The team at BGI Legal provides ‘detail-oriented and effective’ advice to a primarily international roster of corporate clients across the full scope of their litigation requirements, including as it relates to commercial, IP, real estate, white-collar and employment disputes. Dovetailing with his own compelling transactional practice, team head Zaza Bibilashvili is particularly adept at handling high-profile corporate/commercial disputes. He is also one of many in the team with significant ADR experience, and has himself served as an arbitrator on numerous ICC arbitration cases. Sandro Bibilashvili has argued cases at all levels of the Georgian court hierarchy and is noted for his mediation skills, as is Giorgi Sarajishvili, who is ‘great at negotiating settlements on mediation’. Davit Kakoishvili excels in white-collar and extradition cases, while the ‘very diligent and hardworking’ Lika Topuria has recently handled some high-profile cases for creditors in the airline industry, as well as IP disputes for large food and beverage companies.

 

 

Drawing upon an ‘excellent understanding of court and authorities decision practices and logic,’ BLB (Business Legal Bureau) is a popular choice among domestic and international corporates across a wide range of litigation, running the gamut from shareholder disputes through to complex white-collar litigation. The team is noted for its ‘solutions and results-oriented approach’ and recently secured a favourable settlement for Nona Gaprindashvili, a Georgian chess player and five-time world chess champion in a high-profile defamation dispute with Netflix. Kakha Sharabidze and David Khaindrava, co-head the overarching team alongside Maya Mtsariashvili, whose white-collar crime expertise was recently showcased in a major state-racketeering case.

BLC Law Office LLC has an excellent insight into procedural and overarching substantive law matters, ensuring clients receive very robust representation across a range of conventional litigation and ADR matters. Team head Ketti Kvartskhava has broad-ranging litigation experience across all levels of courts, as well as from an arbitration perspective, including as it relates to shareholder and construction disputes. Tamta Ivanishvili is also experienced at handling arbitration matters both on behalf of clients and in her role as an arbitrator in Georgia-seated arbitration proceedings. In addition, she is one of the few litigators in the country with experience in representing clients before the European Court of Human Rights. Recently promoted partner Rusa Tchkuaseli is well-versed in handling conventional litigation as well as arbitration, with a varied caseload that includes investor, state disputes and defamation disputes.

Regularly instructed by firmwide clients and also on a standalone basis, Dentons maintains a thriving litigation practice, including for clients in the energy, aviation and telecoms, both on domestic mandates, as well as in cross-border disputes. Team head Otar Kipshidze exemplifies the varied nature of the firm’s workflow, being as comfortable handling complex corporate disputes, as he is competition and insolvency litigation. IP work also plays an increasingly prominent role for the team, with the firm regularly acting for clients engaged in trade mark and copyright disputes. Other key practitioners are Zurab Kiliptari and Natela Otaridze.

Under the leadership of Nick Gvinadze, Gvinadze & Partners LLC provides robust representation of clients from a range of industry sectors, including aviation, construction and energy, across the spectrum of commercial, employment, IP and debt recovery. Drawing upon strong relationships with many well-known international law firms, the team is particularly accomplished at handling cross-border matters with a nexus to Georgia. Gvinadze himself is adept at handling conventional litigation as well as arbitration, including on construction and FIDIC-related matters. As part of his broad litigation expertise, which spans construction and land permitting, through to tax disputes, Zakaria Shvelidze regularly advises on labour law matters. Sophie Panjikidze is also recommended.

The ‘extremely knowledgeable and responsive’ team at MG Law Office provides ‘very sophisticated advice’ to domestic and international corporates across a myriad of civil and administrative law disputes, including as it relates to tax, labour and real estate matters. George Svanadze is ‘very intellectual and hardworking,’ ensuring that clients are effectively represented in both conventional litigation and arbitration proceedings. He has recently handled numerous matters for banking and finance entities recovering unpaid loans, including through formal insolvency proceedings. Archil Giorgadze, who co-heads the team alongside Svanadze, is ‘vastly experienced and knowledgeable,’ including in relation to litigation involving public sector entities.

 

Leveraging a diverse mix of professional experiences within the firm, GRATA International is appreciated for its ability to ‘see a legal problem from different angles and solve it,’ ensuring that clients receive an insightful service across a range of civil and administrative disputes. The ‘solutions-oriented and highly professional’ Irakli Kordzakhia heads the team that also includes tax expert Sofia Roinishvili and ‘outstanding’ senior associate Thea Tadashvili, who provides ‘highly practical and insightful advice’, in part due to her previous experience as a judge.

Very effective at handling conventional litigation and also well-versed in ADR techniques, including arbitration and mediation, J&T Consulting LLC has good market visibility across a range of commercial, construction and competition disputes. Giorgi Tsertsvadze is a certified mediator, ensuring that he has an excellent perspective of techniques needed to achieve favourable results. Tsertsvade also has a very international outlook to work in the space, and with a fluency across English, German and Russian, is a popular choice to handle cross-border disputes. Otar Machaidze co-heads the team alongside Tsertsvade and excels at handling international and domestic arbitration disputes. Labour law expert Simon Takashvili is recommended.

Drawing upon ‘extensive experience’ across litigation and arbitration, the team at Nodia, Urumashvili & Partners provides ‘a proactive and result-focused approach’, ensuring that clients achieve results across a range of litigation, including shareholder, IP and tax disputes. Insolvency litigation is also a core strength, an area in which managing partner Lasha Nodia has gained particular acclaim. Nodia co-heads the team alongside Maka Todua, who brings an excellent insight into court processes by virtue of her previous judicial roles, including assistant to the Judge at the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court of Georgia, and manager at Tbilisi City Court. The ‘extremely talented’ Giorgi Kekenadze is ‘very proactive, client-oriented and diligent.’

The ‘highly skilled’ team at PricewaterhouseCoopers Georgia LLC continues to gain market visibility off the back of some complex civil and administrative law cases, including as it relates to tax and employment issues. Team head Vano Gogelia is at the forefront of the highest-profile cases including his work as co-counsel for the Azerbaijani investor in a major investment arbitration proceeding, as well as in a major constitutional law case brought against the Georgian Parliament by the gambling industry challenging certain age and taxation-related gambling regulations. Natia Kobosnidze is also a key member of the team, particularly in the context of investment disputes.

Displaying an ‘unwavering commitment to professionalism and teamwork,’ Archil Mchedlidze’s Law Practice LLC provides ‘well-rounded advice’ to private individuals and corporations across a range of commercial litigation. Co-heads Archil Mchedlidze and Valeri Bendianishvili are ‘very attentive, responsive and efficient’ and both have experience at all court levels including the Appeal Court and Supreme Court.

The ‘experienced, reliable and flexible’ team at EY Law handles litigation and arbitration cases on both local and international levels with workflow cutting across a wide range of corporate and commercial disputes. Leveraging the firm’s broader tax credentials, tax litigation is a particular area of strength, with New York and Georgia-qualified team head Tato Chantladze particularly accomplished in the space. Elene Sulkhanishvili is also recommended.

Acting on its own, as well as in the role of local counsel to international law firms, MKD Law has excellent market traction across a wide range of commercial litigation, running the gamut from insolvency litigation through to shareholder disputes. As part of his broad litigation offering, as well as regularly representing clients in domestic civil and criminal litigation, Archil Kbilashvili has experience of handling cases heard before the European Court of Human Rights and as a local counsel in a number of disputes heard by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. Victor Kipiani and David Dzidziguri co-head the team alongside Kbilashvili.

VBAT is ‘respected by opposing parties and judges,’ and provides a ‘high-quality service’ to domestic and international corporates engaged in a wide range of civil and administrative litigation, including as it relates to public procurement challenges. The ‘exceptional’ Davit Kikaleishvili, who co-heads the team alongside Davit Kvachantiradze, has ‘excellent analytical skills’, a trait which he utilises to good effect in both conventional litigation and arbitration. Tinatin Tskhvediani is ‘very client-oriented, responsive, supportive and helpful,’ including to clients seeking recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in Georgia.