GRATA International

The firm

GRATA Azerbaijan LLC is a member of GRATA International, and was incorporated and registered in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 13 September 2005.

Today, clients have more than 220 professionals in 21 countries at their disposal. GRATA International is a global team representing different countries and nationalities, and which has experience advising on all areas of law.

Since its establishment, GRATA Azerbaijan has provided legal services to companies engaged in business in different fields of industry, including oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, communications, banks and international financing, transportation and construction.

With its 14-member team, GRATA Azerbaijan LLC provides full legal support to international and local companies in Azerbaijan. The lawyers at GRATA have extensive experience in corporate and employment law, including international M&A transactions, migration, tax and financial laws, IP laws and dispute resolution.

Areas of practice

Banking and finance: aircraft; maritime and railcar finance and leasing; bank and corporate lending; banking and insurance disputes; bond offerings; derivatives; financial services regulation; foreign direct investment; mergers and acquisitions; restructuring and insolvency; insurance; Islamic finance; project finance; and securitisation.

Corporate: company registration; opening branches and representative offices; preparing charters and shareholder agreements for the state registration; reorganisation and liquidation of legal entities; development of internal corporate documents; structuring M&A transactions; development of sale and purchase agreements and other transaction documents; registration of changes in commercial registry data with state authorities; legal due diligence, including pre-sale and purchase of companies’ shares and assets.

Employment: development and audit of HR documentation, policies and employment contracts; adaptation and implementation of internal policies of foreign companies in Azerbaijan; advising on engaging foreign employees, legal support in migration procedures; ongoing legal support of employers; legal support in course of state labour audits.

Commercial: antimonopoly law; commercial policies with a view of antitrust law and tax authorities requirements; legal due diligence; advising on requirements and restrictions in connection with import and circulation; compliance of advertising and marketing materials and events; compliance of product labelling and packaging; registration of personal data systems in Azerbaijan; drafting all types of commercial contracts, review for compliance with local law.

Telecommunications: licensing and permits; competition and regulatory; property acquisition and registration; finance and leasing; taxation; customs and transfer pricing; corporate structuring; registration of legal entities; drafting and negotiating commercial agreements.

Licences and permits: advising on licensing of company activities; obtaining/renewing licences in the industry and trade sectors; obtaining/advising on permits; advising on sanitary and epidemiological requirements; ratios of components in food and non-food items.

Intellectual property: pre-trial protection of intellectual property rights; registration of intellectual property rights (trade marks, patents and copyrights); representation in courts during intellectual property disputes.

Immigration: obtaining work, residence permits, and visas for the employees and guests of the clients.

Customs: advising on customs regulation; legal assistance during customs audits; appealing results of customs audits; customs litigation; customs due diligence.

Real estate and construction: structuring of acquisitions and dispositions of real estate, supporting investors in projects, including tax structuring and corporate advice; legal due diligence of real estate assets and development projects; co-ordination and support for sale and purchase and other transactions with real estate including: representing tenants at all stages of lease agreements negotiation.