LLM in Financial and Corporate Law

CAREER

UCLan Cyprus graduates can gain or develop careers in multinational and domestic law firms, global and local corporations, banking institutions, the foreign exchange market, the shipping industry, government bodies and a variety of other organisations. As the School of Law recognises the importance of helping postgraduate students further develop and acquire additional skills including employability skills, various extra-curricular activities are available for all students including postgraduate students such as the Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna), the Model United Nations events, as well as multiple networking activities, which have proved to be of great benefit to the students in gaining significant knowledge and understanding of the practical implications of the law. Professional activities are also available to postgraduate students who are active professionals, such as short courses in Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing as well as in Dispute Resolution Methods (arbitration, mediation) for purposes of continuous professional development (CPD). By organising and/or participating in such activities/events, the School of Law aims to provide students with multiple professional and networking opportunities that could benefit their future career. Moreover, all students also have access to the social enterprise vehicle called ICLAIM (Interdisciplinary Centre for Law, Alternative and Innovative Methods) created by academics of the School of Law at UCLan Cyprus so that they can develop their practical and entrepreneurship skills and projects in collaboration with the industry. Visit https://www.iclaimcentre.org/ The School benefits from collaborations for certification and/or professional recognition for short courses or specialised modules, leading to academic or professional credits:

• The LLM module in International Commercial Mediation leads to the professional qualification of mediator recognised by the UK Civil Mediation Council and the International Mediation Institute (through the course provider) and the Ministry of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus, subject to applicable requirements

• The LLM module International Commercial Arbitration is yet another specialised module recognised professionally by the UK Chartered Institute of Arbitrators at Associate level, allowing successful participants to use the post-nominal letters ACIArb.

• UCLan Cyprus is a CISI University Partner. Specific LLM modules lay the ground for certification by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI).

  Since 2018, the School of Law is duly accredited by the Cyprus Bar Association and issues CPD units directly to professionals for short courses and events attended. A range of professional courses at the School are offered to professionals, practising lawyers, accountants and professional service providers, management and senior employees at small and medium sized businesses but also advanced students in law, finance and business, accountancy, and cognate academic disciplines. Visit the Law Academy https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/short-course/law-academy/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q8zz5deTCU Some examples of School of Law activities/events of relevance to the LLM are:  

• Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Vienna
• CPD training and professional courses (arbitration, mediation, anti-money laundering (AML) and compliance, law and technology)
• Guest Lecture Series on various areas of law (EU law, Cyprus law, public international law and security)
• Field trips to local institutions and international organisations
• Shipping Symposium and Intellectual Property Symposium
• UCLan Cyprus Law Blog
• Annual Law School Dinners with prestigious professionals as keynote speakers
• Law Society membership and activities
• Public outreach activities such as public lectures as well as symposia with the industry
• Roundtables of experts with the judiciary in Cyprus as well as European judges for the promotion of fundamental principles of the law
• Biannual UCLan Cyprus Model United Nations in association with the Cyprus UN Association
• Jean Monnet Modules (under the Erasmus+ programme 2014-2020) and other EU funded programmes
• ICLAIM Human Rights, Entrepreneurship and social mediation trainings
• ICLAIM resources on Well-being for professionals

Visit our Law Blog! A wide range of extra-curricular activities and short courses have proved very popular with the postgraduate students. These are of great benefit to advanced students in gaining deep knowledge, understanding and expertise of the practical implications of the law and enhance their employability.

School of Law Activities

https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/short-course/law-academy/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/the-modern-challenges-of-shipping-in-cyprus-technical-and-legal-trends-in-smart-shipping/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/invitation-to-a-symposium/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/symposium-on-intellectual-property-and-open-data-emerging-trends-and-their-implications-for-cyprus/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/25th-willem-c-vis-international-commercial-arbitration-moot-uclan-cyprus-preparation-and-training/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/the-school-of-law-of-uclan-cyprus-competes-for-the-second-consecutive-year-in-the-prestigious-willem-c-vis-international-commercial-arbitration-moot-vienna-austria/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/3rd-annual-model-united-nations-at-uclan-cyprus/ https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/3rd-annual-lecture-and-dinner-school-of-law-uclan-cyprus/

”I joined the LLM program at UCLan Cyprus in 2014. The experience and knowledge that I have gained during my studies there have majorly contributed to the development of my professional career. For my dissertation I selected the topic “EU passport for sale. A right under EU law; or a violation of EU Law”. The reason for choosing such was the impact that the currently offered Cyprus citizenship programs have on the applicable EU rights, along with the advantages and disadvantages that these program entail, not only in Cyprus but also in other EU Member States.

During the time of me undergoing the LLM program, I was working in the public sector, specifically Cyprus Ministry of Justice and Public Order. Whilst conducting research for my dissertation, I consulted various academic and professional sources, which enabled me to gain an insight into the practicability of the application of various EU citizenship programs and vastly triggered my interest in Immigration Law. Through the nature of my work I have already had exposure to Immigration Law and my exhaustive research into the topic of EU citizenship further contributed to my knowledge and expertise in this particular sphere. Specifically the procedure and criteria for obtaining the citizenship by investment in Cyprus and other EU Member States.

In 2018, I made a decision to leave the public sector and open my own Law Firm, in Larnaca Cyprus. This decision was driven by various factors, primarily my aspiration to succeed in the legal sphere and be a private business owner. My current practice areas include Corporate and Commercial Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Banking and Finance Law, Property Law, Tax Law and Cyprus Immigration Law. Particularly in reference to Cyprus Immigration Law, my firm provides full range of services connected to obtaining the Cyprus Citizenship by investment and Permanent Residency, and provide assistance in obtaining various visas in Cyprus.

It is without a doubt that my dissertation for the LLM program has significantly impacted my career and has contributed to my professional development. I was thrilled to have Prof. Stephanie Laulhe Shaelou supervise my dissertation and provide guidance on the matter, her professionalism and dedication helped me a lot with successfully finalising my dissertation and achieving a high mark. All in all, I am very grateful for all the supervision I received from the professors of UCLan Cyprus during my studies. I do strongly believe that the knowledge and skills that I have gained strongly contributed to the lawyer and private business owner that I am today.” YIANNOS VASILIOU, Y. Vasiliou & Co LLC 

”My time at UCLan Cyprus has been an invaluable experience, both academically and professionally. The LLM programme offers a great array of subjects, which allowed me to tailor my masters degree and explore different areas of law ranging from Arbitration to the law of the sea. The best part about the Faculty of Law is the accessibility of the professors. With their enthusiasm and friendly attitude, they foster an environment where the class and classmates felt like a small intimate community. This greatly contributed to a better learning experience as the classroom was always a safe space and free discussion was encouraged.  I was specifically pleased with process of writing my dissertation as I had great freedom in selecting my subject, but also strong guidance from my academic advisor that helped me achieve excellent results that I am greatly proud of. Apart from the strong academic side of the LLM programme, the Faculty of Law consistently offered opportunities for professional development. I partook in UCLan’s summer internships programme and after my first term as an LLM student I completed a 3-month internship at a top Criminal Law firm. This experience along with my strong academic credentials helped me secure my new job upon graduating from UCLan. Another UCLan initiative that helped me grow professionally was my participation in the role of project coordinator and contributor to the Access to Justice Project. Being part of an international project, with such an extensive reach of being published online was a fantastic opportunity to develop my research skills and truly make my resume stand out. Lastly, I am greatly appreciative of the professional mediation course offered by UCLan for its exceptional delivery but also the subsequent help to register as an accredited mediator. I am so pleased that I chose UCLan Cyprus for my studies as I cannot believe that I have managed to achieve so much in such little time. I completed a Masters Degree and gained invaluable professional experience that played an instrumental role in my progress.” ROSALIA KLIMOVA

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (Lower Second Class).
• IELTS 6.5 or equivalent (if applicable).