The Georgian legal market is characterized by one-site firms operating from the capital Tbilisi with BGI Legal, Gvinadze & Partners LLC and MG Law Office among the biggest names. A handful of international firms are the exception to this rule with Dentons, operating as Dentons Georgia, among the market leaders. Other international firms include EY Law and PricewaterhouseCoopers Georgia LLC, while Law Firm Kordzakhia Jgenti, associated with GRATA International recently expanding its geographical reach following its full integration with Grata International.
Lawyers are often fluent in multiple European languages including English, Russian and Italian, among others. Firms do not typically host dedicated teams for each practice area and instead adopt a more integrated, multi-disciplinary approach.
Following growth of 4.7% in 2018, the Georgian economy experienced lower growth of 4.4% in 2019. Regardless of this, corporate lawyers report a busy year of transactions and related disputes. Tourism continues to be a thriving sector in Georgia with the country expecting to host 11 million tourists annually by 2025. As a result, hotel developments and work concerning leisure complexes are increasingly common among firm workloads. Energy is another key sector with the country notably generating the majority of electricity via renewable hydroelectric power.
Generally speaking, top-tier firms handle a significant number of cross-border matters as the country enjoys close ties with Azerbaijan and other local neighbors as well as several EU countries. Investment from the Far East is also on the increase.
