Our People

Nick Gvinadze | Managing Partner

Nick Gvinadze is the Managing Partner of Gvinadze & Partners. With over a quarter century in busy private practice, he has accumulated abundant experience in the whole spectrum of both Georgian and cross-border commercial law, with particular focus on energy, infrastructure, real estate, international project finance, tax and dispute resolution. Nick has advised on a number of key foreign investment projects in Georgia, including major oil and gas transportation projects in the Caspian region, and has acted in a number of higher profile proceedings in the Georgian Courts as well as in international arbitration.

Before re-launching Gvinadze & Partners in 2010, Nick was a partner at DLA Piper Gvinadze & Partners LP, headed Ernst & Young's legal practice in Georgia, was a partner at GCG Law Office (a leading Georgian law firm in the 1990’s), served as an attorney to the Financial Department of the Georgian Parliament, and acted as local counsel to an international law firm in the UK. He is also the former Chairman of the Arbitration Court of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he authored the Court's Arbitration Rules. Nick has also sat on the Board of Transparency International Georgia, Grants Commission of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, as well as on the Investment Support Council at the Georgian Parliament. Over the years, Nick has lectured extensively on various aspects of Georgian and International Business Law at various leading educational institutions in Georgia.

Having served 9 years as a member of the International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Nick is currently a Belt & Road Ambassador of the Court, a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR in Paris, and chairs the Arbitration Commission at the Georgian National Committee of the ICC. Nick also co-chairs the British-Georgian Law Association (BGLA), and sits on the Boards of the EU-Georgia Business Council (EUGBC) and Georgian-Swiss Business Association (GSBA). Nick is a founding member of the Georgian Bar Association (GBA) as well as Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA, a lead Georgian NGO), and is also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). 

Nick has received a Diploma in Jurisprudence with high honors from Tbilisi State University, a Diploma from the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at the University of London, as well as an LL.M in International Business Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Nick is fluent in his native Georgian, as well as in English and Russian.

Email: n.gvinadze@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Sophie Panjikidze | Partner

Sophie Panjikidze is a Partner at Gvinadze & Partners. Having started with the legacy firm Georgian Consulting Group (GCG Law Office) back in 2002, Sophie has been responsible for successful incorporation, reorganization and winding up of many dozens of foreign investment vehicles, and has advised on a number of complex cross-border corporate and finance transactions as well as major privatization matters. With over 20 years of extensive private practice experience, Sophie has acquired valuable expertise in corporate, banking and finance, contracts, real estate, labor, insurance, IP and competition law matters, and has also been instrumental in supporting the firm's extensive litigation practice with important background research and due diligence. The clients she has worked for over the years range from pro bono charity clients to energy giants, major infrastructure development companies, leading Georgian banks and international financial institutions.

Sophie serves as an Expert on Georgia-EU Association Agreement and free trade issues with the Council of Experts under the EU-Georgia Business Council (EUGBC). She is also a former member of the Commission for Judicial Reforms at the Georgian Bar Association (GBA), a Board Member at Transparency International Georgia and serves on the Board of Directors of the Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC). Sophie is a member of the Independent Review Pool formed by the US Millennium Challenge Account Georgia (MCA-Georgia) in connection with its Bid Challenge System, and sits on the Advisory Board of the US Government Exchange Program Alumni Association of Georgia (EPAG) and on the Board of Harvard Law School Association of Europe (HLSAE). She also acts as International Bar Association’s YLC National Representative for Georgia.

Sophie has graduated with high honors from the Faculty of International Law and Relations at the Tbilisi State University and earned an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, where she served on the Board of Harvard Women’s Law Association. Sophie is also an alumna of the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) administered by the US Department of State. Sophie has attended a number of professional development courses and training programs, including at the University of Oslo (Norway), Bodo Regional University (Norway), and The Hague Academy of International Law (Netherlands).

Sophie is fluent in Georgian, English and Russian, with intermediate knowledge of French.

Email: s.panjikidze@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Tornike Amilakhvari | Partner

Tornike Amilakhvari is a Partner at Gvinadze & Partners. His practice encompasses a wide area of civil, administrative as well as white collar criminal law, with particular expertise in energy and infrastructure, construction contracts and permitting, land and real estate, tax and labour matters. With nearly a decade at the firm, Tornike has advised and represented the interests of numerous foreign investors in Georgia. In addition to his broad transactional experience, Tornike is an experienced dispute resolution lawyer instrumental to the firm’s success in Georgian courts as well as in numerous proceedings in front of various governmental, municipal and law enforcement agencies of Georgia.

Prior to joining the firm, Tornike completed internships at the Civil Cases Chamber of the Georgian Supreme Court, as well as a major Georgian law firm, and worked as in-house counsel at JSC Healthy Water, one of Georgia’s leading natural mineral water extraction and bottling companies.

Tornike holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Tbilisi State University, where he also earned his LL.M (both with high honors). He has also completed an exchange semester at the Faculty of Law of the University of Tartu (Tartu, Estonia), and has attended a number of professional development courses and training programs. Tornike is a member of the Georgian Bar Association as well as Georgian Association of Arbitrators.

Tornike is fluent in his native Georgian as well as in English, with a good command of the Russian language.

Email: t.amilakhvari@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Thomas Dimitroff | Senior Counsel

Thomas Dimitroff is a Senior Counsel at Gvinadze & Partners. Tom is a US qualified lawyer (Illinois) with nearly 30 years of uniquely blended experience as a lawyer, risk analyst and business strategist.  He has functioned as a member and legal manager of multiple negotiating teams that have delivered globally significant energy projects including the one million barrel per day BTC pipeline, the ten billion cubic meter SCP gas pipeline and the 6.9 billion cubic meter Gas Sales Agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz Phase 1). He was lead negotiator for the Azerbaijan Republic during the multilateral Energy Charter Transit Protocol negotiations, for BP on the Kazakhstan Caspian Transportation System (KCTS) Project and for the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline Project. Tom has developed and negotiated arrangements for the access and sale of upstream oil and gas access arrangements in the FSU and Middle East on behalf of oil and gas companies and private equity funds.

Tom is also a Partner at Infrastructure Development Partnership (IDP), a London-based energy and mining sector consultancy firm. Earlier in his career, Tom served as Senior Legal Advisor and subsequently as Regional Advisor to BP plc for Africa, the Middle East, Russia, the Caspian and Turkey, advising on non-technical risks posed to new ventures and existing operations across the region. Tom was Consulting Editor for “Risk and Energy Infrastructure” published in August 2011 by Global Law and Business (London, UK).

Tom holds a J.D. from Kent College of Law in Chicago (USA), a B.C.L. (Jurisprudence and Political Theory) from Oxford University (UK), M.A. (Law) from Cambridge University (UK), and a B.A. (Philosophy) from Loyola University of Chicago (USA).  

Tom is fluent in his native English, with a good command of the Russian language. 

Email: assistant@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Lesley Rogers | Senior Counsel

Lesley Rogers is a Senior Counsel at Gvinadze & Partners. Lesley is an experienced, New York qualified international corporate and finance lawyer based in Tbilisi since 2004. Prior to joining our predecessor firm DLA Piper Gvinadze & Partners, where she worked on inbound investments and cross-border infrastructure projects, Lesley practiced law with US law firms Arnold & Porter LLP and Coudert Brothers LLP in New York, where her practice included cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, private and public offerings, sovereign debt issuances and securities filings. Lesley has worked for years as a Tbilisi-based consultant to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on energy policy, climate finance, agri-finance, regulatory reform and investment and trade promotion matters affecting countries in the Europe and Central Asia region. She has also worked as a consultant to Booz Allen Hamilton in Tbilisi and the Embassy of Georgia in Japan, and served on the Advisory Board of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA).

Lesley holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School, an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. from Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY, USA).

Lesley is fluent in her native English as well as in French, with a good command of the Georgian language.

Email: l.rogers@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Anzor Khatiashvili | Senior Associate

Anzor Khatiashvili is a Senior Associate at Gvinadze & Partners, with wide expertise and over a decade of experience in civil, administrative and criminal law. Prior to joining the firm, Anzor worked at another Georgian law firm, as well as two leading Georgian NGOs where he was involved in a wide range of legal consulting and representation, as well as legislative drafting and legal training work.

Anzor holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from Tbilisi State University of Economic Relations, as well as a Master’s degree in Private Law from Tbilisi State University. He has attended a number of professional development courses and training programs, and is a member of the Georgian Bar Association.

Anzor is fluent in his native Georgian as well as in English, with a good command of the Russian language.

Email: a.khatiashvili@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Tinatin Javakhishvili | Senior Associate

Tinatin Javakhishvili is a Senior Associate at Gvinadze & Partners. Prior to joining the firm, Tinatin completed internships at ELSA, AIESEC and the School of Justice.

Tinatin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law (high honors) from the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). She has attended a number of professional development courses, training programs and legal competitions.

Tinatin is fluent in her native Georgian as well as in English, with advanced Russian.

Email: t.javakhishvili@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Tamara Rukhadze | Associate

Tamara Rukhadze is an Associate at Gvinadze & Partners. Tamara was actively involved in developing and drafting spatial planning and construction legislation of Georgia in her capacity as the Head of Spatial Planning and Construction Policy Department at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. In the same Period Tamara represented Georgia in the Intergovernmental Committee and Bureau at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Earlier in her career, Tamara worked with lead UK law firms Herbert Smith LLP and Clyde and Co LLP in London in the UK, where she provided valuable support to the legal teams in the Trade and Energy and Litigation Departments. Tamara also serves as Secretary for the British-Georgian Law Association (BGLA).

Tamara holds an LL.M degree from Ohio Northern University, Claude W. Pettit College of Law (Ohio, USA). Tamara has also earned a Graduate Diploma in Law, and subsequently a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) from the BPP Law School in London, UK. She has also received a B.A. from the Tbilisi State University, and has also completed the Media Practice and Legal Drafting courses at the University of London in the UK.

Tamara is equally fluent in the Georgian, English and Russian languages.

Email: t.rukhadze@gvinadzeandpartners.ge 

Timothy Chase | Associate

Timothy Chase is an Associate at Gvinadze & Partners. Tim’s areas of special interest include EU Law, Competition and Intellectual Property matters. Prior to joining the firm, Tim completed an internship with European competition lawyers at a lead international law firm Linklaters, and acquired work experience with a Brussels-based PR company. Tim has studied Russian and has taught English as a foreign language on different occasions and locations in our region.

After graduation from the Winchester College, Tim has obtained his BA from the University of Sheffield in the UK, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Law from the College of Law, London Moorgate (London, UK).

Tim is fluent in his native English as well as in Russian, with a good command of the German and French languages.

Email: t.chase@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Nino Baidoshvili is a Tax and Finance Specialist at Gvinadze & Partners. Her profound knowledge across the field is a valuable addition to our legal team’s tax and finance law expertise, and is called upon as required by client work. For a number of years prior to joining the firm, Nino worked as an Accountant and later as a Chief Accountant with Georgian companies.

Nino has obtained her MSc degree from Tbilisi State University, and is currently an ACCA candidate. Nino is fluent in Georgian and Russian, with advanced knowledge of English.

Email: n.baidoshvili@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Yulia Muzhichenko | Legal/Executive Assistant

Yulia Muzhichenko is a Legal Assistant at Gvinadze & Partners. Her duties include legal translations and interpretations, filings, documentary revisions and other valuable support to the legal team. Yulia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Faculty of Sciences and Art of Ilia State University. Yulia is an alumna of the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), with successful graduation from the Citrus High School (Florida, USA). She has also completed a remote master summer training course in “Conflict Analysis, Policy Research, Writing and Advocacy” at the University of California (Irvine, USA).

Yulia is fluent in Georgian, English and Russian, with elementary German.

Email: assistant@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Tamar Zhorzholiani | Legal/Executive Assistant

Tamar Zhorzholiani is a Legal/Executive Assistant at Gvinadze & Partners. In addition to a broad office managerial role, her duties include legal translations and interpretations, filings, documentary revisions and other valuable support to the legal team. Tamar continues her studies towards Bachelor’s degree in American Studies at the International Black Sea University.

Tamar is fluent in her native Georgian as well as in English, and with a good command of German.

Email: assistant@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Elza Lazarashvili | Legal/Executive Assistant

Elza Lazarashvili is a Legal/Executive Assistant at Gvinadze & Partners. In addition to a broad office managerial role, her duties include legal translations and interpretations, filings, documentary revisions and other valuable support to the legal team. Elza continues her studies towards Bachelor’s degree in American Studies at the International Black Sea University.

Elza is fluent in her native Georgian as well as in English, and with a good command of the Russian and French languages.

Email: assistant@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Ketevan Kochuashvili | Legal/Executive Assistant

Ketevan Kochuashvili is a Legal/Executive Assistant at Gvinadze & Partners. In addition to a broad office managerial/administrative support role, her duties include legal translations and interpretations, filings, documentary revisions and other valuable support to the legal team. Prior to joining the firm, Ketevan served as project planner at American Councils for International Education Georgia and as marketing intern at Buckswood International School of Tbilisi.

Ketevan is an alumna of the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), with successful graduation from Olathe West High School (Olathe, Kansas, USA). Ketevan continues her studies towards Bachelor’s degree at  Business and Technology University of Georgia.

Ketevan is fluent in her native Georgian as well as in English, with basic knowledge of the German language.  

Email: assistant@gvinadzeandpartners.ge

Nino Beruashvili | Legal/Executive Assistant

Nino Beruashvili is a Legal/Executive Assistant at Gvinadze & Partners. In addition to a broad office managerial/administrative role, her duties include legal translations and interpretations, filings, documentary revisions and other valuable support to the legal team. Prior to joining the firm, Nino worked at European education program Nautilus and youth center New Generation.

Nino holds a B.A. in Georgian Philology from Tbilisi State University, and is currently pursuing BA of English Philology at the University of Georgia.

Nino is fluent in her native Georgian as well as in English, with basic knowledge of the Russian language.  

Email: assistant@gvinadzeandpartners.ge