STELIOS AMERICANOS & CO LLC — Cyprus

About

The firm: Stelios Americanos & Co LLC is a full-service commercial law firm with its headquarters in Nicosia, specialising in corporate and commercial law, banking finance, litigation, tax and financial advisory services. The firm assembled a dynamic team working with cutting-edge technology and quickly established an enviable reputation for providing an efficient and competent service. It has become a leading niche firm for corporate work. The firm’s clients are guaranteed continuous and tailored support combined with a positive and constructive approach, and the ability to solve complex legal and tax problems with a business-oriented mentality. The firm has an impressive list of local and international clientele that includes major banking and finance institutions, investment firms, industrial organisations, major contractors, leading international law firms, multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals. The firm has worldwide contacts with reputable legal and advisory practices and is able to assist clients with all aspects of their cross- border transactions. The firm regularly advises governmental and semi-governmental organisations, major financial banking institutions, public companies, single-owned start-ups and multinational corporations in high profile asset finance, project finance and securitisation and on complex cross-border transactions including mergers and acquisitions and restructuring. The firm has also established an excellent reputation for its corporate litigation department, achieving remarkable results in a number of high profile litigation cases involving cross-border transactions. Members of the firm are very active in various professional associations and take part as speakers in international conferences and seminars while regularly publishing articles and contributions in a variety of matters related to Cyprus law. Recent awards include: ‘Banking and Finance Law Firm of the Year in Cyprus for 2016’ by Corporate International Global Awards and ’Cyprus Corporate and Commercial Law Firm of the Year 2017’ by ACQLAW. ### Areas of practice Corporate: formation, acquisition and dissolution of companies in Cyprus and abroad; corporate governance management and secretarial services; insolvency services; trustee fiduciary services; advising on shareholders issues, including advice on the drafting negotiation and implementation of subscription and shareholders’ agreements; capital increases, equity contribution and differentiation of class rights venture capital financing; and redomiciliation of companies. Commercial: cross-border transactions and joint ventures; agency, distributorship and franchise agreements; private and public offerings and takeovers; sophisticated structures involving Cyprus entities; securities law compliance; and all intellectual aspects of commercial transactions. Real estate and construction: The firm’s real estate team deals with all matters related to immovable properties. The firm advises both individual and corporate clients on: - Property due diligence - Advising on and negotiating the terms of acquisitions, sales and transfers - Advising on financing and licensing involving commercial and residential property - Sale-purchase agreements - Acquisition of property by non-residents - Property management for non-residents Review, negotiation, drafting and conclusion of construction agreements and rental agreements. - Wills, probate and re-sealing’s and estate administration Mergers and acquisitions: structuring and tax optimisation of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; financial and tax due diligence in connection with acquisitions involving Cyprus companies; drafting and negotiation of subscription/share purchase agreements, shareholders and joint venture agreements; legal and tax advice on corporate, regulatory, securities, competition, labour and enforcement matters. Banking and finance: reviewing or drafting of project finance and security documentation; advice on the priority, perfection and enforcement of different types of securities; advice on corporate and tax matters; advice on stamp duty and proper execution of documents; advice on conflict of law issues; issuance of the relevant legal opinions covering corporate power authority and the legality, validity and enforceability of the Cyprus law governed documents. Litigation and arbitration: national and international arbitration; banking and financial; stock exchange and securities legislation; taxation; bankruptcy; enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards; pursuing interim pre-emptive remedies. Innovation and blockchain: Regulatory and legal compliance of blockchain companies concerning licensing, GDPR, structure, jurisdiction, criminal litigation and digital asset investigation. ### Languages - Arabic - English - French - Greek - Hebrew - Russian - Ukrainian ### Memberships - International Bar Association - Cyprus Bar Association - International Tax Planning Association - STEP - IR GLOBAL - IGAL - Leaders in Law - Legal 500 - Chambers & Partners ### Staffing Figures - 24 Number of lawyers - 20 at this office

Office locations

Practice areas

Lawyers in this office

Akis Koumas

Mr. Koumas is Senior Associate in our firm since October 2016. He specializes and has a considerable experience in litigation and advocacy with particular expertise and interest in contracts, commercial, corporate litigation, torts, company and banking law. He has also been involved in providing legal advice and representing banks in court, in cases related to matters which include among others credit facilities, receivers and managers, criminal complaints against banks, interpleader actions, CHF loans, garnishee proceedings, allegations of negligence and fraud against banks and other cases. Among his most notable and groundbreaking professional successes, Mr. Koumas has achieved the discharge of interim prohibitory orders against a bank and receivers and managers appointed out of court by the bank, under the terms of a floating charge and also the discharge of interim proceedings against a Cypriot bank by which the applicants sought to prohibit the bank from proceeding with foreclosure of their property. · Litigation

Andreas Parpas

Associate, Advocate. Mr. Parpas is Associate and member of four Departments of our law firm, (i) Litigation & Arbitration, (ii) Banking & Finance, (iii) Restructuring, Receivership & Liquidation, and (iv) Real Estate, Immigration & Citizenship. He specializes in practice areas of cross-reference and mutual interest between those departments, especially corporate disputes, real estate and asset finance, and debt restructuring. · Litigation & Arbitration

Chloe Americanos

Lawyer - Associate

Despina Americanou

Partner, Advocate, Head of the Banking and Finance Department. The focus areas of Mrs. Americanou are Loan Agreements, Shares Purchase Agreements, Shareholders Agreements as well as Securities Agreements. She has participated and offered legal assistance on Banking & Finance issues, corporate matters, and Merger and Acquisitions. She acted as special Cyprus law counsel in various multinational cross border transactions in which she advised on aspects of Cyprus law pertaining to Financing and Securities Agreements. · Banking & Finance

Fotini Ntorzi

Lawyer - Associate · Corporate / M&A

George Andreou

Associate, Advocate. He specializes in practice areas of drafting, negotiating and reviewing of all types of corporate documents and execution of international transactions on international and domestic projects. He was involved, amongst others, in complex share purchase agreements, due diligence reports, and provision of legal opinions on various corporate law matters. · Corporate / M&A

Georgia Georgiadou

Associate, Advocate. She specializes in Civil and Criminal Law. · Civil Litigation

Ioanna Katsidima

Associate, Advocate. She specializes in the areas of Administrative Law and Civil Law. · Administrative Law

Michalis Zambyrinis

Associate, Lawyer. He is member of three departments: (i) Banking & Finance, (ii) Corporate & Commercial and (ii) Mergers & Acquisitions. During his career, Mr. Michalis Zambyrinis acquired significant legal expertise in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional projects related to mergers and acquisitions as well as to project finance. His work involves, among others, drafting, negotiating and reviewing several types of commercial agreements, including finance documents, share purchase agreements and joint venture agreements, providing legal advice on various corporate law issues as well as participating in the preparation of legal due-diligence reports. · Banking & Finance

Olga Petrova

Associate, Advocate. Ms. Petrova specializes in Banking & Finance and Corporate & Commercial Law. She has gained valuable expertise in reviewing and drafting share purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, share pledge agreements, security documents, loans and other financial documentation. She also provides practical assistance to international clients on various legal matters, especially in complex cross-border multilingual transactions. · Banking & Finance

Soteris Costa

Partner, Advocate, Head of the Litigation & Arbitration Department. He is currently heavily involved in and handles major corporate law disputes with an international element. At the same time, he assists and offers advice on many corporate and commercial-related projects. · Litigation

Stelios Americanos

Managing Partner, Advocate, Head of the Corporate and Commercial Department, the Mergers & Acquisitions Department, and that of Real Estate, Immigration & Citizenship. Besides, he also heads the teams of lawyers on Projects relating to Aviation, Energy, cross-border transactions, and debt arrangements. · Corporate / M&A

Thanos Fiakas

Associate, Advocate member of three departments of our law firm, (i) Litigation & Arbitration, (ii) Mergers & Acquisitions and (iii) Real Estate, Immigration & Citizenship. During his career, Mr. Fiakas has contributed to numerous significant transactional projects in various sectors of the economy, while he also provides advisory services to international clients on the governmental schemes concerning citizenship by investment and residency permits. · Litigation & Arbitration