In addition to practicing the business and commercial law, our lawyers have also successfully participated in various governmental legislature projects in Azerbaijan sponsored by the international financial institutions. The lawyers of FINA LLP participated in drafting the Civil Code, formulating the Energy Legislation of Azerbaijan, establishing of the “Regulatory State Authority” in the Energy Sector of Azerbaijan (present “Ministry of Industry and Energy” of Azerbaijan), preparing changes and amendments to the Law “On Protection of Foreign Investments in Azerbaijan”, etc.

FINA LLP's attorneys and experts also bring a wide range of first hand expertise in economic and investment analysis and have been directly engaged in regional privatization and private equity investment activities. Our mission is to provide practical, 'value-added' solutions to companies by thoroughly understanding the environment, as well as the personal, professional and economic dynamics associated with doing business in Azerbaijan.

The major practice areas of our law firm are given in the list below:

Antitrust & Trade Regulation
Banking & Finance
Bankruptcy
Business Law
Commercial Law
Joint ownership
Construction
Contracts
Corporate law
Real Estate
Energy & Natural Resources
Environmental Law
Family Law
Health
Inheritance
Insurance
Intellectual Property
International law
International Trade
Investments
Labor and Employment
Land Use
Litigation
Privatization
Oil and Gas Sector
Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions
Taxation
Telecommunications
Transportation
Arbitration

INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INVESTMENT AND FINANCE

We represent numerous Azerbaijani corporations in internationals negotiations including mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and import-export contracts. Attorneys of FINA LLP have extensive knowledge of trade regulations, particularly among other CIS member states, in the areas of import and export of goods, services and capital, customs laws, export control and currency regulation. Our attorneys consult with and represent companies in multilateral and bilateral negotiations, investment regulations, international financing and trade. In the financial arena, our practice encompasses debt obligations, banking issues and project finance. Recently a number of our lawyers were closely involved in drafting of amendments and changes to the Law of the Azerbaijan Republic “On Protection of Foreign Investments in Azerbaijan”, the project financed by EBRD.

The lawyers of FINA LLP deal with all aspects of litigation, including in particular contractual, commercial, landlord and tenant, defamation and personal dispute work. The litigation practice of our lawyers is devoted to the handling of the matters before the first instance Economic Court and the Districts Courts of Azerbaijan on civil cases including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the Azerbaijan Republic.

TAXATION

Our tax practice includes tax consultations and represents large corporate clients and business entities, as well as tax-exempt organizations, entrepreneurs and individuals, the Branch and Representative offices of FLEs conducting their business activities in the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic under the specific PSA (“Production Sharing Agreements”) tax regime. FINA LLP’s tax lawyers handle the tax aspects of reorganizations, business combinations and separations, municipal finance issues, tax-exempt organization issues, contested tax matters and corporate, partnership and real estate tax issues. Our tax lawyers have been invited to take part in drafting and expertise of the Tax Code of the Azerbaijan Republic and the changes and amendments made to the Tax Code and Protocols to the first PSA of Azerbaijan.

ENERGY RESOURCES

Our lawyers have an experience working with foreign oil companies currently operating in Azerbaijan or with the intention of conducting business in the country. We were responsible for the drafting and expert legal examination of existing oil contracts according to current legislation; we have participated in oil and gas issues negotiations; and provided consultations on various aspects of Azerbaijani legislation for foreign oil companies, particularly on the issues of incorporation, taxation and labour. Number of our lawyers took part in TACIS Projects financed by the European Commission. The laws of the Azerbaijan Republic – Law “On Power Engineering”, Law “On Energy”, “Oil and Gas Law”, Law “On Gas Supply”, Law “On Electric and Heat Power Plants” and the other relevant legislative acts were drafted by our lawyers in the team of European experts under the TACIS Project EAZ 9502 “Energy legislation, taxation and finance assistance to the energy sector of Azerbaijan”. We were also closely involved in TACIS Project EAZ 9603 “Support for the structural reform of the fuel and energy sector of the Republic of Azerbaijan” the main aim of which was to support the Government of Azerbaijan in establishing the “Supervising (Regulatory) Authority” (“Fuel and Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan” and since December, 2004 “The Ministry for Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan”) in the energy sector of the Azerbaijan Republic.

LABOUR LEGISLATION

Regarding labour legislation FINA LLP advises joint-ventures of foreign companies and Azerbaijan state and private companies as well as international organizations on all kinds of labour issues, i.e.: drafting of employment contracts for office staff, personnel working off-shore, drafting staff regulations for international and humanitarian organizations; advising in dismissal, termination of employment relationship, collective redundancies, as well as defending the client’s interests on the matters connected with labour disputes in the relevant courts, drafting of agreements for services of independent contractors, etc.

REAL ESTATE 

FINA LLP provides legal services related to the design and construction of new buildings, the refurbishment of existing buildings. Our lawyers are extensively involved in a broad real estate practice and have represented clients on matters throughout the country. We represent real estate lenders, developers, investors and entrepreneurs in a variety of real estate matters, including sales and purchases of real estate, mortgages and loans and other financing transactions, real estate development matters, leases, loan workouts and foreclosures.

INCORPORATION

Our attorneys are knowledgeable in all aspects of the incorporation of legal entities in Azerbaijan including companies with foreign participation, subsidiaries, joint ventures, branch and representative offices of FLEs and have a broad experience in drafting foundation documents and state registration of them.