Lia Iordanou Theodoulou

Practice Areas

Corporate Finance; Banking Law; Ship and Aircraft Finance; M&A; Restructuring & Ιnsolvency; Foreign Investment; Commercial Law; Real Estate, Trusts and Asset Protection

Lia Iordanou Theodoulou specialises in Corporate and Finance law, advising on Corporate Finance, Banking, M&A, and Commercial matters for both local and international clients. She has particular expertise in Ship and Aircraft finance, Restructuring and Insolvency, and cross-border Investment Transactions.

Lia also advises on Real Estate, Trusts, and Asset Protection, regularly supporting High-Net-Worth Individuals, family offices, and multinational corporations with complex transactions and Strategic Structuring across Cyprus and other international jurisdictions.

Career

Lia Iordanou Theodoulou is a Partner at AGPLAW, specializing in corporate finance, M&A, and commercial law in general. With over 30 years of experience, she has built a strong reputation for advising multinational corporations, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals on structuring and executing sophisticated transactions and offering clients strategic solutions, tailored to their personal and business needs.

Lia has extensive experience in all types of financing transactions, including ship and aircraft finance, as well as financial law, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial law in general, including real estate, trusts and asset protection. Additionally, she is well-versed in EU sanctions compliance, ensuring that businesses operate within the strict regulatory framework imposed in the recent years.

She is recommended by international legal directories as a leading practitioner in Cyprus for banking and finance and corporate and commercial. Focusing on cross-border transactions, she advises major international banks, financial institutions, borrowers and multinational organizations, on finance matters, corporate restructurings, reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and generally on all aspects of major and complex transactions.

Lia is a member of several professional bodies, including IBA, STEP and the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and she is also member of the Board of the Cyprus Fiduciary Association. She is the author of several articles on financial, corporate and commercial law matters, real estate and trusts and regularly participates at seminars and conferences in Cyprus and abroad.

Professional Memberships

Honourable Society of Gray's Inn; IBA; English Bar Association; Cyprus Bar Association; STEP; Corporate and Securities Law Group; Vice President CBA Committee on Environment and Energy; Member CBA Committee on Shipping and Aviation

Publications

Lia has authored numerous articles, guides and chapters, in international guides and publications.

Work Highlights

Acted for an investment manager regulated by the DFSA in relation to a loan financing of GBP 10,000,000. Advised from a Cyprus law perspective, reviewed and commented on the senior term facility agreement; drafted and negotiated all the Cyprus security documents including share pledges, debentures and bank account charges and saw to the conditions subsequent being fulfilled.

Assisted the lenders in a EUR100 million financing to a Belgian-based software development business in respect of the release of the security; we had also advised in the original financing. We provided advice, negotiated, commented on the global deed of release and drafted relevant Cyprus documentation for the release of the Cyprus security.

Advising a Cyprus company from a corporate law, finance law and sanctions perspective in respect of the change of its company secretary, a designated/sanctioned entity; as well as the validity of security which was in place before the current sanctions regime.

Engaged by one of UAE’s leading financial institutions and advising on corporate and finance matters and issuing a legal opinion in respect of corporate guarantees provided by a Cyprus company, member of a prestigious international contractor group operating in the oil and gas, energy and infrastructure sectors in the Middle East region.

Advised along with a USA and a UK firm one of the largest digital exchange and trading platforms in its acquisition of a Cyprus investment firm; carrying out the legal and corporate due diligence, negotiating, reviewing, commenting and advising on the share sale and purchase agreement and other definitive agreements and documents, advising on all Cyprus law aspects and requirements, including corporate, tax and employment issues, supporting with documentation, and compiling due diligence reports and legal opinions.

Advising a Cyprus company on the sale of its two wholly owned subsidiary EU companies, which jointly own another EU subsidiary, which itself owns a hotel in Vienna. Being involved in the negotiations of the SPA, the Escrow agreement and other relevant documentation, issued legal opinions and confirmations in respect of the authority of certain attorneys under a special proxy voting power of attorney and also advising the seller on all legal aspects of the acquisition from a Cyprus perspective.

Provided legal advice to an investment and developing holding company concerning a pioneering resort development project in Limassol. We advised on the sale of the shares of the land-owning company. Negotiated and commented on the share sale and purchase agreement, and all other transaction documents.

Languages Spoken

Greek

English

Industry Sector Expertise

Corporate Finance & M&A – Extensive experience in structuring and executing complex financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets work.

Banking & Financial Law – Advises on a wide range of financial matters, including lending, refinancing, credit transactions, and regulatory compliance.

Commercial & Corporate Law – Strategic advice on corporate structuring, general commercial agreements, and business operations.

Ship and Aircraft Finance – Experience in specialised asset finance for maritime and aviation sectors.

Restructuring & Insolvency – Advises on corporate restructuring, reorganisations and related financial restructuring matters.

Foreign Investment & Cross‑Border Work – Strong track record advising multinational corporations and international investors on Cyprus‑linked investments and cross‑border transactions.

Real Estate, Trusts & Asset Protection – Skilled in property matters, fiduciary planning and asset protection strategies.

Regulatory & Sanctions Compliance – Well‑versed in evolving EU regulatory regimes, including sanctions compliance

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Lia advises primarily on Cyprus law while regularly handling cross-border transactions and investments.

Her practice spans EU, UK, and international jurisdictions, particularly in corporate finance, M&A, restructuring, and asset finance, ensuring compliance with multi-jurisdictional regulatory frameworks.