Chrysostomides is a leading independent Cyprus law firm. Taking our clients business personally, we strive for excellence in reaching quality, tailored legal solutions and building strong, long-lasting relationships. We combine a deep, multi-faceted knowledge of the law with a strong sense of professionalism in delivering results through effective team work. Established in 1981, Chrysostomides grew into one of the largest law firms in Cyprus with a team of over 80 legal experts and paralegals, serving both local and international clients from our Nicosia and Limassol offices. Our work extends across a wide range of practice areas and industry sectors, in which we endeavour to stay at the forefront of developments to better understand clients’ business and challenges. Our clients range from multinational corporations to private companies and individuals from a variety of jurisdictions and backgrounds. Our effort is to focus on each client’s specific requirements and circumstances to provide customised, comprehensive services and workable solutions. The quality of our work has long been acknowledged and recognised by clients, who often recurrently seek our advice and support, and international legal directories alike, where Chrysostomides has been consistently ranked among the top firms in Cyprus for our main and key areas of practice. Our lawyers are also listed among the leading practitioners, according to their respective specialisation. Demonstrating our commitment to the wider community at large, we undertake pro bono work and offer the same level of service to clients who find themselves in particularly challenging situations or to aspiring new entrepreneurs. Through this process, we gain invaluable experiences and job satisfaction, making us stronger and more accomplished leaders in our respective practice areas.

Intellectual Property Law

At Chrysostomides, we have almost 40 years’ experience in IP law and our team delivers a complete range of services in all fields of IP, including trademark, patent, design and copyright law. Our experienced professionals provide our clients with sophisticated service, which includes IP support and counselling as well as litigation. Testimony to our expertise is the fact that some of the world’s most respected companies, representing a wide-variety of industries, have entrusted us with their IP portfolio for decades and continue to this day to rely on the skills of our lawyers on a regular basis. Chanel Ltd, Burberry and Philip Morris are just some examples; they entrust us with their IP cases, as well as with the management of their anti-counterfeiting programmes.

Trade Marks & Branding

Our team deals with brand management strategies, enforcement, prosecution and registrations in the Cyprus Trade Marks Registry, OHIM and WIPO. Our practice involves the regular handling of objections raised by the Cyprus Trade Marks Registry against international trade mark rights, extending to and designating Cyprus, but also of objections raised against national trade mark filings. Additionally, we handle a significant amount of trade mark opposition work, including invalidity and cancellation actions for trade marks. We advise on all commercial aspects involving brands, including licensing, franchising, and distribution agreements, as well as co-existence agreements. In addition, we provide all types of pre-registration and post-registration services, including trade mark searches and clearance reports, renewals and trade mark watch services.

Anti-counterfeit / Parallel Imports

Our clients entrust us with the protection and enforcement of their IP rights in Cyprus and appoint us as their Cyprus representatives for EU Community and national Customs’ anti-counterfeiting procedures. Our team regularly handles the seizure of counterfeit goods and illegal parallel imports. In the latter case, we work closely with the Cyprus Customs Authorities.

Patents

We deal with the registration of Cyprus national patents, and the validation of European Patents in Cyprus (including PCT (EP) patents and SPC applications), all forms of commercial exploitation of patents, patent litigation (including for the pharmaceutical and technology industries), renewals and payments of annuities of patents.

Designs

We provide a registration and renewal service for industrial designs, and regularly advise in respect of the protection of designs, as well as on all forms of commercial exploitation, licensing, distribution, and other commercial activities.

Copyright

Our team advises and litigates in a wide range of copyright actions and is highly experienced in complex cases in this area of IP. We have in the past represented successfully before the Cyprus Courts famous artists (painters, sculptors, actors) for violation of their moral rights and have also represented furniture designers for infringement of copyright in their furniture designs. We have also been involved in complex legal actions involving infringement of copyright in highly sophisticated software.

IP Litigation

Our IP practice works closely with our firm’s highly skilled and experienced litigation department. Our litigation practice frequently advises and represents our clients before the Cyprus Courts in matters relating to the enforcement of their IP rights in Cyprus, including all necessary steps for obtaining interlocutory relief and other judicial remedies.