Lory is one of the founding partners of Affiniax Legal, UAE. Lory is a highly respected and trusted advisor to corporations and their leaders, with over 2 decades of experience in leadership roles. Integrating legal, financial, and business acumen with coaching skills, to create a powerful impact and generate growth.

Lory has a proven track record of success in managing complex multibillion-dollar transactions and projects, working with multinational and “magic circle” law firms across the world, prestigious banking and financial institutions in Europe, USA, Asia and UAE, as well as large international commercial groups in various industries, and investment funds.

Prior to co-founding Affiniax Legal, Lory was a partner/ international projects manager at George Y. Yiangou LLC, Advocates – Legal Consultants, Cyprus. Her primary role in such position (in addition to the pertinent legal advisory role), was that of coordinating high-value international transactions, including: (i) deal structuring advice; (ii) co-ordination and interaction with lead counsels, end clients, counterparties, local service providers as well as counsels in multiple jurisdictions as necessary for an effective and seamless completion of projects; (iii) organisation and co-ordination of closing meetings with multiple parties, and preparation of efficient step plans for complex deal closings; (iv) monitoring the team’s work and projects’ progression and completion.

Lory’s proactive and diligent approach has earned her high praise from her clients, who appreciate her ability to navigate cross-border business with ease, and her sound advice delivered with a commercial and practical approach. Lory has also been personally recommended for the last 10 years by Legal500, the world’s leading legal directory.

Representative projects include:

1. Banking and finance projects (involving Cypriot parties):

• Ducat III: acted for multiple banks on the financing and refinancing of Ducat III business center;
• Silver City: acted for a leading investment bank in relation to a US$540,000,000, combined, Senior and Mezzanine financing for the acquisition of the Silver City business center.
• Paveletskaya: acted for a leading Austrian bank on a US$321,000,000 financing of the Marriott Hotels (and the restructuring work resulting from the sale of the hotels by the borrower).
• Riviera: acted for Edmond de Rothschild (Suisse) S.A. in connection with a loan for the purpose of refinancing an existing loan given for the acquisition of a high value property in France.
• Uralkali: acted for a Chinese sovereign fund in a complex, extensively negotiated deal involving the acquisition of multi-billion dollar convertible bonds in the world’s largest potash producer.
• Suek: acted for a major Cypriot bank in relation to multi-billion loans for the purpose of, amongst others, funding of equity contributions in leading oil companies and coal producers and exporters.
• Seventh Continent: acted for a leading investment bank on a US$650,000,000 financing of an international retail chain.
• Project Cherry: acted for a large bank on a US$1.6 billion financing for the acquisition of a stake in the largest Russian mining-industrial complex producing the potash fertilizers and various salts.
• Fortuna: acted for a syndicate of banks on the €550 million complex refinancing of Fortuna Entertainment Group in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Croatia and the Netherlands.
• Atlas: acted for the senior lenders (a consortium of banks including HSBC Bank Plc, Eurobank Ergasias S.A., Eurobank Private Bank Luxembourg S.A., Alpha Bank A.E., Citibank N.A., and other financial institutions) in connection with the restructuring of a large manufacturer in commercial refrigeration and West Africa’s leading glass producer.

2. Corporate and M&A projects (involving Cypriot parties) include:

• O1 Properties: assisting on all Cypriot aspects of a complex restructuring of a large Russian real estate group, involving mergers, debt assignments, debt for equity swaps, share contributions, of multiple Cypriot companies (including property holding companies) in the structure.
• DVI: acted for the investor on a 50% acquisition of a very large and diverse group of companies owning various shopping malls, office centres and film industry interests.
• Rivers: acted for a private investment bank on a US$6 billion investment in one of the leading Russian groups through acquisition of ordinary and preference shares in a Cyprus JV Company.
• IRIS: acted for an investment group on a very complex US$3 billion acquisition of one of the leading transnational steel companies in the Central and Eastern European Region.
• Etalon: Advised Alfa Bank in respect of acquisition of GDRs of a Cyprus Company (traded on LSE and MOEX), total return swap and subsequent sale of GDRs;
• Transoil: acted for International Finance Corporation in relation to the purchase of warrants in a Cypriot holding company of Moldavia’s largest agro industrial group.
• KDL: acted for CapMan UFG and IFC in relation to the acquisition of a stake in the third largest private laboratory diagnostic services provider.
• Merger: advised on a cross border merger between a Cyprus company and a Polish company member of the Rovese Capital Group.
• Himalaya: complex legal corporate due diligence for the benefit of a major oilfield service company in relation to a large transaction involving asset swap and acquisition of a majority stake in a Cyprus joint venture vehicle.
• Tokyo: acted for Coca-Cola in a complicated and high value transaction involving the acquisition of a large juice maker.