Andreas Neocleous & Co
Andreas Neocleous & Co was a Cyprus-based law firm founded in Limassol in 1965, known for cross-border legal work and a major 2017 bribery and corruption conviction.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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History
Andreas Neocleous & Co was founded in Limassol, Cyprus, in 1965 by Andreas Neocleous. From its Cyprus base, the firm developed into a legal-services practice aimed at international businesses and organisations. Its work centred on matters requiring knowledge of Cypriot law together with cross-border commercial, financial and disputes expertise. The firm's principal areas included cross-border investment and finance, shipping, and large-scale commercial litigation. It also maintained relationships with other law firms in specialist overseas sectors, including energy. This network complemented the firm's own international presence. In Cyprus, it operated offices in Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos. Its European footprint included Brussels, Kyiv, Prague and Budapest. The Limassol office additionally housed the Honorary Consulates of Japan and Portugal in Cyprus, giving the premises a wider international institutional role. During its period of prominence, Andreas Neocleous & Co was repeatedly recognised by international legal directories. It was reported as the only Cyprus firm to appear in Legal Business's Euro Elite selection of 100 influential European law firms and in The Lawyer's ranking of the 100 largest firms in Europe. Legal 500, PLC Which Lawyer, Chambers Guides and IFLR 1000 also identified it as a leading Cyprus practice. These references positioned the firm among the country's most visible providers of international commercial legal services. The firm was active in promoting licensed software and was often approached by international news organisations for comment on Cyprus's economic situation. Its international profile also intersected with contentious matters involving overseas parties and assets. One publicly reported dispute concerned Providencia, a trust fund described in the reference material as being worth hundreds of millions, over which the firm had been engaged in litigation in Cyprus and Russia. The firm's history was overshadowed by a criminal prosecution involving alleged improper use of public authority. On 8 February 2017, the Nicosia Criminal Court found former deputy attorney-general Rikkos Erotokritou, lawyers Andreas Kyprizoglou and Panayiotis Neocleous, and Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC guilty. The reported case alleged that the parties had colluded to arrange criminal proceedings against five Russian individuals and a company at the request or for the benefit of the law firm, which had been involved in a long-running dispute over Providencia. The reported offences included bribery, conspiracy and corruption. The available material does not provide a dependable account of the firm's post-2017 operations, dissolution, successor entities or current management. It also does not provide verifiable financial figures or a current official website. The brand is therefore best documented as a historically significant Cyprus law-firm name with an internationally oriented practice and a major legal scandal in its later publicly recorded history.
- 2017
Criminal conviction involving the firm
[1]On 8 February, the Nicosia Criminal Court found the firm and associated individuals guilty in a case involving bribery, conspiracy and corruption.
- 1965
Firm founded in Limassol
[1]Andreas Neocleous established the law firm in Limassol, Cyprus.
International office network developed
[1]The firm operated offices in Nicosia and Paphos as well as in Brussels, Kyiv, Prague and Budapest, and maintained specialist relationships with overseas firms.
Products and positioning
An internationally oriented Cyprus law firm focused on cross-border business, finance, shipping and complex commercial disputes.
Legal services
Cross-border investment and finance
Advice for international businesses and organisations on investments, financing structures and transactions involving Cyprus and other jurisdictions. The firm's international orientation made cross-border work a central part of its reported practice.
Legal services
Shipping law
Legal services for shipping and maritime-related commercial matters. Shipping was identified among the firm's principal spheres of activity, although the available source does not provide a detailed breakdown of specific services.
Legal services
Large-scale commercial litigation
Representation and advice in substantial commercial disputes, including cross-border proceedings. The firm's reported work included litigation connected with the ownership and control of the Providencia trust.
Controversies
2017
Bribery and corruption conviction
On 8 February 2017, the Nicosia Criminal Court found Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC and three associated individuals guilty in a case involving bribery, conspiracy and corruption. The reported allegations concerned an arrangement to initiate criminal proceedings against five Russian individuals and a company for the benefit of the firm in a dispute over the Providencia trust.
Marketing campaigns
- Licensed-software advocacy
Cyprus
The firm was described as an active proponent of the benefits of using licensed software.
Sources1 sources
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