N. Pirilides: “Our clients’ feedback proves our legacy of exceptional legal service”

As N. Pirilides & Associates LLC celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, its Founder and Managing Director Neofytos Pirilides talks about what keeps his firm competitive and the key to its success.

N. Pirilides & Associates LLC is celebrating 40 years of operation this year; that’s a major milestone.

Indeed, this year we are celebrating 40 years of successful operation in the market. For 40 years, our law firm has been providing in-depth, tailor-made legal advice and has been representing local and international clients with best-in-class legal service and unmatched ethos, which we are extremely proud of. The firm has created solid foundations in its many years of presence, which serve as a sign of the firm’s bright future.

What services does the firm offer its clients?

Even though our firm is considered a boutique law firm, throughout the years we have managed to build a team that can serve and accommodate all clients’ legal and business needs.

And, what are Pirilides’ key areas of expertise?

The firm focuses on Dispute Resolution, Commercial and Corporate and Real Estate.

Our law firm has one of the finest litigation teams in Cyprus and heavy-duty and high-value disputes have always accounted for the most extensive part of its workload, with an emphasis on civil and commercial litigation, and arbitration proceedings with an international dimension. We are heavily involved in fraud claims, shareholders’ disputes, asset tracing, registration and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Cyprus, as well as mandatory and prohibitory orders and freezing injunctions.

Our Corporate and Commercial Department regularly advises both local and international clients on the entire scope of corporate and commercial matters, stretching from Mergers & Acquisitions to joint ventures, and from shareholders’ agreements to all types of corporate services. The team regularly handles an array of high-value deals for, inter alia, local and international corporations and holding companies.

Finally, our Real Estate and Construction practice team is skilled at handling largescale construction and real estate projects, representing some of the biggest local real estate development companies and mainly foreign Ultra-High-Net-Worth investors. We cover all corners of the real estate and construction market, from the sale/purchase of immovable properties and project finance to construction disputes.

I am extremely proud to say that our team has the expertise to advise on a broad range of multifaceted legal matters, with a 360-degree perspective.

How do you ensure that Pirilides keeps its competitive position in the Cypriot market?

2023 was another difficult year for the legal sector. We have seen innumerable economic challenges, ranging from high inflation to trade deficits, the pandemic effects, the cost-of-living crisis etc. We have seen various political challenges, ranging from the consequences of the invasion in Ukraine, the environmental crisis, and so on. Nevertheless, our firm has proved that it can overcome situations like these and still remain competitive.

Our aim is simple: to offer a high quality of service; and this is what keeps us competitive. Our clients’ feedback proves our legacy of exceptional legal service. Clients, and particularly long existing clients, are our key to success and our priority.

Our core strength comes from our people who are the most valuable asset of the firm and the energy that drives us forward. We always try to keep our team technically knowledgeable and up to date.

We remain loyal to our core values and ethical standards and we are always transparent to clients and at their disposal at any time, individually and collectively.

After more than 40 years of practice, what motivates you to still be as active as you are?

The idea of becoming a lawyer first came to me at the age of 9 after I watched an American series called “Run for your life”, where the protagonist, who was a lawyer, had a passion and ethos that marked me for life. After so many years of personal practice, law still remains my passion.

Legal work is organic and continuously evolving, always creating new challenges. My motivation has always been and still is today to successfully offer clients the best quality of legal service and advice, and find solutions that would best meet their needs.

What role does Corporate Social Responsibility play in Pirilides’ overall strategy?

N. Pirilides & Associates LLC is fully aware of and has a genuine commitment to respecting the economy, our community and the environment, in the best interest of all stakeholders.

Our firm strongly believes in and supports both equality and diversity within the work environment and in general, as vital pillars for the overall success of individuals and the firm.

We undertake volunteer work and community service within the local community in our areas of choice, either through public or private non-governmental or charitable organisations, initiatives and events. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, the firm voluntarily helps clean up Limassol’s beaches every year in cooperation with the organisation ‘Save Your Hood’. Another indication of our firm’s corporate sensitivity is the voluntary involvement of our team member Marilena Pirilidou in the ‘Dr Yiota Demetriou- the Dancing Queen Foundation’, which is a non-profit organisation, formed to positively impact the lives of children.

How do you see the firm evolving in the coming years?

The firm has created solid foundations in these 40 years of presence, which serve as a sign of its bright future. During these years, we have managed to put together a strong team of passionate and high-performing lawyers, which will be the force that drives the firm to even higher achievements in times ahead. The firm shall continue to grow and evolve while remaining competitive, as its ‘new era’ of partners take over.

We shall continue to explore ways to achieve greater productivity by providing our people with flexibility and allowing them to work without adhering to traditional boundaries. We have already demonstrated that we can adapt swiftly to new processes and technologies as the legal industry in Cyprus evolves.

Finally, legal tech is definitely another route to technological progression. In 2022, we developed our own patented legal software programme called FolderLegal, which has been tailored to the specific needs of our firm and our clients. The use of FolderLegal has significantly improved time efficiency and case management. It has proven to be an environmentally friendly modern legal diary and an efficient case management software. Our goal is to promote the software and make it available for other legal firms to use in the very near future.