Irina Paliashvili

Education

• Kiev State University School of International Law: Master of Law with Highest Honours, and Candidate in Science (equivalent to Ph.D.) in Private International Law; 
• George Washington University in Washington DC: LL.M. in International and Comparative Law.

Professional career

• Founder and president: RULG-Ukrainian Legal Group, P.A., Washington DC, 1995 – present;
• Co-Founder and partner: Legal Practice Group, Moscow, 1994 – May 1999;
• Co-Founder and Managing Partner:  Ukrainian Legal Group (Grischenko Frishberg & Paliashvili 1992 to 1993, Grischenko Paliashvili & Partners 1993 to 1996), Kiev, February 1992 – present;
• Member: Chamber of Independent Experts (Ombudsmen) on the Issues of Foreign Investment under the President of Ukraine, 1997-2000;
  Visiting Attorney: Gleiss Lutz Hootz Hirsch & Partners, Frankfurt, Germany 1993;
• Advisor: Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kiev, 1992;
  General Counsel (International): Electronmash and Microprocessor, Kiev, 1987-1992;
• Visiting Attorney: Jenner & Block, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1991;
  Law Professor: Kiev State University School of International Law, Kiev State University Law School, Kiev Business Management School, Kiev, 1989-1992.

Arbitration experience

• Member of the Chamber of Independent Experts (Ombudsmen) on the Issues of Foreign Investment under the President of Ukraine, 1997-2000.  Served for the entire duration of the mandate of the Chamber of Independent Experts as an Independent Expert (ombudsman) appointed by the President of Ukraine to mediate disputes between foreign investors and the government authorities of Ukraine.  Irina Published an article analyzing the activities of the Chamber of Independent Experts available at: 
  http://www.rulg.com/documents/Chamber_of_Ombudsman.htm;
• Independent Expert Witness on the matters of Ukrainian and Russian law in international arbitration and in the US, UK and Swedish courts proceedings:
• In 2016 was selected to provide independent expert witness report on certain matters of Ukrainian law in the arbitration brought by Littop Enterprises Limited, Bridgemont Enterprises Limited and Bordo Management Limited against the State of Ukraine under the Rules of Arbitration of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce;
• In 2016 provided three expert reports on the matters of Ukrainian law to the High Court of Justice Queen’s Bench Division Commercial Court in London on a case filed by PJSC TATNEFT against several Ukrainian citizens and Cypriot companies;
• In 2014 – 2015 provided two independent expert reports and an oral testimony (in the format of experts conference followed by cross-examination) on the matters of production sharing agreements (PSA) regime in the Russian Federation in the arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in a case brought by Interneft, Region of Saratov, Region of Volgograd v. Elf Neftegaz;
• In 2011 –2012 provided two independent expert reports and oral testimony, including direct examination and cross-examination, on the matters of natural gas export under legislation of Ukraine in the arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in a case brought by an Italian company ITALIA UKRAINA GAS Spa against National Joint Stock Company “Naftogaz of Ukraine”;
• In 2011-2012 provided independent expert reports and oral testimony, including cross-examination, to the Svea Court of Appeals in Stockholm on the matters of natural gas export and public order under legislation of Ukraine in relation to the arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce between the National Joint Stock Company “Naftogaz of Ukraine” (claimant) and ITALIA UKRAINA GAS Spa (respondent);
• In 2009-2010 served as an independent expert in the arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in a case brought by Vanco Prykerchenska Ltd. against the State of Ukraine and provided two comprehensive expert opinions on Ukraine’s natural resources laws, including oil and gas legislation and specifically production sharing agreements legislation;
• Mediator trained and certified by the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution in New York; served as a member of its International Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, and in 2003-2007 served as a member of the INTA Panel of Neutrals and member of the INTA Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee Mediation Seminar Taskforce.  In this capacity organized three INTA interactive seminars „Mediation as an Alternative Method for Commercial Dispute Resolution” held in 2005-2007 in Kiev, Moscow and Baku;
• Advisor to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kiev, 1992;
• Participated in drafting Ukrainian Law on International Commercial Arbitration.  Prepared the Introductory Memorandum on this law to the Ukrainian Parliament (Supreme Rada);
• Prepared the draft of the Rules of International Commercial Arbitration of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Membership in organizations

• Member in the List of Practitioners in International Arbitration: the International Arbitral Centre of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (VIAC) http://www.viac.eu/en/;
• Member of the Panel of Arbitrators: Georgian International Arbitration Centre (GIAC) http://giac.ge/;
• Member of the Panel of Arbitrators: Riga International Commercial Arbitration Court (RICAC) http://www.ricac.org/en/;
• Member of the ICC Ukraine and ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR;
• Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee of the 2017 Eastern European Dispute Resolution Forum (EEDRF) in Minsk;
• Chair of the Legal Committee of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council;
• Member of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Law Firm Management Committee’s Advisory Board;
• Vice Chair of the IBA Senior Lawyers Committee;
• Member of the Advisory Board of Best Lawyers®;
• Correspondent and Translator on arbitration and litigation cases in Ukraine: the Volume 2007 of the Yearbook Commercial Arbitration, published by ICCA Publications International Bureau, Permanent Court of Arbitration (2007);
• Member of the Board of Reporters of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration of The Center for American and International Law (ITA) as Reporter for Ukraine. The purpose of the ITA Board of Reporters is to collect and report current information on significant cases, laws and other developments in the field of arbitration for publication at http://www.cailaw.org/Institute-for-Transnational-Arbitration/publications/ITA-Arbitration-Report/index.html (2004-2007).

Publications

1. Op-ed by Irina Paliashvili: „Legal system needs to be dismantled”, published on 21 November 2015 by Kyiv Post in English, on 20 November by Novoye Vremia in Russian and by VoxUkraine in Ukrainian;
2. Introduction, Second Edition of White Paper on Legal and Governance Reform in Ukraine: Strategic Priorities, published on 19 November 2015 by US-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC);
3. Section on experience of Georgia in implemented successful anti-corruption reforms, “Anti-corruption Package: Promising Declarations?”, The Ukrainian Journal of Business Law, Issue #11, November 2014;
4. Op-ed by Irina Paliashvili “Legal and governance reform needed in Ukraine”; Kyiv Post; 2 October 2014;
5. Article “Overview of Ukraine’s Legal Regime for Upstream Oil and Gas Sector in 2013-2014”, published on 9 July 2014 issue of Ukraine Business News by US-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC);
6. The Comprehensive Guide to Dispute Resolution 2008 – Ukraine, 2008 edition of Getting the Deal Through, Dispute Resolution, Section on Ukraine by Global Arbitration Review, The International Journal of Public and Private Arbitration.