CHRYSOSTOMIDES - Key Persons
Senior associate Alexandra Kokkinou began her career as legal advisor to the Commission for the Protection of Competition in Cyprus, and subsequently worked as internal legal counsel to a major international technology company, and an international multi-asset broker. Alexandra was also an advocate in the corporate department of a local law firm for a number of years.
Her areas of expertise include privacy and data protection law, competition law, corporate and commercial law.
Alexandra's practice at the firm focuses on advising clients on an array of regulatory matters including privacy and data protection, e-commerce, competition law, consumer laws, and the provision of electronic communication services in Cyprus.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Senior Associate
Alexandros Efstathiou joined the firm as an Associate in September 2015, having completed his traineeship with the firm. His primary areas of practice are EU & competition law, employment law, and administrative law.
Alexandros is further involved in corporate law matters and has experience in the review of corporate documents and the provision of legal opinions thereon. He further assists with the preparation and review of court applications, written pleadings for annulment of administrative acts and public procurement cases handled by the Litigation department.
"Alexandros is professional and very responsive. He will go above and beyond to get the answers for you." The Legal 500
Alexandros Georgiades is a partner in the intellectual property law department of the firm. He has significant experience in trademark and patent prosecution, litigation and copyright protection, as well as anti-counterfeiting work and procedures before the Cyprus Customs and other competent Authorities.
Within the pharmaceutical sector, he frequently advises clients on a wide range of matters to include procedures for the grant and protection of pharmaceutical patents and SPC's, regulatory matters relating to the distribution and sale of pharmaceutical products and medical devices in Cyprus, public procurement issues with regard to pharmaceutical products, and other related matters.
He has extensive experience in drafting and reviewing distribution, franchise and licensing agreements, advising clients and in particular foreign principals on issues relating to their commercial relationships with local distributors, agents, franchisees and other licensees or business partners, on the termination of such relationships, post termination compensation rights and related matters. He frequently advises clients on regulatory matters relating to the commercialisation of products in Cyprus (to include labelling and language requirements), as well as on regulatory matters relating to the provision of electronic communication services in Cyprus.
In addition, Alexandros specialises in e-commerce, data protection and privacy, frequently advising clients on various matters relating to the establishment and operation of their e-commerce activities in Cyprus, and reviewing distance selling contracts and privacy policy statements.
Alexandros is listed as a ‘Next Generation Partner' by The Legal 500, and included among Cyprus' leading IP practitioners by IP Stars and WTR 1000.
"Alexandros Georgiades is a valuable partner and lawyer." The Legal 500
Anna Rossides is a partner practicing in the corporate and commercial law department of the firm, regularly advising on corporate and commercial transactions involving Cyprus vehicles, especially acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, secured project financing and securitization.
Anna has considerable experience in multi-million IPO and SPO transactions on regulated and unregulated markets (such as AIM) and foreign stock exchanges (including the LSE, Toronto SE, Frankfurt SE and Moscow SE) and in listings of loan notes and GDRs on such markets.
She is also recognised for her strong expertise in the area of competition law; frequently assisting prestigious clients in diverse industries on challenging competition and antitrust matters and representing corporate clients before the Cyprus Commission for the Protection of Competition.
She has over the years repeatedly been listed, highly recommended and singled out as a Leading Lawyer in her areas of practice in several international legal directories, including, Legal 500 EMEA, IFLR1000, Chambers Europe, Who's Who Legal: Banking, the International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists, the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and Global Competition Review.
"Anna Rossides is an excellent professional with a business oriented mindset." The Legal 500
Associate Partner Artemis Amalia Metaxa is a member of the Corporate and Commercial Department of the firm. Described by clients as a "go to corporate lawyer in Cyprus", she advises on a wide spectrum of corporate and commercial law matters with particular expertise in private acquisitions, joint ventures and related corporate restructuring transactions. She has successfully advised clients on some of the most complex and high-impact cross-border M&A transactions to have taken place in Cyprus, including the acquisition of the companies operating the retail and food & beverage businesses at Larnaca and Pafos International Airports by the ARI group, the acquisition of numerous food delivery platforms by Delivery Hero, one of the largest international players in the online food delivery sector and the acquisition of Cypriot pharmaceutical manufacturer Remedica by Ascendis Health, a South African multinational healthcare company.
Amalia also has extensive experience acting for local and international financial institutions in high value secured financing transactions involving Cypriot corporate obligors.
Amalia served as a member of the Private Companies' Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association between December 2014 and December 2017. In this capacity, she was involved in the public consultation process of the law which transposed the 4th EU AML Directive into Cypriot legislation. She has since authored the Cypriot chapter of a number of cross-European surveys on the implementation of EU AML Directives in Cyprus and regularly advises clients on relevant matters.
Amalia is consistently ranked as a Rising Star lawyer for Commercial, Corporate and M&A and highly recommended for Banking and Finance by The Legal 500.
"Artemis Amalia Metaxa - senior associate; excellent oversight capabilities, flawless coordination of her team, overall very present and hands-on. Does not shy away from getting involved with even the most minute details of the assistance provided." The Legal 500
"Artemis Amalia Metaxa is excellent. Very responsive with significant experience of working on large international corporate transactions. Our go to corporate lawyer in Cyprus." The Legal 500
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Christodoulos deals with a wide range of civil and commercial matters of contentious nature, focusing on international commercial disputes, including asset recovery proceedings, shareholder disputes and cases of international fraud.
He is regularly involved in cases for securing or challenging injunctive relief before the Courts of Cyprus and advises on the recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards in Cyprus. He represents clients before the District Court of Cyprus and provides legal opinions for both domestic and international clients.
Christodoulos is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb).
Anna regularly advises institutions from several industries on a wide range of challenging competition law issues, primarily for the purpose of ensuring that any proposed agreements or concentrations will not be deemed anti-competitive by the Commission for the Protection of Competition Law in Cyprus. She has guided clients such as Daimler AG, Aer Rianta International (Middle East) WLL, CMA CGM and OJSC Kamaz, through important transactions, including the facilitation of significant mergers and acquisitions, by successfully obtaining clearance from the Commission.
Costas has extensive experience in financial services regulation, forensic investigations and regulatory litigation. He routinely advises clients on both contentious and non-contentious matters and has worked on a number of high-profile cross border enforcement investigations across different sectors, and is a qualified solicitor of England and Wales. Prior to joining the firm, Costas had previously worked for 9 years as a lawyer and forensic investigator at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK's financial services regulator.
His areas of practice include Investment Services & Funds, Capital Markets, Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies, and Banking. Costas's expertise lies in advising clients on compliance with financial services regulation in the fields of investment services, payment services, virtual or cryptoasset services, banking, and capital markets. Costas is also ideally placed to assist clients in dealing with potential misconduct and advising on regulatory or criminal investigation related matters.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Personnel and Administration
Director of personnel and administration, Evelina Georgiades, joined the firm in 2007. She began her career at the University of Glasgow, in post-doctoral position at the Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences and has had her research published in a number of peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals, and also presented at several international scientific conferences and meetings.
Her work at the firm includes marketing and business development, communications, human resource management, and administration.
Education
PhD, University of Glasgow
BSc (Hons), University of Glasgow
Languages
Greek
Kypros Chrysostomides was born in Kathikas, Paphos in 1942 and studied law at the University of Athens. He continued his studies at the Luxembourg Law School, where he read Comparative Law.
On a scholarship granted by the German government, he pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Bonn. There, he obtained a Doctorate in Law (Ph.D.) and specialised in Business Law. He was then appointed a research fellow in Private International Law at the University of Bonn, and he also worked at the European Commission of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
In 1981, he and his wife Eleni co-founded Dr. K. Chrysostomides & Co LLC (now Chrysostomides Advocates & Legal Consultants). Kypros specialised in business law, human rights law, international and constitutional law, and was considered one of Cyprus' leading corporate and tax lawyers.
He was a member of the Cyprus Bar Association, the Greek Institute of International Law, the International Law Association, the International Bar Association and the European Law Institute. Kypros was a founding member of the Consumers' Association, a member of the Association of Sciences, the Greek Civilization Association and the Historic Studies Association. He was the president of the Cyprus Institute of Political Research and European Affairs, which closely cooperated with various scientific institutions of Greece and elsewhere.
Kypros was also a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration for two consecutive terms, until June 2018.
Parallel to his legal career, he served as Government Spokesman of the Republic of Cyprus between 2003-2005. In May 2006 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives, where he served as deputy chairman of the Home Affairs Committee. He was appointed Minister of Justice and Public Order in February 2008 and, in December 2008, returned to full time practice with the firm.
In 1991, during the presidency of François Mitterrand, he was honoured by the French Government with the medal of the "Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite" and then again by the French Government during the presidency of Jacques Chirac in 2004, with the medal of "Officier de l'Ordre National du Merite".
He was also honoured in 2004 with the "Grand Cross of the Order of Phoenix" by the then President of Greece, Kostis Stephanopoulos.
In 2020, he was awarded the Cyprus Business Leader Award by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Throughout his life, Kypros published extensively on international and constitutional law, and human rights, with his work receiving praise for its depth and extensive analysis.
In Professor Christopher Greenwood's introduction to Kypros' book "The Republic of Cyprus. A Study In International Law", he writes that "Dr. Chrysostomides has performed an invaluable service to the international community by providing an analysis of the legal issues which is both careful and timely".
Elena Panayiotou is an associate partner practising within the firm's corporate and commercial law department. Elena started her professional career with Chrysostomides Advocates & Legal Consultants in 1997 and re-joined in August 2014 after having worked in the Legal Department of the largest bank in Cyprus for more than 13 years. Her core areas of practice are primarily corporate law, cross border transactions and banking and secured financing.
Eleni Chrysostomides is a senior partner, one of the founding members and head of the firm's intellectual property law department.
Eleni has published numerous legal works both in Cyprus and in international legal journals. She is consistently recommended as a ‘Leading Lawyer' for Intellectual Property in The Legal 500, IP Stars and WTR 1000. With more than 30 years of experience, she is involved in all complex litigation and dispute resolution matters involving intellectual property and leads a team of lawyers and IP consultants specialising in trade marks, patents, copyright and designs.
Eleni served as Honorary Consul of Canada in Cyprus from 1999 to 2010, when she voluntarily decided to step down due to time constraints. During her term as such, she was awarded the "Minister's Citation for Foreign Policy Excellence" which was presented to her "in recognition of an Outstanding Contribution" by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canada.
"Eleni Chrysostomides is stand out and always able to help clients in a friendly efficient manner." The Legal 500
George Ioannou is a partner who joined the firm's corporate and commercial law department in 2008. He has significant experience in transactions support and is highly specialised in the provision of tax advice, international tax planning and the application of double tax treaties, wealth planning for high net worth individuals, cross border mergers, mergers of Cyprus companies, transfers of corporate seat, preparation of legal capacity opinions and due diligence reports.
George has worked on due diligence reviews of Cypriot companies and assisted clients with the preparation of transfer pricing documentations, in accordance with the current transfer pricing practice in Cyprus.
Prior to joining the firm, George spent five years in the advisory and tax departments of a big-4 audit firm, where he also qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
He is recommended among the leading lawyers for Tax by The Legal 500 and for his HNW work by Chambers HNW.
"George Ioannou has unparalleled knowledge of the local market, tax specifics as well as trends of international taxation. He is one of those tax lawyers who can simultaneously see the big picture and remain highly attentive to the smallest details of projects." The Legal 500
Job Titles:
- Head
- Managing Partner
- Co - Managing Partner
George Mountis is the firm's co-managing partner and head of the firm's litigation and dispute resolution department. He has a leading role in the handling of the major high-profile commercial and corporate litigation cases undertaken by the firm such as major shareholders disputes, multi-million commercial and corporate fraud, injunctions and insolvency proceedings. His experience in these areas is extensive and varied. He represents clients in all types of multi-jurisdictional cases, and his many years of courtroom experience render him one of the leading litigators in Cyprus.
George has a central role in the firm's arbitration and mediation practice. Being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators FCiArb, he has acquired significant experience in this area, both as a legal advisor and counsel, as well as an arbitrator. Furthermore, he is a CEDR Accredited Mediator and, as such, has helped many clients of the firm resolve individual, corporate and other types of claims and disputes amicably.
George further specialises in competition law. He is responsible for some of the firm's most important, high-profile cases in this area. He holds a Diploma in Economics of Competition Law from King's College London.
Chambers Global, Chambers Europe and The Legal 500 include George among the leading lawyers for Dispute Resolution in Cyprus.
George is currently member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, a leading non-profit medical centre in Cyprus and has also been appointed member of the Board of Directors of the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"George Mountis -highly experienced, skilled diverse, ability to add multiple issues to the discussion table to enable opportunities to make trade-offs and concessions based on differing interests keeps lines of communications open, ensure that the business maintains its legal risks at its chosen risk appetite." The Legal 500
"George Mountis has excellent strategic thinking and is very creative when it comes to complex claims." The Legal 500
Georgia Chrysostomides-Mountis is a senior partner in the corporate and commercial law department, with experience in the litigation and dispute resolution department of the firm. Georgia has helped clients in a wide range of Cyprus corporate law matters such as the drafting, negotiation and implementation of Cyprus law security documents, charges and pledges, issuance of corporate capacity legal opinions, the carrying out of due diligence reviews of Cyprus companies, transfers and acquisitions of Cyprus companies and many more. Having assisted in a range of important cross-border transactions involving such matters over the years, Georgia has acquired substantial experience in the field. She has also acted for large European financing institutions in the implementation of multi-million financing transactions, involving Cyprus holding companies, and acted as Cyprus counsel in the formation and implementation of joint venture structures.
Georgia frequently assists the litigation and dispute resolution department of the firm. She has provided legal counsel in several family and commercial law cases handled by the firm, with special focus on cases having a cross-border element.
Georgia's earlier experience also includes working as an intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and teaching public international law, an area she specializes in, in the department of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Cyprus.
She has been recommended in The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms (IFLR 1000).
Associate Herodotos Taliadoros joined the firm in October 2019 after the completion of his traineeship with the firm. Having acquired diverse work experience in the litigation department during his training, he currently deals with litigation work relating primarily to constitutional and administrative law, contract and employment law disputes, as well as criminal law and landlords and tenants law. Herodotos' practice further comprises of appearing before the District Courts of Cyprus (civil and criminal jurisdiction), the Administrative Court, the Industrial Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court of Cyprus, reviewing and drafting legal documents and court pleadings and providing legal opinions to prominent local and international clients, as well as to various administrative bodies.
Partner Georgia Georgiou has extensive experience in all fields of commercial, civil and criminal litigation and procedure. Her other areas of practice include banking litigation, torts and personal injuries, contracts and criminal law. She specialises in family law, including divorce, matrimonial and child custody disputes, adoption and child abduction.
Having completed an approved training program for accredited family mediators, Georgia is a fully qualified family law mediator in Cyprus.
"It has become obvious that our attorney, Mrs Georgia Georgiou, cares about our case and about us. She does not view us merely as clients, but as people, and she has made it clear that she will fight for the best possible outcome for us. The team that works with us is very professional, punctual and kind." The Legal 500
Pavlos Dekatris joined the firm as an Associate in January 2022, after completing his traineeship with the firm. During his training, he had the opportunity to acquire wide-ranging experience in the intellectual property, data protection, and corporate departments of the firm with a particular emphasis on trade marks, GDPR and, general technology law matters. Pavlos advises on intellectual property, technology law, and blockchain and cryptoassets.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Partner
- Member of the Firm
Associate partner Pavlos Mundis is a member of the firm's litigation and dispute resolution department, and has extensive experience in financial services regulation and considerable experience in company and banking litigation.
Pavlos advises on a range of issues including corporate capacity, authority and proper execution, the perfection and enforcement of securities, regulatory compliance, fintech and blockchain and cryptocurrency. He has been heavily involved in the areas of international business, compliance, project finance, syndicated lending and property law. He deals with drafting and updating standard or tailored made legal documents, such as credit facility agreements, security agreements (i.e., pledge, lien and assignment agreements), escrow agreements, syndicated loan agreements and terms and conditions of the use of debit and credit cards. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for seven years in the Legal Department of the largest bank in Cyprus.
Pavlos Symeonides is a partner practicing in the corporate and commercial law department of the firm, having joined as a trainee in 2003. He primarily practises in the areas of banking and secured financing, corporate and commercial law and cross border transactions, M&A and restructures.
"Pavlos Symeonides leads his team with class and authority." The Legal 500
Polina is a Senior Associate with extensive experience in managing a diverse range of legal cases, both in and out of the courtroom. She advises on commercial conflicts, contract law cases and tortious claims, and has successfully handled multifaceted commercial and corporate matters, involving multiple jurisdictions and areas of law.
Polina regularly appears before Cypriot courts to represent her clients' interests, and she has achieved favourable outcomes in numerous cases. Her expertise extends to securing various interlocutory orders, including freezing orders, disclosure orders and prohibitory injunctions. Her comprehensive legal knowledge enables her to provide well-reasoned legal opinions that offer clarity and strategic insight.
Stella Dekatris joined the firm as an Associate in October 2021 after completing her traineeship with the firm. During her traineeship, she had the opportunity to acquire diverse experience in both the litigation and corporate departments of the firm with a particular emphasis on civil litigation, matrimonial disputes, and non-contentious regulatory matters. Going forward, Stella will be focusing on commercial and civil litigation, as well as family law. Having completed an approved training program for accredited family mediators, Stella is a fully qualified family law mediator in Cyprus.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Member of the Dedicated Team
Tassos Stylianou is a Senior Associate who joined the firm in April 1995. He primarily practises in the areas of shipping, immovable property, migration, probate and labour law, dealing with a range of international and local clients who entrust him with repeat work.
Tassos regularly deals with the acquisition and sale of immovable property in Cyprus. He has assisted in real estate transactions for individuals and corporate entities alike, ranging from small plots to multiple property transactions. He also deals with other real estate issues that include Land Registry applications in general, mortgages, leases, and applications for entrapped purchasers of property.
As a member of the team that deals with the acquisition of citizenship by investors, Tassos has dealt with several complex cases since the inception of the naturalisation scheme, involving the purchase of multi-million EUR properties.
Tassos is a member of the dedicated team that deals with the acquisition of citizenship by foreign investors and is actively involved in the migration and civil registry aspects of these cases. In this context, he prepares and assists with the completion of the applications and follows up their progress and processing until the applicants are naturalised and issued with Cyprus identity cards and passports.
Vasilis is an Associate practising in the corporate and commercial department of the firm. He specialises in local and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, due diligence reports, legal opinions, and providing general corporate advice. He also has significant experience in multi-million financing transactions.
Prior to joining the firm, Vasilis trained and worked in the London corporate team of one of the world's largest international law firms, where he also qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. There he gained extensive experience in managing complex multi-jurisdictional transactions.
Victoria-Zoi Papagiannis is a partner in the litigation and dispute resolution department of the firm.
Her practice focuses mainly on high-value, complex commercial and corporate litigation and arbitration, primarily with an international or multijurisdictional aspect, and she has very extensive experience in the issuance of injunctive relief, including freezing, disclosure, search and anti-suit interim injunctions in support of both domestic and international, court and arbitral proceedings (both ad hoc and institutional).
She has successfully represented legal entities and HNW individuals in the context of very complex and high-value corporate and commercial cases involving fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, fraudulent transfers and negligence.
She also regularly advises on issues pertaining to the recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards in Cyprus, as well as, on cases relating to EUTM infringements.
Victoria-Zoi Papagiannis was named ‘Cyprus Lawyer of the Year' in the area of Dispute Resolution at the 2021 Benchmark Litigation Europe Awards, while she has been also consistently recognised and ranked in international legal directories, including Chambers and Partners, LEGAL 500 and Benchmark Litigation.
She is also a regular contributor in legal publications in the areas of litigation, arbitration and mediation, including Wolters Kluwer, Chambers, ICLG, Getting the Deal Through, Lexology etc., while she previously served as the Vice-President of the Cyprus Bar Association's Committee on International and European Law.
"Victoria Papagiannis is extremely capable combining legal expertise, good judgment, and efficiency." Legal 500
"Victoria Papagiannis is very diligent, competent and clear in her advice." Legal 500
"Victoria-Zoi Papagiannis is very good - tough and effective." Chambers and Partners