Georgian International Arbitration Centre is

First non-profit arbitration institution in Georgia, which is created based on the best international arbitration practice. GIAC represents most efficient dispute resolution institution in the entire Caucasus – Black Sea – Caspian Region. The GIAC Arbitration Rules reflect the needs of the parties combining recent developments in the field.


Members of the GIAC Arbitration Council

Ketevan Betaneli

 
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Ketevan Betaneli is an Knowledge Lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris. Prior to joining Freshfields, she was  associate in Shearman & Sterling’s International Arbitration group and she held a position as Head of State Representation in Arbitration and Foreign State Courts Division and Deputy Head of the same department at the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, Tbilisi. She also practiced as an associate at DLA Piper Georgia LP in Tbilisi.

Ketevan is admitted to practice law in Georgia and is a member of the New York State Bar.

She speaks fluent Georgian, English, Russian and some French. Ketevan holds a BA in International Law from Tbilisi State University, a Masters in Public International Law from Helsinki University, a Masters in International Commercial Arbitration Law from Stockholm University, and an LL.M. in Corporate Law from New York University School of Law.

Galina Zukova

 

Dr. Galina Zukova is a partner at ZUKOVA Legal and Associate Professor at the Versailles University. Her practice concentrates on international commercial and investment arbitration. She represents clients, private and state entities alike, in cases conducted in accordance with the rules of the ICC, LCIA, VIAC, DIS, SCC and UNCITRAL, pursuant to different procedural and substantive laws in a broad range of fields and sectors (international sale of goods, distribution contracts, mergers and acquisitions, construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, natural resources, telecommunication). Galina also acts as arbitrator (president, sole arbitrator, emergency arbitrator and co-arbitrator) in international commercial cases. She is a listed arbitrator in several international and national arbitration institutions.

Fluent in English, French, Italian, Latvian, Russian and Spanish, Galina also has a working knowledge of German.

Lasha Arveladze

 
Lasha Arveladze (GIAC)

Lasha Arveladze is a founding partner of LLC AMK Law. With a broad range of public and private law experience on a domestic as well as international scale he advises clients on compound corporate matters, international and domestic business transactions, project finance and energy transactions as well as specializes on Alternative Dispute Resolutions (Commercial as well as Investment Arbitration).

In parallel with the duties undertaken in AMK Law, Lasha served as a legal counsel with LLC Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation. Prior joining AMK Law he worked for the Ministry of Justice of Georgia as the head of State representation in Arbitrations and Foreign Courts Department and head of Private International Law Department.

Before being employed by the MOJ, Lasha held various posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia starting from a position of first secretary and leaving the MFA as head of Division. In addition served as the Vice Consul at the Embassy of Georgia to the USA and as the Counselor of the Embassy of Georgia at the UK.

 Yas Banifatemi

 
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Yas Banifatemi is a partner and Co-Head of the International Arbitration practice. She also leads the firm’s Public International Law practice, and co-heads the firm’s Energy practice. She is widely recognized as one of the most prominent international arbitration and public international law specialists worldwide.

She advises and represents States, State-owned entities and companies on both public international law and international arbitration issues. She acts as both counsel and arbitrator in arbitrations conducted pursuant to the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, SCC, SIAC, HKIAC, CRCICA, DIS and the Swiss Arbitration Rules, with particular focus on investment protection, oil & gas and general commercial matters.

Yas Banifatemi is a Vice-President of the ICC Court of Arbitration, a member of the LCIA Court of International Arbitration and a member of the SIAC Court of International Arbitration. She is also a member of the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators, appointed by the Chairman of ICSID’s Administrative Council.

Patricia Shaughnessy

 
patri Professor Patricia Shaughnessy specializes in international disputes and commercial law at Stockholm University, where she created the Master of International Commercial Arbitration Law Program. Until 2019, she served as the Vice-Chair of the Board of the SCC Arbitration Institute, having been a Board member since 2005 and been a member of the drafting committees for the SCC Rules in 2007, 2010 and 2017. She was a government-appointed expert on the legislative committee forthe revisions to the Swedish Arbitration Act. Patricia acts as an arbitrator, expert, and consultant, and leads projects related to commercial law and dispute resolution in many countries. She has served as a fellow to the US Supreme Court. Prior to her academic career, she practiced law for ten years in the US, specialized in commercial law and litigation. She publishes extensively and is a frequent speaker at leading universities and international conferences.

Steven Finizio

 
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Steven Finizio is recognized as one of the leading international arbitration lawyers in London in the Chambers UK Guide, named in the Euromoney Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration and recognized for his standing in the field of international arbitration in Legal 500, Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Global Arbitration Review’s Who’s Who in International Arbitration, PLC Which Lawyer? and Legal Media Group’s The Best of the Best. Mr. Finizio has been resident in the firm’s London office since 2000.

Mr. Finizio’s practice includes international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, general commercial litigation, and internal investigations, focusing on complex commercial and regulatory issues. Mr. Finizio also serves as an arbitrator.

Mr. Finizio has particular experience with shareholder, oil and gas, telecommunications, financial services, joint venture and M&A issues. Mr. Finizio has advised clients regarding disputes under the rules of most of the well-recognized international arbitration institutions and governed by the laws of jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US.

Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi

 
markian Markiyan is a partner at Aster, Kiev Office. Markiyan focuses on international arbitration and cross-border litigation disputes, specializing in energy disputes, commercial and investment arbitration, transnational litigation, mediation & negotiations, and sports law cases. His experience includes handling arbitrations held at many major arbitration institutions, including the LCIA, SCC, ICC, ICSID, CAS, and AAA, as well as before ad hoc tribunals.

Franciso A. Amallo

 

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Francisco A. Amallo is a founding partner of MHR | Martinez de Hoz & Rueda. He specializes in international dispute settlement and international business law, with experience in foreign investment, oil and gas, construction, international sale and transportation of goods, sports, and general commercial and financial transactions.

He is a Professor of international arbitration and private international law at Universidad Católica Argentina. He has been invited to lecture at different universities in Latin America and he is often invited to speak at international arbitration conferences.

He holds a law degree and an LLM in Economic Business Law from Universidad Católica Argentina, as well as an LLM in International Dispute Settlement from the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute (MIDS).

He is listed as an arbitrator in different arbitral institutions. He is a member of the Appeals Panel of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and of the FIVB Tribunal of the International Volleyball Federation.

He has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal and Chambers & Partners as a leading attorney in the field of international arbitration. He was a member of the Global Advisory Board (2014-2016) and the Executive Board (2017-2019) of ICDR Y&I. He leads the young practitioner group of the Latin American Arbitration Conference.

Maia Bakradze

 
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Maia Bakradze has 21 years of legal practice. For 10 years, she was a judge of civil and administrative matters in first and second instances.

She was a lecturer at Georgian University and an invited trainer at Georgian Bar Association and Training Centre of Ministry of Justice.

She has experience in preparing legal opinions on various legal issues and has also served as an arbitrator in numerous cases.

As a chair and member of the executory board, she was involved in various projects of Georgian Judges Unity Associations, such as providing expert opinions, research on the legislation, etc.

She is a co-author of the handbooks for the judges, including “Techniques of Decision Drafting”.

Nata Ghibradze

 
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Nata Ghibradze specializes in International Arbitration, with particular focus on disputes in Eastern Europe and the CIS region. She mainly advises clients in the energy (oil, gas, renewables), construction, infrastructure and engineering industry. She has experience in handling arbitrations under the major sets of arbitration rules (ICC, UNCITRAL, DIS and DIA rules) seated in various jurisdictions.

Before Hogan Lovells, Nata worked at the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, where she was part of the Department of State Representation to International Courts and at the Department of Legal Affairs of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia. She also practiced at an eminent Georgian law firm in Tbilisi. Nata studied law in Germany as well as in Georgia. Nata regularly speaks and publishes on current issues regarding International Arbitration.

Helene Gogadze

 
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Helene Gogadze is a senior attorney in the Business Trial Practice Group and a member of the firm’s International Arbitration Team in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

Helene’s practice focuses on international commercial and investment arbitration and commercial litigation. She advises and represents clients in commercial and investment arbitration disputes, including disputes involving state governments and state-owned entitles, and in actions before national courts in relation to arbitration proceedings.

Helene has also been appointed and is serving as an arbitrator. She is a member of the roster of arbitrators at the American Arbitration Association, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the Georgian International Arbitration Centre.

Helene is a lecturer at the International Law Institute, where she regularly teaches courses and conducts trainings on international investment and commercial arbitration as part of various programs for foreign government officials, investors and lawyers.

Helene also speaks at international arbitration conferences and regularly publishes articles on a variety of international investment and commercial arbitration issues. Helene was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where she taught international arbitration.