Nicole Phinopoulou

Nicole Phinopoulou is a common law qualified lawyer with over 20+ years legal practice. Demonstrating a cutting edge focused expertise with solid record of completed projects. She specialises in Project Finance Infrastructure : Corporate & Commercial, Banking Finance, Capital Markets & Financial Services Laws. Extensive and accredited experience in advising credit institution, asset managers, financial market participants and international financial services organisations on their operations, regulatory and risk management  activities such as in Issuance/ Listings of Capital Securities (Bonds, Tier 1 & 2, MREL, Prospectus, Offering Circulars) and on MiFID II /MIFIR,AIFMD, AIFs, UCITs, PRIIPs, PSD2, CRR & CRD, Market Abuse and Transparency (semi-governmental, publicly listed and private). Nicole has lead financing transactions both domestically and internationally. Advising, drafting, negotiating, supervising, monitoring contractual documentation with comprehensive execution and legal opinions on implementation. Possess a proven ability on managing teams and delivering complex strategic transactions, in highly sensitive circumstances having developed analytical skills on efficiently translating, regulatory requirements into sustainable business activities (including RegTech, FinTech developments). Practical extensive in-depth hands-on legal and technical understanding of the EU Regulatory and Investor Affairs compliance framework obligations of her expertise fields with commercial industry knowledge. A Cyprus Stock Exchange Nominated Advisor, Affiliate Member of Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) and also an accredited Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) by the Cyprus Bar Association and International Compliance Association (ICA). In parallel she is a certified Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Finance Expert (Cambridge University) further advising large publicly listed organisations on the assessment, mapping, drafting and implementing projects compliant to ESMA Regulatory Map on the Sustainable Economic Activities (2022-2024) subject to EU Green Deal (2019) (EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFDR/CSR), Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and Taxonomy Regulation(TR). She is also member of the National Representative Committees on TC68 Financial Services and TC322 Sustainable Finance of the International Organization for Standardization(ISO). Appointed serving as Board Director on Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)(2016-2018) and Council Member of University of Cyprus (UCY)(2019-2021). Since 2003, is an active member of Cyprus Bar Association (CBA), participating in Corporate, Securities and Taxation Committee acting also as representative at House of Parliament Finance & Budgetary Affairs, and Industry Trade Committees (2015-2020). Graduated in law from Leicester University (2000), continued obtaining an LL.M (Master of Law) in Corporate & Commercial Law (University College London (UCL)(2000), and completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at City University (2003). In 2020 admitted to the Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and in 2021 graduated  from the Cambridge University Judge Business School (Executive). Admitted to Cyprus Bar Association (2003). A volunteer by nature, Nicole is the founding pro-bono legal advisor to CSR Cyprus organisation (National Business Network) (www.csrcyprus.org.cy), a published author and regularly sharing workshops and presentations in conferences on ESG & Sustainability Strategies. Since 2011 voluntarily is the acting Secretary of the Board of Directors of the non-governmental charity organisation Integrated Homes Foundation for Adults with Mental Incapacity (www.eomfoundation.org).