Levon was awarded an AB in Government (with Distinction) from Cornell University, where he accelerated graduation by a year and achieved entry to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He then matriculated at the University of Oxford, where he was awarded a second BA in Jurisprudence (with First Class Honours), which he completed in two years. He stayed on at the University of Oxford and obtained the BCL (with Distinction). Finally, he enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he obtained the LLM.
During his time as a university student, Levon was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for undergraduate studies in the USA, a British Chevening Scholarship for graduate studies in the UK, a Scatcherd European Scholarship for graduate studies in the UK, and the Phoutrides Scholarship, which was given every year to a Harvard student of Greek origin.
He was admitted to the Cyprus Bar in 2003, having passed the Cyprus Bar Exam with Distinction.
He joined the Firm in 2009.
In the past he has interned at the United Nations in New York and the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia. He has worked as an adviser to the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus (2004-2005), as Counsel of the Republic of Cyprus (2006) and as an associate at another prominent Cypriot Firm (2007-2008).
Alongside the Senior Partner of the Firm, Mr. P.G. Polyviou, and other senior foreign and local counsel, Levon has appeared before the International Court of Justice at the Hague in Cyprus’ only two appearances thereat (Advisory Proceedings in the Cases of Kosovo and the Chagos Archipelago). He has also appeared before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, once alongside a Partner of his previous employer (Case of Varnava a.o. v. Turkey) and once alongside a former Attorney General of the Republic and Mr. P.G. Polyviou (Case of Demopoulos a.o. v. Turkey). On several occasions, Mr. Polyviou and Levon, together with other members of the Firm, have represented the Cypriot Parliament before the Supreme Court of Cyprus in constitutional law disputes between Parliament, on the one hand, and the President of the Republic, on the other.
In 2011 Levon and Mr. P.G. Polyviou co-authored and published a short book on the Demopoulos Case. During the same year, he served as a member of the core 4-person team which advised and assisted Mr. P.G. Polyviou in the Council of Ministers-appointed Commission of Inquiry relating to the 11 July 2011 explosion that occurred in a Cypriot military base killing 13 people and destroying Cyprus’ largest power station.
Levon is renowned for his diligence, as well as for his deep understanding and knowledge of complex matters pertaining to Commercial Law and Corporate Law. He also has a knack for Constitutional Law, Human Rights Law and International Law.
Some of Levon’s notable past engagements include:
- Leading the Firm’s team which provided advice and assistance to a Cypriot credit institution in its consummation of what is probably the biggest intra-private sector economic transaction in the modern history of Cyprus. The subject matter of the transaction was the sale of an NPL portfolio. The agreed consideration therefor was about EUR 1.2 billion. The Project was known as “Project Helix 1”.
- Leading the Firm’s team which provided advice and assistance to a Cypriot credit institution in its consummation of what is probably one of the biggest intra-private sector economic transactions in the modern history of Cyprus. The subject matter of the transaction was the sale of an NPL portfolio. The agreed consideration therefor was in excess of EUR 0.55 billion. The Project was known as “Project Helix 2”.
- Leading the Firm’s team which provided advice and assistance to a Cypriot credit institution in its consummation of the sale of an NPL portfolio. The agreed consideration therefor was about EUR 350 million. The Project was known as “Project Helix 3”.
- Successfully defending (alongside Mr. P.G. Polyviou) a Cypriot credit institution in international arbitral proceedings in London, UK, against a claim having a value exceeding EUR 200 million.
- Advising and assisting (alongside other members of the Firm) a Cypriot credit institution in its restructuring of a series of loans with clients thereof having a nominal value exceeding EUR 185 million.
- Advising and representing (alongside Mr. P.G. Polyviou and Mr. G. Middleton) for a decade a beneficiary of a Cypriot discretionary international trust in connection with claims having a value exceeding EUR 165 million.
- Leading the Firm’s team which provided advice and assistance to a Greek credit institution in its consummation of the sale of a Cypriot NPL portfolio. The agreed consideration therefor was about EUR 100 million. The Project was known as “Project Marina”.
- Advising and assisting (alongside Mr. P.G. Polyviou) an international energy company in its (successful) bid for a concession in Cyprus’ maritime Exclusive Economic Zone.
- Advising and assisting a Cypriot energy company in an immovable property sale transaction the agreed consideration for which was EUR 29 million.
- Advising and assisting a Cypriot credit institution and a Cypriot energy company, respectively, in two discrete M&A transactions the combined consideration for which was above EUR 30 million.
- In a landmark case, successfully pursuing (alongside the Senior Partner of another prominent Cypriot Firm) a Cypriot provident fund for imprudent management of the latter’s assets as a result of which material damage was caused to the latter’s members.
- Advising and assisting a Cypriot credit institution in its design and implementation of a voluntary retirement scheme aimed at procuring the voluntary retirement of a very significant percentage of the institution’s employees.
Levon is fluent in Greek and English, and has good knowledge of Armenian.