Areas of Practice
Senior Associate Dimitris Papapolyviou has notable experience in a wide spectrum of corporate and commercial law disputes, and primarily practises in the areas of corporate and commercial litigation and energy law.
He is regularly involved in complex, high-value commercial disputes before the Courts of Cyprus, with special focus on corporate disputes and the issuance of interlocutory relief.
In addition, Dimitris advises clients on various regulatory and commercial aspects of the electricity, hydrocarbons, and renewable energy markets in Cyprus. He currently serves as the President of the Committee on Environment and Energy law of the Cyprus Bar Association, and is a member of the Environment and Climate Change Committee of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).
In January 2024, Dimitris was appointed by the Council of Ministers as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA), the public entity responsible for the import, storage, distribution, transmission, supply and trading of natural gas, and the management of the distribution and supply system of natural gas in Cyprus.
The Legal 500 EMEA recommends Dimitris as a “Rising Star” for dispute resolution.
“I have worked with Dimitris Papapolyviou, and have found him analytically very sound, and very practical and sensible in his approach.” The Legal 500
Admitted
- Cyprus Bar Association (2015)
- Piraeus Bar Association, Greece (2015)
Education
- LLM in Oil & Gas Law, University of Aberdeen
- LLB in Law Faculty, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Languages
- Greek
- English
- French (basic)
Areas of Practice
Litigation, Arbitration & Mediation
Dimitris’ corporate and commercial litigation practice involves high–value, complex, multijurisdictional corporate and commercial disputes, fraud cases, shareholders disputes, and applications for the issuance of interlocutory relief – such as freezing and disclosure injunctions – before the Cypriot Courts. He is also regularly involved in applications for the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Cyprus, as well as civil claims for breach of contract, debt recovery, libel and many more.
Dimitris is currently acting in a cross-border dispute pending before the Courts of Cyprus, England and Greece with claims exceeding EUR 365 million. He also acts in a multijurisdictional, USD 2.5billion case brought by a foreign bank against its former shareholders. He represents a Finnish company operating in the agriculture industry in civil proceedings commenced in Cyprus, in a EUR 3.5 million fraud and conspiracy claim, in the context of which he has managed to issue freezing and disclosure injunctions against the Defendants, while he has also secured an order appointing an interim receiver over the assets of the defendants, pending the determination of the action.
Recently, he has represented the holding company of a large group of entities operating in the real estate and energy industries in Ukraine, in a USD 16 million fraud claim filed against it, whereas he is also part of the team which launched one of the largest class actions ever brought before the Cypriot Courts requesting damages for fraud on behalf of 498 Plaintiffs. In this context, he has managed to issue interim freezing and disclosure orders against the Defendants, as well as, a final judgment against the main tortfeasors. He has alco acted on behalf of the Respondent company, in a USD 10 million ICC Arbitration.
Other notable examples of Dimitris’ recent litigation practice include a EUR 7 million worldwide freezing injunction, and a disclosure order against a well-known Polish businessman on behalf of a coal producing company, restraining injunctions in a shareholders’ dispute involving a EUR 30 million worth Romanian subsidiary operating in the poultry business and many more.
Dimitris was also involved in the very first Examinership Petition filed in the Republic of Cyprus on behalf of a company operating in the food and beverage industry, and he also acted in the first Petition filed by a Cypriot bank requesting the appointment of an Examiner in one of the largest groups of companies operating in the retail and wholesale sectors of imported and local fresh fruit, vegetables and repacked products in Cyprus.
Having specialized in the field of oil and gas law, Dimitris regularly advises local and international investors interested in the emerging Cypriot energy market. His deep understanding of the commercial aspects and the economics of the energy industry allows him to provide comprehensive and solid advice on the legal framework regulating the energy markets in Cyprus, as well as the licensing issues pertaining to energy-related activities.
Dimitris is advising a consortium of German and Greek investors interested in constructing an innovative solar waste to energy plant in Cyprus. His work includes the provision of legal advice on the domestic regulatory framework applicable to renewable energy sources, waste management, environmental protection, the domestic electricity market, as well as on project financing.
He also advises a consortium of international and local entities operating in the energy performance market. He drafted one of the first Energy Performance Contracts ever concluded in the Cypriot market, and is also regularly involved in energy-related due diligence exercises in transactions pertaining to the sale and purchase of PV solar parks in Cyprus.
Further, he advises clients on the execution of Power Purchase Agreements, as well as EPC agreements for the installation of PV panels on small and large scale.
Dimitris regularly publishes articles in domestic and foreign media in relation to the Cypriot energy market, speaks at energy-related seminars and events, and has also published articles in energy-related peer-reviewed journals.
In November 2023, Dimitris was appointed as the President of the Environment and Energy Law Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association, having served as the Secretary of the Committee during its previous term. He is also a member of the Environment and Climate Change Committee of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, representing the Cyprus Bar Association.
Dimitris assists clients in relation to a wide range of corporate and commercial law issues. He provides advice on the acquisition of Cypriot companies, drafts and reviews commercial agreements and has been involved in the review of complex corporate documents.
Dimitris regularly advises Société Générale Bank Cyprus with the review of commercial agreements and assists with debt restructuring, debt-to-asset swaps and insolvency proceedings.
He also represents this and other banks in proceedings before the Cyprus courts in the context of civil actions and other debt recovery petitions, insolvency proceedings and applications for the annulment of fraudulent transfers and transactions.
Dimitris advises clients on matters arising from the application of EU Directives and Regulations in the Republic of Cyprus and has been appointed as one of the two Cypriot National Experts to conduct the conformity checks and check the practical implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive 2012/27/EU), as well as, the Directive 2015/1513/EU amending the Renewable Energy Directive (98/70/EC) in Cyprus. He is regularly involved in proceedings for the service of judicial documents in Cyprus and the recognition by the Cyprus courts of civil judgments issued in other EU member-states.
Public & Private International Law
In the field of private international Law, Dimitris regularly advises on the recognition and enforcement of foreign commercial and civil court judgments and the implementation of foreign schemes of arrangement in Cyprus.
News & Publications
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