The recent amendments to Article 111 of the Constitution, the Marriage Law (Law 104/2003), the Family Courts Law (Law 23/1990) and the Law on Attempted Conciliation and Spiritual Resolution of Marriage (Law 22/1990) contributed to the urgent and long sought modernisation of the old family law, which was not in line with European and international standards.
Discover an overview of our Real Estate Practice; our Real Estate team is featured in this month’s IMH Gold Magazine “Large-scale real estate developments in Cyprus”.
Harris Kyriakides team successfully completed the 5km corporate race at the OPAP Limassol Marathon.
Join Harris Kyriakides at UCLan Cyprus Career Fair 2023.
Harris Kyriakides proudly supports the UCY UN EU Club Cyprus delegation to Harvard WorldMUN 2023, empowering the next generation of leaders to engage in impactful discussions and address global challenges with innovative solutions.
Harris Kyriakides attended the 23rd Annual Career & Internship Exhibition 2023 of the European University Cyprus held yesterday. Our dedicated team was thrilled to connect with aspiring professionals sharing how their skills and passion could align with our dynamic organisation.
Discover your career possibilities with Harris Kyriakides.
On this International Women's Day, we proudly Embrace Equity and celebrate women across the globe.
Our summer internship programme is designed to give an insight to what Harris Kyriakides is really like.
Discover the latest insights of the insurance law team at Harris Kyriakides in the InBusiness Magazine “Insurtech 2023” special feature, as our partner Nicolas Kyriakides explores our comprehensive range of legal services and examines the upcoming challenges facing the insurance industry.
On 24 February 2023 the European Union (“EU”) has approved a tenth package of Russia sanctions. The package includes tighter export restrictions regarding dual-use goods as well as measures against entities supporting the war, spreading propaganda or delivering drones used by Russia. Specifically, this package contains the following elements:
The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) has published its draft principles and commentary on Digital Assets and Private Law.
In a Judgment dated 13 January 2023 Harris Kyriakides representing a reputable credit acquisition company (the Plaintiff) successfully obtained a judgment against Defendants 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (the Guarantors) in a claim relating to credit facilities. In relation to Defendants 1, 7, 8 and 9, a judgment in agreement was obtained against them on 2.12.2022 and their counterclaim was retrieved without costs.
The European Parliament and the Council on 24 November 2021 adopted the Directive (EU) 2021/2118 aiming to modernise and amend the Directive 2009/103/EC relating to insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles, and the enforcement of the obligation to insure against such liability.
The Department of the Registrar of Companies has recently announced that access to the Cyprus UBO Register has been restored for obliged entities that have AML duties pursuant to Cyprus law.
The Supreme Courts of Cyprus, exercising constitutional powers and having regard to the extensive delays in the adjudication of civil cases before District Courts in Cyprus, has enacted an interim fast track civil procedure for delayed cases.
Harris Kyriakides announces that on 1 January 2023, Georgina Athanasiou has been promoted to the position of Partner.
The European Data Protection Board changes the framework by which data breach notifications should take place under GDPR for non – EU businesses.
The Department of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property of Cyprus announced its intention to strike off all registered Cyprus companies that have defaulted on payment of the annual levy for any year prior to 2022.
On 6 October, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) unanimously found that the extradition of a Taiwanese national to China, which Poland’s courts had cleared earlier, would place him at significant risk of ill-treatment, torture violating his Human Rights.
Harris Kyriakides has welcomed international students from the University of Oxford and UCLAn Cyprus, for our winter online micro-internship scheme.
Following the recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in joined cases, C-37/20 and C-601/20 issued on 22 November 2022, the Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property has announced the suspension of access to the Register of Beneficial Owners for the public.
Businesses have until 27 December 2022 to migrate all contracts that use the old standard contractual clauses to the new model contract clauses (i.e. standard contractual clauses) for international data transfers from EU to third countries.
The legislation was prompted by a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which allows the district courts to examine cases of unfair terms in their own initiative. This ruling was issued following requests by EU Member States for an interpretation of the EU Directive 93/13 and whether national procedural principles may limit the powers of the national courts when assessing contractual terms which can potentially be unfair.[1] More specifically, the issue that was examined was the following: are principles of national law that do not allow the assessment at the enforcement stage, including the enforcing court of its own motion, because of the existence of prior national judicial decisions, compatible with Directive 93/13?
In the latest issue of Forbes magazine by Phileleftheros, Harris Kyriakides presents how we manage to offer top-quality legal services by merging legal knowledge with innovating ideas.
You can find the article here.
On 22 February 2021, certain provisions relating to the Central Agency for Equal Distribution of Burdens (Creation, Objects, Responsibilities, and Other Related Matters) Law of 1989 (as amended) (No. 2) (the Law) were amended resulting in the imposition of a levy amounting to 0,40% of the sale proceeds arising from all immovable property disposals in the Republic of Cyprus (the Levy).
The court's verdict was that there was medical negligence, due to which the plaintiff suffered an everlasting serious bodily injury but did not award damages for future wage loss.
On 14 November 2022, the Cyprus Parliament endorsed a series of amendments to the law on the Protection of Competition of 2022 (Law 13(I)/2022), on the basis of proposals from the Standing Committee on Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism.
The Directive (EU) 2019/790 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (the Copyright Directive) has finally been transposed in Cyprus law.
‘’Being a game changer means not accepting the rules and standards for success set by others but having the courage to go out there, challenging norms and established practices, and forging a new path’’
An informative conference on “New Civil Procedure Rules: Personal Injury Claims” was hosted last Wednesday by the Cyprus Forum of Insurance Lawyers in association with the Limassol Bar Association.
For many years, the law in relation to bereavement damages has been outdated and is not reflecting today’s modern society and ensuring a level playing field across the UK and the rest of the world including Cyprus.
Pursuant to an amendment to the Transfer and Mortgage of Property Law (the TMP Law), on 10 November 2022, the Cyprus Parliament introduced a suspension to foreclosure processes until 31 January 2023. The amending legislation amends section 62 of the TMP Law and stipulates that the application of the provisions of Part VIA of the Transfer and Mortgage of Property Law regarding the sale of mortgaged properties is temporarily suspended until 31st of January 2023.
Article 4(7)(b) deals with extra-territorial offences, and allows an executing state to refuse execution where the offence is committed out with the territory of the issuing state and the executing state does not allow prosecution for the same offence committed outside its territory.
On 8 September 2022, under the European Union’s (EU) Unfair Contract Terms Directive, it was held that the application of national case law was forbidden, as replacing an unfair term with a supplementary national provision would likely expose the consumer to harsher circumstances.
CJEU clarification in relation to the scope of the Ne Bis in Idem principle in third-country sentences. The CJEU gave its judgment[1] in relation to the interpretation of article 4(5) of the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (FD EAW).
New legislation has been passed in Cyprus, providing for the opportunity for ship-owners to establish a Limited Liability Shipping Company (LLSC).
On October 6, 2022, the European Union (the EU) adopted the eighth package of restrictive measures (sanctions) against Russia in response to “Russia's continued escalation and illegal war against Ukraine, including by illegally annexing Ukrainian territory based on sham “referenda”, mobilizing additional troops, and issuing open nuclear threats”.
On 9 June 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) dismissed the actions brought by Apple Inc. (Apple) against the decisions of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) revoking the "Think Different" trademark (the Trademark) of Apple due to non-use.
The importance for enterprises to know and take action when they identify any event of loss or misplacement of documents containing personal data cannot be overstated.
“The sky is the limit and the possibilities are endless.”
Great news for Harris Kyriakides Tax Litigation Team, shortlisted among the best Cyprus law firms on tax in the ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2022 for two categories, including “Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year”.
Thank you to Gold Magazine “The Legal Issue” for featuring Harris Kyriakides among the best law firms in Cyprus in 2022.
BIMCO issued the new Infectious or Contagious Disease Clause for Time Charter Parties 2022 replacing the 2015 Disease Clause to provide a revised standard clause for Time Charter Parties in cases of future pandemics and epidemics.
The Transfer and Mortgage of Property (Amended) (No. 4) Law of 2022 (the Bill) was adopted in Parliament on 14.07.2022 in order to reinstate the targeted suspension of the foreclosure process until the 31st October 2022. The reason behind the suspension of the process of sale of mortgaged properties is due to the ongoing and intensifying impact of Ukrainian war, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have induced on both the economic and social effects.
In the past years, the significant and uncontrollable issue of non-performing loans, alternatively referred to as ‘red loans’, has seen a rise in both private loans and household loans.In comparison with other European Countries, Cyprus holds the highest-ranking of non-performing loans following Greece.
On 30 June 2022 the Cyprus House of Representatives enacted an elaborate transfer pricing framework.
The EU has approved six packages of sanctions in response to Russia's unprecedented and unprovoked military offense against Ukraine. The measures are aimed at limiting the Kremlin's ability to finance the war and cause clear economic and political costs to Russia and to Russian individuals who are connected to the regime.
Harris Kyriakides is pleased to announce our collaboration with University of Oxford and Oxford University Careers Service for the ninth consecutive year, offering summer internships to Oxford University law students in Cyprus.
On 23 February 2022, the European Commission published its proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (the Proposal), aiming to apply cross-sectoral mandatory obligations on companies to implement robust processes to manage human rights, governance and environment risks within their own business and value chains.
The European Commission has published Questions and Answers (Q&A) on standard contractual clauses for data transfers under the Regulation 2016/679, (General Data Protection Regulation- GDPR).
The Hellenic Data Protection Authority (the Authority) supervises the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as other relevant laws and regulations concerning the protection of individuals from the processing of personal data in Greece.
The 4-year anniversary of the GDPR Regulation (EU) 2016/679, a short overview from the Office of the Cyprus Commissioner for Personal Data Protection.
As of today, June 1st, 2022, the Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry in Cyprus has allowed access to the general public on the Register of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) of Cyprus companies.
Following a recent amendment of the Law an Insurer may no longer be able to avoid satisfying a Court Judgments concerning third-party motor claim, regardless of whether an Insurance Policy was issued because of material non-disclosure and/or false statements.
In the Pre – Brexit world European Insurers dealing with UK parties could rely on Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 setting out the legal framework on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (Brussels Recast Regulation).[1]
The establishment of the Commercial Court and Admiralty Court and the modernization of the justice system.
This article briefly describes the arrangements made by financial institutions in the Republic of Cyprus to facilitate the opening of bank accounts for seafarers affected by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
The amended Bill of The Purchase and Sale of Credit Facilities and Related Matters (Amended) Law of 2021 (“the Bill”) was drafted, in order to establish the creation of a framework and supervision of credit facility acquiring companies.
EU sanctions are enacted as Regulations (for Russia, e.g. Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014, Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014, both as amended), having immediate effect in all member states as soon as they are published in the Official Journal of the EU.
CASPs must register with CySEC in order to be able to provide encryption exchange services within the regulatory framework.
Cyprus Courts issue their first judgment awarding civil law damages for breach of competition laws.
EU introduces a comprehensive regulatory framework on digital operational resilience in the financial sector.
In an effort to facilitate effective waste management and enhance environmental protection, Cyprus has adopted legislation that implements the Extended Producer Responsibility Principle, regulating the assumption of responsibility by importers and manufacturers of selected products for financing and implementing the necessary infrastructure that would enable consumers to return a product when it becomes a waste.
Once a European patent is granted and published, the patent owner needs to take steps so as to validate the patent in each of the designated EU Member States within a specific time limit.
Our summer internship programme is designed to give an insight to what Harris Kyriakides is really like.
The electronic registration system (iJustice) has been fully implemented since 1st February, 2022, which marks an important step in the process of quality upgrade of the country's justice system.
In a recent decision issued in the context of an application for interim orders (the application), handled by our law firm, the court came up to very important findings regarding the residual powers of the directors of a company in receivership.
European legislative proposals to decarbonise the EU gas market and to ensure energy security for all citizens in Europe intended to facilitate a shift into renewable energy.
Complaint for lack of organizational security measures by former employee results in violation of the GDPR Regulation.
This article briefly sets out general overview of the fines imposed for GDPR violations in 2021 and how they increased compared to 2020.
This article briefly sets out the guidelines of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, Irini Loizidou, for the use CCTV surveillance in private properties.
This article focuses on the approach followed by the courts in Cyprus in instances where borrowers allege that they did not know the Greek language, and thus were not able to understand the terms of the loan agreement.
The Office of the Cyprus Registrar for State Aid has announced the inauguration of the Cyprus Central State Aid and De Minimis Registry.
The Larnaca District Court issued a decision in lawsuit no. 589/13, in which amongst others, the Court dealt with allegations of the existence of abusive clauses in the disputed loan agreement as it involved a loan in Swiss Francs.
A legislative proposal was submitted to the Parliament to lengthen the statutory deadline which protects trapped buyers.
The European legislation on waste electrical and electronic equipment, packaging and batteries has been transposed into Cypriot law and it deals with entities generating such hazardous waste in Cyprus.
The firm has chosen to begin their celebrations on the European Day of Justice, celebrated every year on October 25.
Directives issued by the European Union are legislative acts which guide the Member States to act in a particular way in order to achieve a uniform result.
In many legal systems, Motor Third Party Liability Insurance (“MTPL”) is not an optional choice, but, on the contrary obligatory, and its main purpose is to ensure that innocent third parties involved in car accidents have access to adequate compensation.
The Rent Control (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) (No. 3) Law of 2020, was ruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court following its referral by the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
In June of 2019, the European Union adopted a directive that targets the limitation of single-use plastics (SUPs) and marine litter. Two years later, Cyprus has yet to implement the Directive into national law.
The French Competition Authority fined the tech giant Google with a whopping € 500 million fine for not abiding by one of its decisions.
As we live in the information era, it is becoming ever more difficult to protect our personal data as they are accessed by countless of websites.
This article briefly examines what businesses can and should do to prevent cyberattacks and sufficiently limit their damages from cyberattacks and ensure GDPR compliance.
On 13 September 2021, the provisions of the Social Insurance (Contributions) (Amending) Regulations of 2017 (the Provisions), entered into force by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
Blockchain technology, has come to prominence since the creation of Bitcoin back in 2009. In sum, Blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger system that stores and records information in blocks.
The new partners are Andrea Newton, Eleni Neoptolemou and Ioanna Leonidou.
The European Data Protection Board recently issued guidelines regarding requirements of Virtual Voice Assistants (VVA) to be GDPR compliant (the Guidelines).
On 10 June 2021 the European Banking Authority (EBA) published its revised Guidelines on major incident reporting under the Payment Service Directive (PSD2).
The ‘Ever Given’, the containership that blocked the Suez Canal in March 2021, is now finally on its way after being detained for over 3 months. However, legal issues in relation to the incident are expected to drag on.
CySEC has published a Directive on ‘the Register of Providers of Services Regarding Crypto Assets’, under powers conferred by Law 188(I)/2007 on ‘Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing’.
This article briefly examines legal opportunities for the protection of trade secrets against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure in Cyprus.
Last call for applications for trainees for 2021 – 2022. The deadline for applications is July 30, 2021.
Harris Kyriakides is pleased to collaborate for the eigth consecutive year with the University of Oxford Internship Office, offering summer internships to Oxford University law students in Cyprus.
We are accepting 2021-2022 training contract applications with the view to begin the recruitment process this summer.
The EU Enforcement Atlas Project is a project funded by the European Commission and initiated by the Centre of European Constitutional Law (Athens, Greece) and the European Union International of the Judicial Officers (UIHJ), aiming to provide information on enforcement procedures in the EU member states.
In our Cyprus Tax Litigation Case Law Bulletin for 2020, you may find a summary of important tax litigation decisions of the Administrative Court and the Supreme Court in Cyprus that were issued in 2020.
A recent report published by the World Bank advised against investment in LNG, branding its role in shipping decarbonisation as limited. LNG provides ready solutions to existing IMO emissions regulations and features several advocates.
In December 2020 Cyprus launched an unsuccessful tender for re-establishment of the Cyprus/Greece ferry connection. A new tender on more viable terms is on the cards, which could further address concerns raised by the Larnaca authorities.
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