Financial Services Advisory

• Undertake your license application process for EU and non-EU jurisdictions:
  • Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs) 
  • Investment Firms (Cyprus IFs, EU IFs, Third Country IFs);
  • Self-Managed Investment Funds (AIFs, AIFLNPs);
  • Fund Managers (AIFMs, UCITS);
  • Payment Services Institutions (PSIs);
  • Administrative Services Providers (ASPs);
  • Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs)
• Formation: advise on the appropriate structure for the Investment Firm or Fund or other Regulated Entity;
• Advise you of the local regulations and requirements;
• Advise you of the most tax-efficient and cost-effective jurisdiction that matches your target market needs, your business plans and office requirements;
• Prepare Internal Operations Manual (IOM), supporting policies and procedures on all areas required (i.e. anti-money laundering, risk management, compliance, governance) in adherence to the prevailing laws and regulations;
• Assist in the preparation of business plans and organisational set-ups to support your license application;
• Administer the procedures of your license application for obtaining the relevant license (including the due diligence of Shareholders, Beneficiaries and Directors);
• Communicate with regulatory authorities and act as your promoters during the license application phase;
• Extend your license (i.e. apply for a branch or a representative office, or a tied agent or for new licenses in EU and non-EU countries);
• Re-domiciliation of offshore Investment Funds to Cyprus.

• Assist Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs), Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and other
  regulated financial entities operating under a harmonised EU regulatory framework to
  obtain an authorization for “passporting” their license to other EU and non-EU jurisdictions
  (preparing Cross-Border applications, liaising with regulatory authorities and obtaining
  Legal Opinions from host country legal firms);
• Establish Representative Offices / Branches / Tied-Agents;
• Change of shareholders;
• Change of directors;
• Recommend adjustments and changes to your Organisational Structure;
  Support on day-to-day operational issues;
  Locate qualified management and personnel.

We provide risk-based Internal Audit Services to EU and non-EU, regulated or non-regulated entities (including Investment Firms, Investment Funds, Fund Managers, Payment Services Institutions, Administrative Services Providers, Electronic Money Institutions) that wish to outsource their Internal Audit Function, or to have an external independent Internal Auditor review of their controls, policies and procedures in place. We may also undertake the preparation of your entity’s Annual Internal Auditor Report. 

We provide Regulatory Compliance Officer Services to EU and non-EU, regulated or non-regulated entities (including Investment Firms, Investment Funds, Fund Managers, Payment Services Institutions, Administrative Services Providers, Electronic Money Institutions) that wish to outsource their Compliance Officer Function, or to have an external independent Compliance Officer review of their policies and procedures in place. Among the Compliance Officer’s duties, is ensuring compliance with:

• EU Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2004/39/EC (“MiFID I”)
• EU Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2014/65/EU (“MiFID II”) • EU Markets Infrastructure Regulation No 648/2012 (“EMIR”)
• EU Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation No 600/2014 (“MiFIR”)
• Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”)
• Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”)
• Alternative Investments Fund Managers Directive (“AIFMD”)
• Laws and Directives regarding the prevention of Money Laundering (“ML”) and Terrorist Financing (“TF”).

We may also undertake the preparation of your entity’s Annual Compliance Officer Report and provide ad-hoc or ongoing support to your Compliance Officer (including briefing of the latest CySEC Circulars, Directives, Laws). We can also assist you in developing a compliance monitoring framework ensuring your ongoing compliance with changing regulations and directives.

We provide Risk Management Services to regulated EU and non-EU Investment Firms, Investment Funds, Fund Managers, Payment Services Institutions, Administrative Services Providers, Electronic Money Institutions, Banks, that wish to outsource the regulatory obligations of their Risk Management Function, or to have an external independent Risk Manager Advisor providing the relevant service requested by the client.

We may also undertake the preparation of your entity’s Annual Risk Manager Report. In addition to the Capital Adequacy and Large Exposures quarterly reports (Common Reporting Templates-COREPS) preparation for CySEC, we may also assist you with:

• Risk Taking Policy Statements: preparation and/or review;
• Trading Book Policy statements: preparation and/or review;
• Advisory on optimising your Capital Adequacy;
• Maintaining compliance with regulatory limits;
• Advisory on better managing Large Exposures with respect to regulatory limits (e.g. through the use of financial collateral);
• Advisory on managing prudential and actual liquidity;
• Ensuring compliance with the relevant and current regulatory requirements, including: Basel III / EU Capital Requirements Directive (“CRD”) IV / EU Capital Requirements Regulation (“CRR”).

With regards to EU CRD IV / EU CRR, our Capital Adequacy services to you include:  

• Calculation of Eligible Own Funds;
• Calculation of Risk-Weighted Assets (RWA);
• Calculation of Capital Adequacy Ratios (CAR);
• Completion of Common Reporting (COREP) templates and submission of returns to CySEC per calendar quarter;
• Calculation of Large Exposures, completion of regulatory templates and submission of returns to CySEC per calendar quarter;
• Completion of Geographical Exposures report template;
• Completion of Leverage report template.

We provide Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer Advisory Services to EU and non-EU, regulated or non-regulated entities (including Investment Firms, Investment Funds, Fund Managers, Payment Services Institutions, Administrative Services Providers, Electronic Money Institutions). We may also undertake the preparation of your entity’s Annual Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer’s Report as well as the Monthly Prevention Statements.