Ophelia Abdullayeva

Ophelia Abdullayeva is Of Counsel in Salans' Baku office and experienced in corporate, tax, employment and property matters. She has also advised extensively on foreign investment and intellectual property matters, as well as on various corporate and related matters in Azerbaijan. During 2000-2001 Ophelia worked part-time in the London office of Salans.

Ophelia is a member of the Human Resources Committee and the Tax Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan (AMCHAM).

Ophelia has been recognised as a leading business lawyer by Who's Who Legal: CIS 2011.

Recent Experience:

• Advising the Government of Azerbaijan on its planned debut USD500 million Sovereign Eurobond Offering
• Advising a leading private bank on its Eurobond offering (the first such offering to date, by any Azerbaijan entity)
• Advising a major oilfield service company in a customs dispute related to imported equipment
• Assisting a major international telecommunications company on tax issues
• Providing assistance in connection with a tax audit and its consequences on behalf of a major Baku-based industrial company
• Advising KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm, with regard to the application of VAT and other tax issues in Azerbaijan
• Providing general employment advice to the world leader in technology and project management to the oil and gas industry
• Advising a non-profit organisation involved in the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities, with regard to an extraordinary tax audit
• Assisting a major distributor and retailer of lingerie, personal care and beauty products, apparel and accessories on the unauthorised use of the brand by an enterprise in Baku, Azerbaijan, including trademark, corporate, administrative and potential litigation work
• Advising a technological leader of products and services in the oil and gas industry and headquartered in the U.S., on Azerbaijan employment regulations
• Assisting the world's third-largest international tobacco company with trademark registration and protection of intellectual property in Azerbaijan
• Representing a global food and tobacco group in customs related matters
• Assisting a major international telecommunications company on employment and labour matters under Azerbaijani law
• Advising one of the world's largest multinational soft-drink manufacturers in connection with trademarks and intellectual property issues in Azerbaijan
• Assisting the research and development arm of the world's leading supplier of machinery for glass container manufacturing with the registration of its trademarks in Azerbaijan
• Assisting with the establishment of a branch in Azerbaijan, and providing advice on tax, employment, licensing and other start up issues for the provision of educational services

Career:

• Of Counsel - Salans, Baku (1999 to date)
• Senior Legal Consultant - Wicklow Group, Baku (1996-1999)
• Legal Consultant - Ernst & Young, Baku (1993-1996)

Education:

• University of London, LSE (LL.M. with merit, 2001)
• Moscow Academy of Economy and Law (Bachelor of Jurisprudence Degree, 1998)
• Bilkent University, Turkey (Master of Arts in TEFL, 1993)
• Azerbaijan Teachers Training Institute of Foreign Languages (Diploma, with honours, 1985)

Languages:

• Russian
• Azerbaijani
• English