THE MOST COMMON mistake people make when buying property in Cyprus is to use a lawyer who has been introduced or recommended to them by a property developer, while others fall into the trap of using their so-called ‘free’ legal services.
To help avoid legal problems and reduce the risks associated with buying property on the island, it is vital that you take legal advice from a source that is independent from anyone else involved in the transaction, particularly the seller, before purchasing property. And it is essential that you do not sign any papers or hand over any money until you have done so.
Attempting to save money on professional fees by cutting corners, or by using the seller’s lawyers, is a false economy that can result in severe problems later.
To help prospective buyers avoid the rogues and conmen that plague the property industry, the British High Commission publishes a list of lawyers who are able to give advice in English. All the lawyers listed are covered by professional liability insurance.
For your convenience, we have published the British High Commission’s current list of lawyers below. And as this list is updated from time to time, we suggest you visit their website for the latest issue.
British High Commission list of lawyers
Honorary Legal Advisor
| Name of Lawyer | Andreas Neocleous |
| Partnership represented | Andreas Neocleous & Co |
| Address of Practice | Street address: Neocleous House, 195 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, Limassol |
| Postal address: | P O Box 50613, Limassol, CY3608 |
| Other Offices in Towns | Nicosia, Paphos (also in Moscow, Brussels, Prague, Kiev and Budapest) |
| Office phone number | 25 362818 |
| Out of hours phone number | 99 638078 |
| Mobile number | 99 638078 |
| Email address | info@neocleous.com |
| Website address | www.neocleous.com |
| Where qualified | Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC employs more than 70 lawyers in Cyprus. They are qualified in a variety of jurisdictions, including Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Russia. |
| Professional Association Membership | Cyprus Bar; English Bar; Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales |
| Areas of Specialism | Company And Commercial (Mergers and acquisitions; banking and finance; company restructuring; insolvency)
Taxation (International tax planning; general tax planning; trusts) Dispute Resolution (Commercial litigation; international arbitration; employment litigation; family law) Admiralty and Shipping (Ship registration and finance; shipping operations and management; insurance; charter disputes; collision disputes) EU and Competition Intellectual Property Construction and Real Estate Private Client Services |
| Languages spoken | Arabic, Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian. All our lawyers are fluent in English. |
Lawyers listed in alphabetical order
| Name of Lawyer | Antonis Andreou |
| Law Firm represented | Antonis Andreou & Co LLC |
| Address of Practice | 23-25 Piliou Street, George Mattheou Court, 5th Floor, 6037 Larnaca. |
| Postal address: | P.O. Box 40391, 6303 Larnaca |
| Office phone number | +357 24 828373 |
| Out of hours phone number | + 357 99 657013 |
| Mobile number | + 357 99 657013 |
| Email address | info@antonisandreou.com |
| Website address | www.antonisandreou.com |
| Where qualified | U.K – Barrister at Law (Lincoln’s Inn) |
| Professional Association Membership | Member of the Cyprus Bar Association since 1973 |
| Areas of Specialism | Litigation (commercial disputes, company law, negligence, contract)
Company & Commercial Law (registration/administration of companies, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures) Competition Law Construction & Real Estate (conveyance, land disputes). Wills & Succession (drafting/execution of wills, administration of estates) |
| Languages spoken | Greek, English |
| Name of Lawyer | Tasos Coucounis |
| Law Firm represented | ANDREAS COUCOUNIS & CO LLC |
| Address of Practice | Street address: 9 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, Lazaros Centre, Suite 101-102, 6017 Larnaca |
| Postal address: | P. O. Box 40519, 6305 Larnaca |
| Other Offices in Towns | Nicosia: 1 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, Mitsis Tower, Suite 205, 1065 Nicosia
Paphos: Corner Nic. Nicolaides & Char. Mouskou Building, Suite 302, 8010 Paphos |
| Office phone number | +357 24822460 (Larnaca),+357 22460130 (Nicosia),+357 26930236 (Paphos) |
| Out of hours phone number | +357 99 493046 |
| Mobile number | +357 99 493046 |
| Email address | couclaw@spidernet.com.cy |
| Website address | www.coucounis.com |
| Fax number | +357 24626106 (Larnaca), +357 22460133 (Nicosia), +357 26930554 (Paphos) |
| Where qualified | LLB (King’s College London), Barrister-at-Law, of Gray’s Inn, DES en Droit Européen (Brussels), Diploma in EU Law (EUI), Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Skills (ICSL-CITY) |
| Professional Association Membership | Cyprus Bar Association, Bar of England and Wales (Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn), Athens Bar Association, International Bar Association, International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA), Society of Trust and Estate Planning (STEP), International Tax Planning Association (ITPA), Committees of the Cyprus Bar Association on Shipping, Legislation, Companies and Tax Planning, Family Law, Stock Exchange |
| Areas of Specialism | Immovable Property Law, Securing Title Deeds, Conveyance, Rent Control Law
Company & Commercial Law, Company Formation & Administration, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking Law, Insolvency Law, Intellectual Property Law Tax Law, International Tax & Estate Planning, Trusts Formation & Administration Private Equity Funds (Setting up & Administration) Litigation (Civil, Criminal, Employment, Family), Debt Recovery European Union & Competition Law, Shipping & Admiralty Law Personal Injuries, Negligence, Immigration Law Administration of Estates, Wills & Probate |
| Languages spoken | Greek, English, French, German, Italian, Russian. |
| Name of Lawyer | Yiannos G. Georgiades |
| Partnership represented | Georgiades & Mylonas |
| Address of Practice | 2, Ayios Pavlos & Kadmos Street, Wisdom Tower, 3rd Floor,1105 Nicosia |
| Town | Nicosia |
| Office phone number | 22819292 (Nicosia) |
| Out of hours phone number | + 357 99 639668 |
| Mobile number | + 357 99 639668 |
| Other Offices in Towns | 64, Lordou Vyronos Street, 1st Floor, Larnaca |
| Office phone number | 24656496 |
| Email address | yiannos.georgiades@gmadvocates.com |
| Website address | www.gmadvocates.com |
| Where qualified | U.K. LL.B.(Hons) Barrister |
| Professional Association Membership | Cyprus Bar Association, American Bar Association, Bar of England and Wales (Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn), International Institute of Association & Foundation Lawyers (Founding Member), The Society For Computers & Law, The International Technology Law Association and Association of European Lawyers (AEA). |
| Areas of Specialism | Commercial, Corporate, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Tax Planning, Real Estates, Information Technology Law, E-Commerce, Personal Injuries Taxation, Medical Malpractice |
| Languages spoken | Greek & English |
| Name of Lawyer | Giovannis Kouzalis |
| Partnership represented | A & G Kouzali Law Office |
| Address of Practice | 169, 1st April Ave, P.O.BOX 34328, 5402 Paralimni |
| Town | Paralimni |
| Office phone number | 00 357 23811788 / 00 357 23811787 / Fax: 00357 23811789 |
| Out of hours phone number | 00 357 99338538 |
| Mobile number | 00 357 99338538 |
| Other Offices in Towns | Ayia Napa, Famagusta and Larnaca can be serviced from the Paralimni office. |
| Office phone number | |
| Email address | lawfirm@cytanet.com.cy |
| Website address | www.lawcyprus.org |
| Where qualified | LLB Sheffield University. M.A. London Guildhall University |
| Professional Association Membership | Cyprus Bar Association, Famagusta Bar Association, Cyprus Chambers of Commerce, Cyprus UK Business Association and AIPP (Association of International Property Professionals) |
| Areas of Specialism | Property law and Conveyance, Contract Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, Rental Contracts, Immigration Law, Civil Action, Road Traffic Incidents, Personal Injury Claims, Inquests, Shipping, Securing Title Deeds, Local and International Taxation, Litigation, Human Rights, Company Law, Tort, Intellectual Property, Company Registration (Local and Offshore), Wills, Probate Administration, Labour Law, Commercial and Business Law, and Arbitration. |
| Languages spoken | Greek and English |
| Name of Lawyer | Leandros Papaphilippou |
| Partnership represented | L.Papaphilippou & Co |
| Address of Practice | 1.Cost Pantelides Avenue, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th floor, Colocassides Building, Eleftheria Square |
| Town | Nicosia |
| Other Offices in Towns | Limassol |
| Office phone number | +357 22 674141 |
| Out of hours phone number | +357 99 369494 |
| Mobile number | +357 99 369494 |
| Email address | lp@papaphilippou.eu; central@papaphilippou.eu |
| Website address | www.papaphilippou.eu |
| Where qualified | England |
| Professional Association Membership | Nicosia Bar Association, International Bar Association |
| Areas of Specialism | Company & Commercial, Litigation. The firm is a full service firm. |
| Languages spoken | English, Greek |
| Name of Lawyer | Michalis Pelekanos |
| Partnership represented | Pelekanos & Co- Advocates and Legal Consultants |
| Address of Practice | 6 Louki Pieride Str. , Lysion Court, Block A, 2nd Floor, Flat 9, P.O.Box 42124, 6531-Larnaca |
| Town | Larnaca |
| Other Offices in Towns | Paralimni and Ayia Napa are serviced from the Larnaca office |
| Office phone number | +357 24657272 |
| Out of hours phone number | +357 99682692 |
| Mobile number | +357 99682692 |
| Email address | Pelekanos.co@cytanet.com.cy |
| Website address | |
| Where qualified | L.L.B.(Hons),University of Kent, Barrister-at-Law of Gray’s Inn, London. |
| Professional Association Membership | Member of the Bar Association of England and Wales and member of the Cyprus Bar Association. |
| Areas of Specialism | Commercial contracts, Land law and property consultants, Civil & Criminal litigation, Corporate drafting & consultants, probate ( inheritance law, wills etc) and family law ( divorce, alimony, custody) |
| Languages spoken | English and Greek. |
| Name of Lawyer | Stelios Triantafyllides |
| Partnership represented | Antis Triantafyllides & Sons |
| Address of Practice | Triantafyllides Building, Capital Centre, 9th Floor, 2-4 Arch. Makarios III, Nicosia |
| Postal address | P O Box 21255 |
| Town | Nicosia |
| Office phone number | 00357 22 360000 |
| Out of hours phone number | 00357 22 360222 |
| Mobile number | - |
| Email address | trianta@triantafyllides.com |
| Website address | www.triantafyllides.com.cy |
| Where qualified | Oxford University, Worcester College, University of California and Berkeley |
| Professional Association Membership | Cyprus Bar Association
Committee on Offshore Business of the Cyprus Bar Council Committee on the Cyprus Stock Exchange of the Cyprus Bar Council |
| Areas of Specialism | Corporate, Foreign investments in Eastern European and CIS
Trademarks, Patents |
| Languages spoken | Greek and English |
| Name of Lawyer | Louise Zambartas |
| Partnership represented | The Law Offices of Louise Zambartas (incorporating the Law Offices of Louise Zambartas) |
| Address of Practice | Office 61, 6th Floor Gregoriou Building, 95 Griva Digenis Street. |
| Town | Limassol 3101 |
| Office phone number | 00357 25373734 (4 lines) |
| Out of hours phone numbers | 00357 99477193
00357 99457160 |
| Mobile numbers | As above |
| Email address | enquiries.law@cytanet.com.cy |
| Website address | www.cyprusproperty-lawyer.com and www.zambartaslawoffices.com |
| Where qualified | We are a team of three lawyers:
Louise Zambartas – Qualified Solicitor of England and Wales, Qualified Cyprus Advocate George Zambartas – Qualified Solicitor of England and Wales Katerina Tsangaris – Qualified Cyprus Advocate |
| Professional Association Membership | Current Practising Certificates held with the Law Society of England and Wales
Current Licenses held with the Cyprus Bar Association |
| Areas of Specialism | We were established as a niche firm dealing with conveyancing and associated private client matters across the whole of the Southern part of Cyprus. We have now expanded the range of legal services that we offer. In addition to all types of property work and Wills (both English and Cypriot) and Estates work ( including specialist Inheritance Tax Planning Wills for UK domiciled clients wishing to reduce their Inheritance Tax exposure) we now offer the following services:
Company and Commercial, Corporate Finance, Shipping and Ship Finance, Litigation We are totally independent as a firm and pride ourselves on the high levels of professionalism we offer our clients. |
| Languages spoken | English, Greek, French |
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