Mr. Giorgi Otaridze is a director and Partner of SBC Audit UK, leading the team of business consultants. His main areas of expertise are comparative tax law, project and corporate finance, international trade, and secured business transactions. He has extensive experience advising high-profile business clients in a broad range of transactions with a combined value of billions of U.S. dollars. Giorgi was involved in tax consultancy and financial reports reviewing processes for multinational, domestic and foreign clients. Mr. Otaridze has a clear and comprehensive idea of the Georgian legal, tax and business environment that is further enhanced by more than twenty-five years of practice.

Prior to founding SBC Legal, Giorgi worked at RSM Georgia as a Legal Director, as well as served at DLA Piper Georgia. His practice focuses on corporate, banking, finance, contracts, tax and project finance matters. Giorgi’s experience also includes working as a lawyer for Chemonics Inc, the international development contracting firm, on its Georgian Microfinance Stabilization and Enhancement Project and was the co-author of the amendments to the Georgian Civil Code clarifying microfinance organization status under Georgian law. Over the years, Mr. Otaridze assisted several Georgian Commercial Banks in various corporate matters, including among other the registration and obtaining the full banking license, taxation, corporate and project finance matters, collateral registration, opening international accounts etc. Represented the EU TACIS program, and NGOs on a variety of matters including registrations, reorganizations, bankruptcy, taxation, and litigation.

A brief selection of his notable representations includes:

• Handling redomicilization case of global tech giant with a surface value of four billion U.S. dollars;
• Provision of consulting services in the process of issuance of loan in the amount of 10 million U.S. dollars by the financial institution – Société De Promotion Et De Participation Pour La Coopération Économique S.A. (PROPARCO) (in cooperation with Baker & McKenzie A.A.R.P.I);
• Acting for a global IT giant in the process of acquiring international company status in Georgia;
• Provision of consulting services in the process of issuance of loans in the amount several million U.S. dollars by the investment fund – INCOFIN CVSO;
• Representation of major international petroleum company on various cases in the Georgian courts arising out of the construction and operation of three oil and gas pipelines transiting Georgia, including property damage, environmental and right of way disputes;
• Acting for the Georgian Government in an ICSID Arbitration regarding the alleged expropriation of foreign investment in a steel plant;
• Acting for an American-owned Georgian real estate company in a high-profile property dispute with neighboring landowner;
• Coordinating due diligence and participating in negotiations with various international financial institutions for structuring the debt transaction involving the financing of Georgian commercial banks and leading MFI’s in Georgia;
• Providing legal support to international financial institution in debt transaction involving the financing the leading leasing company in Georgia ($10 million loan);
• Representing the EU based financial institution in the process of Due Diligence Review of Georgian commercial bank, involvement in a multi-M USD share purchase transaction relating to the acquisition of shares of commercial bank in Georgia;
• Representing the world’s largest telecommunication sector company in the process of Due Diligence Review of Georgian leading mobile operator company, involvement in a multi-M USD share purchase transaction relating to the acquisition of controlling package of shares of leading mobile operating company in Georgia.

Giorgi graduated from Tbilisi State University, Department of Law, earning his J.D. Degree with High Honors, as well as obtained Banking Law Expert Diploma at Bankakademie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Mr. Otaridze is admitted to Georgian Bar.

With native Georgian, Giorgi is fluent in English and Russian.

Education

Bankakademie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 1998, Banking Law Expert Diploma

Tbilisi State University, Department of Law, 1998, J.D. Degree with High Honors

Languages

Georgian
English
Russian