Alexis Erotocritou

Awards

Languages Spoken

Greek, English

Education

Practice Areas

Alexis' is a leading authority in Cyprus on private client matters and is consistently ranked as a “Band 1” lawyer by all leading international directories. His practice primarily focuses on private client, real estate, corporate and banking/finance related matters.

Nature of work handled in general

He has extensive experience acting on private client matters and is trusted by the world’s most prominent and renowned entrepreneurs, international families but also trust companies and family offices, assisting them with related matters. His work often relates to their estate planning, structures and personal affairs and this frequently involves complex corporate, banking, real estate, international tax and estate planning. Alexis also regularly advises foreign residents on immigration matters, including on the most tax efficient way to structure Cypriot investments or a move to the island.

Moreover, Alexis frequently acts on behalf of borrowers and financial institutions across a broad spectrum of high value corporate, banking and finance and real estate transactions, as well as rendering advice on the mechanics of various security structures. He also advised a plethora of conglomerates, development companies, HNW and UHWNI in relation to their real estate projects and investments in and out of Cyprus, some of which constitute the largest related transactions which have ever taken place in Cyprus.

Awards

Alexis is regularly featured in leading legal directories which, in recognition of his achievements, have independently elicited selected clients’ comments which recognise his “very strong work ethic and entrepreneurial attitude” (Chambers and Partners) and have referred to him as “an extremely knowledgeable strategic thinker”, (IFLR 1000), “dynamic and methodical” (Who’s Who Legal).

Chambers and Partners (High Wealth) (for several years) recognised Alexis as a “Band 1” lawyer in Cyprus, who, according to the directory, wins high praise for his combination of technical skill and an approachable manner. Chambers recognised that Alexis maintains a strong reputation for international work and especially with regards to HNWI.

Alexis has been also listed for many consecutive years by Legal 500 as a (Tier1) leading individual in Real Estate and Banking/Finance.

Moreover, he has been recognised consistently as a leading figure by IFLR in corporate/financial matters.

WhosWhoLegal and Bestlawyers also declared Alexis as a recognised figure in the European banking space, highlighted for his first-class corporate finance and banking practice, in assisting HNW and UHNWI individuals with their personal affairs. It is worth mentioning that the directory praised Alexis and the firm, for offering “’an all-embracing range of services to HNW and UNHW individuals, encompassing a broad cross-section of contentious and non-contentious matters, which may require the intervention and involvement of several legal disciplines”.

Examples of work in the private client sphere

Typical work includes, amongst others, advice on:

Administration of trusts

Administrative appeals against decisions of public authorities

Banking

Consumer law issues

Employment

Estate planning

Immigration

Inheritance tax

Personal injury matters

Real estate

Tax Planning

Wills and probate

Publications

Alexis has authored various publications, mainly in the areas of immigration, tax, real estate, corporate governance, securities and banking. Among others, he was the co-author of the Cyprus Annual Report on Shareholding Disclosure and Short Selling, and the author of the Pre-Insolvency Enforceability of Derivative Transactions under Cyprus Laws. Alexis has also contributed the Cyprus Annual Chapter on various topics for various directories/guides, such as the Legal500, Getting the Deal Through, Lexology, ILO, etc. Alexis has also lectured at the European University of Cyprus.

Work Highlights

Recent work in private client sectors

As regards the private client (and real estate sectors), Alexis acted for and advised on the set up of several 5* hotels in Cyprus but also on the construction, development and acquisition of some of the largest ever real estate projects in Cyprus.

Moreover, Alexis has also advised a plethora of HNW and UHNWI on estate planning, tax, immigration and other related issues.

Alexis has been previously involved in the team advising on the high profile divorce of two UHNWIs, before London Courts, whereby the award issued is considered as one of the largest ever in history, exceeding €500m.

He has also been involved in the team advising the heirs of an UHNW in probate proceedings, exceeding $4b billion.

In 2022, Alexis was instructed by an UHNWI listed in Forbes to set up a trust which shall comprise billions of assets in several jurisdictions.

Recently, Alexis (advising on selected private client matters) was part of the local team acting as Cypriot counsel in relation to global litigation proceedings between Russian oligarchs (the value of dispute exceeded $2b) before the Supreme Court of NY. The case was at the time one of the most high-profile cases pending in the global litigation sphere and has been described as ‘the biggest oligarch battle in the US’.

Other experience on related fields, such as corporate, commercial and finance

Other related experience includes acting for a major multinational corporation in relation to the largest-in-size debt restructuring which took place in Cyprus, in excess of $700m and acting for the lenders’ on the refinancing of a secured facility exceeding $350m to one of the largest international agricultural companies.

In the past, Alexis has also advised a major international telecommunication corporation, in relation to the sale of its stake for a total contract value of €208 million. Moreover, he recently acted for the lenders on the refinancing of a $600 million secured facility whilst he has also advised a leading Eastern European group on a US$180 million tender offer and US$400 million new note issue.