BGI Legal

Specializing in capital markets, project finance, banking, secured transactions, contracts, securities and derivatives, real estate, general corporate and commercial law

Partner

Unana Gogokhia is a partner at BGI Legal. She joined the firm in 2007 from the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, where she had worked as an advisor at the Department of State Debt and Legal Expertise of Contracts.

Key engagements:

Advised the joint bookrunners and joint lead managers on issuance of Euro 370,000,000 corporate bonds by Energo-Pro a.s., which was guaranteed by the guarantees from three wholly owned subsidiaries, including two Georgian entities. The transaction was listed on the Irish Stock Exchange; Advised an IFI on Georgian law aspects of the transaction involving financing of the development and construction of mid-range hotel in Tbilisi to be managed by Hilton under the Hilton Garden Inn brand (value of the project - USD 31,000,000); Advised an IFI in issuing GEL denominated bonds under its Georgia’s domestic 200 million GEL bond program; Advised the joint lead managers in connection with the issue of USD 250,000,000 Eurobonds by Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation; Advised the global coordinators in connection with admission of Georgia Healthcare Group plc (GHG), a company based in the UK and holding the largest healthcare and medical insurance business in Georgia, to the premium listing segment of the London Stock Exchange, which raised 100 million USD in capital (gross proceeds); Advised EBRD in respect of the USD 155,000,000 financing (secured lending) of a major producer and supplier of nitrogen based fertilisers in the region with part of the facility to be syndicated and with a local bank also acting as parallel lender; Advised an international bank in listing of TBC Bank in premium listing segment of the London Stock Exchange. This was the second time a Georgian commercial bank was listed on the LSE premium segment; Advised an IFI on issuance of the USD 25,000,000 senior loan to the largest healthcare company in Georgia; Advised the European bank in connection with USD 100,000,000 financing of a local producer and subsequent restructuring of the loan facility; Advised the joint bookrunners on TBC Bank's debut IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange with the price of the global depositary receipts (GDRs) listed exceeding GEL 400,000,000; Advised the largest online and mobile lending group in issuing the EUR 150 million corporate guaranteed bonds which were admitted to the Regulated Market (Prime Standard) in Frankfurt on the basis of a listing prospectus; Advised the foreign issuer in connection with issuance of the USD 200,000,000 notes guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain group companies, including a Georgian guarantor; Advised TBC Capital acting as an underwriter for the largest ever local currency bond issuance by an IFI in Georgia; Advised local underwriters in underwriting and placement of debut EBRD GEL denominated bond issue in Georgia; Advised IFI on financing of the energy efficient, affordable housing project to be completed by the leading local developer (USD 23,000,000); Advised lead managers in the of US$500 million debut sovereign Eurobond issuance by the state of Georgia in 2008. This was Georgia’s first international sovereign bond offering following which Georgia has become the first CIS country to have its Eurobonds listed on the London Stock Exchange; Advised joint lead managers in the USD 250,000,000 placement of bonds by a Georgian state-owned railway company; Advised local issuers on establishment of GDR programmes; Advised a private investor in USD 15,000,000 acquisition of the largest commercial bank in Georgia by network size and subsequent mandatory tender offer and GEL 18.7 million capital increase; Advised an IFI on the potential road concession project; Advising an IFI on legal framework applicable to the municipalities in Georgia; Advised an IFI on investment into a Belarusian commercial bank owned by a Georgian bank and subsequent sale of the shares by way of exercise of the put option; Advised an IFI on Euro 8,000,000 financing the Poti Sea Port; Advised IFIs on investment in the leading bank of Georgia; Advised IFIs and foreign based banks on a number of lending arrangements with commercial banks in Georgia, including senior and subordinated loan arrangements; Advised Millennium Challenge Georgia on several projects, including road rehabilitation projects; Advised a global consulting and engineering firm and the Ministry of Energy of Georgia on development of the regulatory framework for concession of high capacity HPPs.

English, Georgian

Georgian Bar Association

LLM in International Economic Law 2007 (with distinction) – The University of Warwick, the United Kingdom; Diploma in Law 2003 (with honours) – The Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia; Public Policy Knowledge Network (PPKN) fellow – Tbilisi, Georgia, 2004-2005.