Michael Damianos & Co LLC

Michael Damianos & Co LLC is a Cyprus law firm based in Nicosia. The firm’s founder is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and a member of the Cyprus Bar Association. He is a graduate of the University of Southampton with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with First Class Honours and a graduate of Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge with a degree of Master of Law (LLM). Before practising in Cyprus he qualified as a solicitor at the London office of Simmons & Simmons and then moved to the London office of Lovells LLP (now Hogan Lovells), where he was mainly involved in mergers and acquisitions (general), energy-related mergers and acquisitions and energy-related commercial and regulatory work.

The firm has grown in size considerably since its formation in 2010. It now employs six lawyers and five paralegals.

Main Areas of Practice:
The firm’s practice is highly international with a strong commercial, corporate, M&A, banking and finance, and energy focus. Although a full-service Cyprus law firm, the firm's main areas of practice are: (a) banking and finance (such as asset finance, refinancing and debt restructuring, real estate financing, acquisition financing and corporate financing), (b) international and local mergers and acquisitions, (c) corporate (such as joint ventures, takeovers and restructurings), (d) private equity, (e) energy related projects (including the drafting of acquisition documents and commercial agreements), (f) general commercial work (such as preparing all types of commercial contracts, such as agency, distribution, franchising, supply of goods/services, outsourcing, manufacturing and licensing contracts), (g) real estate (including advice and negotiation on the terms of sale-purchase agreements and drafting of lease agreements), (h) shipping, and (i) privacy and data protection.

The majority of the firm’s work comes from referrals from international law firms in relation to the Cypriot element of international transactions that are usually run by overseas counsel, or by clients of such international law firms in relation to transactions that the firm will run itself for them directly from Cyprus. The firm, therefore, specialises in this type of transactions. Local corporate and banking work comes from Cypriot groups of companies (in various sectors) in relation to their legal work in Cyprus (and sometimes abroad) and also with respect to their advisory role with Cypriot banks as outsourced consultants.

The firm’s objective and commitment is to provide best-quality, practical and cost-effective advice/services to its clients and to rapidly respond to their instructions and needs. The firm has an expanding client base ranging from financial institutions, to high-net-worth individuals, a variety of corporate entities and multinational organisations (private/public company and funds), but despite the diversity of its clients, it recognises that each client is unique with particular business concerns and needs and, therefore, it exercises a personal commitment to all of its clients.

International Presence:
Although not having a physical presence out of Cyprus for the time being, the firm’s international presence is high since over 90% of the work that the firm undertakes is international.

The firm’s practice is highly international due to the advisory work undertaken for a plethora of international clients in various industry sectors such IT & telecoms, energy, oil & gas, mining, real estate, construction, retail, entertainment and general hospitality, pharmaceuticals, shipping/leasing, fintech, prop-tech and general ecommerce.

The firm is best known for its ability to provide practical and clear legal advice on transactional and general commercial work. It is very well known for its responsiveness to clients’ request and for its general availability to close a deal when needed to.

The firm is working with a diverse range of international clients including, between others:

• Some of the biggest banks in the world;
• International law firms, such as Hogan Lovells, CMS, Dentons (and now through Dentons Nextlaw network that the firm is a member of), Linklaters, Bird & Bird and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP;
• Europe’s biggest online food delivery company;
• A gold mining company with activities in various countries around the world;
• Various international investment companies;
• Global information technology corporations; and
• A sustainable energy service provider based in the UAE.