / Citizenship

As far as EU Citizens are concerned, obtaining a Cyprus residence permit that enables one to enter, live, work and operate in Cyprus involves only minimal formalities relating to simple registration if the purpose of residing in Cyprus is employed activity. Non EU citizens need to acquire certain permissions in order to enter, live, work and operate in Cyprus. This can be done either by direct application for a Cyprus work permit or through the establishment of a local Cyprus limited company, which will then employ the non EU national, after being approved by the Migration Department.

- Tax

Harris Kyriakides LLC provides comprehensive advice on the taxation aspects of corporate structures that involve Cyprus corporate vehicles, with the aim of designing efficient, cost effective, safe and profit maximizing international corporate structures. Common solutions for corporate structures include the Cyprus holding company with foreign permanent establishment(s), the Cyprus holding companies for preserving or dealing with real property in Cyprus or abroad, Cyprus Investment Funds, Cyprus International Trusts, Cyprus Trading Companies, Cyprus Finance Companies, Cyprus Shipping Company and other.

- Wills and Estate Administration

Harris Kyriakides maintains an outstanding reputation throughout the region for advising individuals with regard to issues of wills, wealth protection, estate administration and probate. Our highly experienced team, headed by the Managing Partner of the firm, provides expert advice on Cyprus law related to wills, probate and estate administration. Our services for private individuals include preparation of wills and filing with the Court’s Registry, probate, administration, trusts, asset protection and international estate administration.