UK-listed firm Ince has opened a Cyprus office as it seeks to further bolster its presence in the maritime sector, with the practice set to focus on areas such as shipping funds and yachting transactions.

The office is based in Limassol and is the firm’s sixth in Europe. A six-strong team of dual-qualified English and Cypriot lawyers will be fronted by office head George Zambartas, who joins from local firm L.Zambartas. Ince’s Cyprus team will also offer advice on private wealth, immigration, financial litigation and energy-related matters.

Alex Janes, head of EMEA at Ince Group, said: “This is an important moment for Ince and the opening of this new office at this time is a signifier of our ambition to continue to grow our European practice and strengthen both our international and localised offerings.”

He added: “Our new colleagues will work with teams across the UK, Germany and the wider Ince network to assist our clients with the issues that matter most to them. Ince is committed to building the best possible professional services team and increasing our presence internationally allows us not only to expand our team, but also to diversify our expertise and service offering.”

Adrian Biles, Ince Group’s CEO, said he expects the Mediterranean region to be increasingly prosperous for the firm. The Cyprus office opening follows Ince’s addition of a Gibraltar office last year, which was also set up to focus on the shipping industry.

In addition, the Limassol team will provide consulting support including project management, trust and management services alongside its legal offering as part of the group’s wider strategic plan.

George Zambartas, the Cyprus office head, said: “The country is a hot bed of activity within the maritime space and it is right that Ince, which has a rich history in the shipping sector, should have a presence here. In addition, we will be able to support a number of infrastructure and other projects and provide clients, both inbound and outbound, with a world class professional business support service.”

Zambartas brings with him extensive shipping industry experience, notably advising Russian and Ukrainian shipping companies on ship finance from Western European banks.