Represented a client in relation to an action for multi-million-dollar damages on the basis of fraud and conspiracy to defraud. The matter involved coordination across a number of jurisdictions to protect the client’s ability to seek redress. We successfully obtained world-wide freezing orders against the defendants as well as disclosure orders against 3rd parties involved.
People
Contact Details
- T: +357 25 363685
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P.O Box 52441,
4064 Limassol, CyprusMichael Kyprianou House
116 Gladstonos Street
3032 Limassol
Cyprus
Languages Spoken
English, Greek
Marina Hadjisoteriou
Partner
“Marina Hadjisoteriou is an outstanding disputes resolution lawyer” – Legal 500 Latest Edition
Marina Hadjisoteriou is a Partner and the Head of the Dispute Resolution Department in Limassol.
Her main areas of practice are Asset Recovery, Cross-Border Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration and Insolvency.
Marina has consistently been recommended by The Legal 500 EMEA as a ‘Leading Individual’ for Dispute Resolution in Cyprus.
She has also been recommended as a Global Leader for Asset Recovery, Commercial Litigation and Insolvency in Cyprus by Who’s Who Legal (WWL).
She is described as ‘one of the best dispute resolution practitioners in Cyprus’, ‘with a keen eye for detail and strategy’ who ‘is extremely knowledgeable’ and ‘brings competence and experience to complex matters and a pleasure to work with’. (WWL 2021)
She ‘has been excellent – she was always available and kept us updated on any progress’. ‘A stand-out practitioner amongst her peers. Her ability to develop and implement a commercial strategy and her client focused approach makes Marina a pleasure to work with’. She ‘provides well-thought out options and alternatives. She is proactive and is quick to respond. The team is just great for the complex high-value disputes. This is especially so for the CIS-related disputes’. (The Legal 500 EMEA 2021).
She is praised for being ‘an outstanding disputes resolution lawyer. She is fully engaged in the matter and very efficiently manages the most complex cases’. Marina ‘has an eye for business and is adept at spotting the issues quickly and understanding the commercial realities for her clients. She is a strategist, with excellent legal abilities, a team player, very responsive and a pleasure to work with.’ She has also been praised for being ‘an excellent communicator and always on stand-by mode’ and ‘proactive and knowledgeable’. (The Legal 500 EMEA 2020).
She ‘handles complex disputes across multiple jurisdictions well’ (The Legal 500 EMEA 2019), ‘crafts a legal case like a spider crafts his web’ (The Legal 500 EMEA 2018) and ‘comprehends complex matters quickly and explains things well to clients’ (The Legal 500 EMEA 2017).
She has significant experience of international high value, complex fraud and asset tracing cases involving world-wide freezing orders, disclosure orders and gagging orders. She is usually involved in parallel, multi-jurisdictional cases, mainly involving Russia, Ukraine and the CIS and also offshore jurisdictions such as the BVI.
She has successfully represented parties in disputes arising out of breaches of shareholder agreements, breach of fiduciary duties and professional negligence. She has also successfully filed and defended liquidation applications by creditors or by minority shareholders alleging oppression.
She is also vastly experienced in obtaining orders for the recognition of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards in Cyprus.
She has significant experience in all aspects of insolvency law and is frequently instructed to act for local or foreign office holders (liquidators, provisional liquidators, receivers and trustees in bankruptcy).
Her clients include multi-nationals, banks and high-net-worth individuals.
Marina is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
She is also one of the Directors of the Cyprus Arbitration Forum (CAF) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Russian and CIS Arbitration Network (RCAN).
She is often invited to speak at international conferences.
Marina is also a member of the Cypriot charitable organisation Sophia Foundation for Children. She visited the projects of the Foundation in Kenya in February 2017 along with four other volunteers. The volunteers did voluntary work with the guidance of the people in charge. They then ascended Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest mountain in Africa. The whole mission had the scope to create awareness and to promote the work of the Foundation in its struggle to support children in need, both in Cyprus and in Kenya, as well as the concept of volunteering in general.
Practice Area Specialization
Credentials
Education
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)(2020)
Barrister–at–Law of The Middle Temple(2009)
LLB (Hons), Bar Vocational Course (BVC), University of Law, London (2009)
Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), University of Law, London (2008)
BSc in Accounting & Economics, University of Southampton, First Class Honours (2007)
Professional Memberships
International Bar Association (ΙΒΑ)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
Cyprus Bar Association (CBA)
The Middle Temple
Accolades
Marina has consistently been recommended by The Legal 500 EMEA as a ‘Leading Individual’ for Dispute Resolution in Cyprus.
She has also been recommended as a Global Leader for Asset Recovery, Commercial Litigation and Insolvency in Cyprus by Who’s Who Legal (WWL).
Career progression
Partner, Michael Kyprianou & Co LLC (since 2019)
Head of the Limassol Litigation Department, Michael Kyprianou & Co LLC (since 2013)
Associate, Michael Kyprianou & Co LLC (2010-2012)
Legal Counsel, Michael Kyprianou & Co LLC (2009-2010)
Experience
Represented an investor in civil proceedings for the recovery of assets against an investment firm on the grounds of fraud and misappropriation of funds. We successfully obtained an interim freezing order against the investment firm, including its bank accounts and personal funds of its director who was personally involved. We also successfully obtained summary judgment in our client’s favour.
Represented an Investment Firm in a high-value action for alleged fraud and obtaining money by false representations. The allegation was that the investment firm induced an investor to make trades that were manipulated, causing a loss to the investor. We successfully defended our clients who were acquitted of all counts after a substantive hearing.
Has successfully represented the Russian subsidiary of an international law firm in a liquidation application it has filed against a Cypriot company. The liquidation application was filed due to the failure of the Cypriot company to settle invoices for legal services provided in relation to the recording of transfer of rights on trademarks (of a well-known brand of Vodka) in its favour in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Has successfully represented one of the biggest suppliers of Russian coal to the international market that delivers coal to more than 40 countries word-wide in its application for the recognition and registration in Cyprus of a foreign arbitral award issued by the London Maritime Arbitrators Association in its favour and against a Cypriot company.
Was part of an international team handling a high profile cross border action in relation to a dispute between the owners of a substantial Russian oil refinery in Krasnodar, Russia which was valued in 2016 at approximately USD $600 million. A number of cases in Cyprus and the BVI had been filed as a result of this dispute.
Has applied to the Cyprus Courts on behalf of international clients for the liquidation of companies on the basis that the companies were unable to pay their debts. One of these clients was one of the largest Dutch banks which had provided a loan in the amount of USD $70 million to a Cypriot company. A settlement was reached between the parties following the filing of the liquidation application against the debtor Cypriot company.
Has acted on behalf a Ukrainian client in relation to a dispute against her former spouse. The client was seeking a percentage of the shares held by her former spouse in two Cypriot companies through a BVI company. The main activity of the said companies is the resale of components for railway machines and cars that are produced in Ukraine. The respondents (the former spouse, the two Cypriot companies and the BVI company) unsuccessfully challenged the jurisdiction of the Cyprus courts to try the matter. In addition, the respondents attempted to have the initiating application that was filed in Cyprus set aside, on grounds of procedural invalidity in relation to the filing of the application and service on the respondents residing outside the jurisdiction of the Court. This was dismissed by …
Was part of the team that filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Cyprus, on behalf of the substantial German bank Commerzbank, against a first instance judgment discharging a worldwide freezing injunction that had been issued in favour of Commerzbank. The injunction had been issued in support of arbitration proceedings filed by Commerzbank in Frankfurt against, inter alia, a Cyprus company. This Cyprus company had guaranteed the payment obligations of the buyers of a Ukrainian Bank. Commerzbank was the seller in the said transaction and was alleging that the purchase consideration (exceeding USD 120 million) was due to it. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and reissued the freezing injunction that had been discharged. It also issued an extensive disclosure of assets order against the Cyprus …
Was instructed by an investment services company licensed by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and successfully opposed a world-wide freezing order in the amount of USD $2million issued against it by a Cypriot Court. The freezing order was issued on the application of a Romanian former client of the company, in aid of Court proceedings in Romania. A very important point of law was also raised which was whether an interim order issued by a Cyprus Court in aid of the Romanian Court proceedings could cover assets outside of Cyprus. The Court held that it could not. It is noted that jurisdictional matters arose both in the Cypriot and Romanian procedures with the company alleging that the Cypriot Court had jurisdiction to hear the main case and not the Romanian Court, due to a contract …
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