IGOR VERKHOVODKO

Position: Senior Partner, Advocate
Minsk

Specialty:
Banking, Finance, Insurance, Securities, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Investments and Privatization

Phone: +375 (17) 2907580
E-mail: igor.verkhovodko@verkhovodko.com

  

    

Region

Minsk

Degree

Doctor in Law

Education and Qualification

• 2010 Training at the International Arbitration Court of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• 2008 Certified by the Institute for Retraining and Qualification Upgrading for Judges, Prosecutors and Legal Professionals at the Belarusian State University
• 2006 Training at the Supreme Economic Court of the Republic of Belarus
• 2001 Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus), Law Faculty / S.J.D.
• 1997–2001 University of Graz (Austria) under the TEMPUS program with participation of BSU (Belarus), University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) and University of Graz (Austria)
• 1998 Constitutional and Legislative Institute (Budapest, Hungary) «International commercial arbitration»
• 1984–1991 Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus), Law Faculty / J.D.

Professional

Practicing lawyer since 1990

Practice Expertise

Igor Verkhovodko is among the first private legal practitioners in the Republic of Belarus.

One of the most highly rated and recognized litigators and general practitioners in Belarus with broad experience covering corporate practice, M&A transactions, investments, banking, finance, insurance and tax issues, as well as commercial disputes.

Based on the inquiries of international organizations, President’s Administration, Supreme Economic Court, National bank, Ministry of Justice, etc.) more than once has prepared legal opinions concerning new bills of legislative acts, as well as analytical reviews on different issues of practical implementation of legislation, regulating business and legal proceedings in the Republic of Belarus.

Work Highlights:

• Representing creditors during the first bankruptcy procedure in Belarus of a commercial bank;
• Representing a Belarusian company in Russian arbitration court under a lawsuit against Federal Frontier Service of the Russian Federation;
• Representing interests of an American company in Russian arbitration courts and Belarusian economic courts with respect to foreign currency frozen after the fall of the Soviet Union;
• Representing interests of Association of Commercial Banks of the Republic of Belarus in the economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under the claims seeking the invalidation of the non-regulatory acts of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Belarus;
• Acting as a legal advisor of «Sandvik AB» and «АВ Sandvik International» (Sweden) in several litigations in the Belarusian economic courts;
• Advising Tetra Pak Services GmbH with respect to activities its activities in Belarus;
• Representing BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO Smoking Tobacco and Cigars (export) B.V. under a case seeking the termination of arrest and release of the arrested property by Brest customs authorities;
• Legal assistance with respect to commercial activities and court representation of International Financial and Industrial Group Belrusavto;
• Advising and court representation of Afin Leasing AG, an Austrian company and IVECO official dealer;
• Representing a German company in the International Arbitration Court of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry under a debt-collection case exceeding USD 2 MLN;
• Representing Latvian banks in several litigations in the Republic of Belarus;
  advising, preparing legal opinions on a number of legal issues for COMMERZBANK;
• Advising on day-to-day matters, preparing various memorandums and legal opinion for EPAM Systems, representing the client in International Arbitration Court of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
• Conducting a legal due diligence regarding the establishment and operation, preparing the transaction plan for the sale of the company triggering multiple jurisdictions, comprehensive legal advice on corporate and other issues to the owner of an oil pipeline terminal at Belarusian-Polish border;
• Consulting Inmarsat, an international satellite telecommunications company, regarding the legal environment for rendering satellite telecommunication services in Belarus;
• Legal assistance with respect to commercial activities, investment projects, including for the construction of auto centers, administrative and other facilities, M&A projects and transactions, representing interests in Russian arbitration courts of International Automobile Holding «Atlant-М» (Belarus, Russia, Ukraine), an official dealer of Volkswagen, Skoda, Mazda, Opel, Ford, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Land Rover, KIA, Renault and others;
• Preparing a memorandum on the issues connected with the dealership relations of one of the largest truck producing companies in CIS region;
• Legal assistance, including the drafting of legal instruments with respect to the sale of pharmacy chains in Minsk;
• Legal assistance in the establishment of a commercial bank in the Republic of Belarus by a foreign investor;
• Representing interests of a Chinese company in economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under the case seeking the return of the confiscated real estate by the state;
• Representing a Russian company in the economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under the claim seeking the collection of oil products in the aggregate amount exceeding USD 5 MLN, supervising the enforcement of judicial orders and disposal of the adjudicated property, including execution of agency agreements and supervision of the client with respect to its permanent establishment in Belarus;
• Representing a German company in economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under the claim seeking the release of passenger buses from arrest by Brest customs authorities;
  representing a German company in economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under the claim against Ministry of Tax and Duty of the Republic of Belarus, collection from the budget more than one million USD in favor of the client;
• Advising the client, preparing memorandums and supervising the establishment and further sale of filling station chain in the Republic of Belarus;
• Preparing a memorandum on specific questions related to the commercial activities of the National State Television and Radio Company (BT);
• Legal supervision over several investment projects of the leading telecommunication service provider in Belarus (Velcom, TELECOM AUSTRIA);
• Representing a Russian company in Russian courts in several court disputes arising in connection with rights to gas pipeline;
• Legal supervision of the transactions involving promissory notes and representing the interests of one of the note holders in the latter’s relations with the promissory notes issuer — Norilsk Nickel;
• Representing interests of a gas transporting company (pipeline «Druzhba») in economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under the debt-collection claims;
• Representing interests of one Russian company in the economic court under a claim seeking the collection of deposited money in the total amount exceeding USD 9 MLN from a Belarusian bank;
• Legal support of the project on acquisition of a real estate in Moscow by a Belarusian company;
• Representing Mercedes-Benz Leasing GmbH in economic courts of the Republic of Belarus under a claim in the amount of several million Euro;
• Representing Naftan, the largest Belarusian oil refinery, in the International Arbitration Court of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the claim seeking the collection of more than USD 4 MLN;
• Conducting legal due diligence of a big Belarusian retail chain for the purpose of further sale;
• Successful representation the interests of one of the largest Belarusian banks-lender under the claim in the amount exceeding USD 30 MLN in the bankruptcy procedure of the borrower;
• Advising a large international mining company on receiving a concession for the development of natural resources, structure of business presence in Belarus;
• Advising a foreign investor regarding a PPP project for the construction of Minsk beltway and respective infrastructure;
• Legal supervision of the construction project based on the intergovernmental agreement for the construction of nuclear power plant involving more than USD 9 BLN-worth investments;
• Analyzing agreements, preparing memorandums and legal opinions for Belavia National Airlines on the issues related to the purchase of aircrafts, as well as advising on a number of investment projects, including a cross border ones;
• Preparing a memorandum on the contractual relations between the Russian employer and a contractor under a «turn-key» contract for the construction of gas and condensate pipelines involving more than USD 50 MLN-worth investments;
• Consulting, preparing memorandums and other legal documents for Minsk National Airport under a USD 600 MLN-worth investment project on construction of an international passenger terminal, paved runway and other facilities;
• Legal support with respect to the project involving EUR 150 MLN worth of investments on reconstruction of sport stadium in Minsk;
• Advising BSA and Microsoft Corporation on the matters arising in connection with Informational Technology, legal supervision over the projects and day-to-day activities, consulting on protection of the intellectual property rights, representing the client in courts, in particular, a successful representation in the litigation proceedings in arbitration courts of the Russian Federation regarding the transfer of «windows.ru» domain;
• Representing a client in the antidumping investigation with respect to a competitor — a large Russian supplier of goods;
• Legal supervision of Gazprom’s investment project on construction of a multifunctional complex in Minsk;
• Legal support with respect to the project involving EUR 150 MLN worth of foreign investments on construction of a construction materials production plant;
• Legal support on establishing Belstankoinstrument Holding company in Belarus, engaging more than 16 enterprises of the industry in question, headed by MZOR JSC (as a managing company) and involving more than 9000 employees, legal assistance with respect to commercial activities of the holding company;
• Legal supervision of the establishment of a jewelry holding company in the Republic of Belarus, engaging all enterprises in which state has a share (producers of jewelry, precious stones and metals, state jewelry retail chain);
• Engaged as a project advisor in the ground-breaking project on creating a first Russian automobile with hybrid engine «YO-mobile» (in Russian «Ё-МОБИЛЬ») and construction of the pilot plant in St. Petersburg. Implementation of the initial stage, including the construction of the pilot plant was estimated at approximately EUR 150 MLN;
• Drafting agreements and other legal instruments, advising during the implementation of construction and operation project with respect to Breast Care Center in Minsk;
• Participation in hundreds of economic (arbitration) courts and commercial arbitrations on all types of cases;
• Preparing hundreds of different memorandums and legal opinions on various legal issues arising during the course of commercial activities.

Additional Information

• Chairman of the Lawyers-entrepreneurs Council of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus,
• Member of the Central Council of the Lawyers Association of the Republic of Belarus
• Arbitrator of the International Arbitration Court of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Arbitrator of the International Chamber of Arbitrators of the Lawyers Association of the Republic of Belarus
• General Counsel of the Economic Court of CIS
• Professor at the Belarusian State University Law Faculty.

Igor Verkhovodko is a professor at Belarusian State University, Law Faculty, Civil Procedure and Employment Law Department. Is teaching civil, commercial and arbitration procedures for over 20 years in higher educational establishments of Belarus.

For a long time Igor Verkhovodko has been a member of the Science Advisory Council of the Supreme Economic Court of the Republic of Belarus (1998–2009).
Awarded with the Honor Roll of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, certificates of appreciation of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus and Supreme Economic Court of the Republic of Belarus for his contributions into the development of legal practice in Belarus.

Was numerously recognized as the Best Legal Practitioner of Belarus by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus.
Igor Verkhovodko received the certificate of appreciation from the World Bank for the contribution to its Doing Business surveys.

Participated in organization and holding Belarusian Investment Forum in Frankfurt (2010), as well as investment seminars in Sweden and Denmark on Belarusian investment environment.

Certified to practice law by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus in 2003.

• The special permit (license) № 02240/2380 issued by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus dated 15 March 2013 till 15 March 2018.

Languages

• Russian
• Belarusian
• English

Recommendations

International publications and directories identify and rank Igor Verkhovodko among the leading Belarusian legal practitioners in general practice and dispute resolution:

• CHAMBERS GLOBAL: the World’s Leading Lawyers Chambers Europe;
• СHAMBERS EUROPE: Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business;
• The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2012;
• International Financial Law Review’s Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law firms (IFLR 1000);
• PLC Which Lawyer?;
• Who is Who Legal;
• Best Lawyers.

Publications

Author and co-author of over 20 publications of books and articles, among which study books and guides on civil, commercial and arbitration procedures of Belarus.