Dr. Irina Paliashvili began her private practice by co-founding one of the first private law firms in Ukraine and expanded by founding the Washington-based Ukrainian Legal Group, where she serves as the Managing Partner.

Irina holds Ph.D. in Private International Law from Kyiv State University School of International Law and an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from George Washington University. She is licensed to practice Ukrainian law as a Special Legal Consultant in the District of Columbia and is a member of the Kyiv Bar.  She frequently speaks at international conferences and publishes on the legal and business climates in Ukraine, and serves as the Chair of the Legal Committee of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council, the International Rule of Law Officer of the IBA Rule of Law Forum, a member of the Advisory Board of Best Lawyers® and a member of the Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA).  Irina is regularly included in the Hundred Best Lawyers of Ukraine (Clients’ Choice) and in the list of most successful and well-known women lawyers in Ukraine based on the surveys conducted by Yurydychna Gazeta, a leading legal publication in Ukraine. She is also regularly included in the top 10 best lawyers in Ukraine, as well as named “Lawyer of the Year” in several practice areas (Antitrust, Arbitration and Mediation, Corporate, Energy and Natural Resources Law and Mergers and Acquisitions) by Best Lawyers®, which is regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the U.S. and around the world.

In her capacity as the International Rule of Law Officer of the IBA (International Bar Association) Rule of Law Forum, Irina is actively engaged in the issues of Accountability and Justice, as well as defending and restoring global rule of law.

Irina has extensive experience in providing independent expert witness reports and testimony on the matters of Ukrainian law in international arbitrations and in the US, UK, the Netherlands, Cypriot and Swedish court proceedings, with the emphasis on energy disputes. Irina is a member of the Energy Community Dispute and Negotiation Centre Panel of Mediators in Vienna and is included in the arbitrators’ panels of several international arbitration institutions, such as the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC), Georgian International Arbitration Centre (GIAC) in Tbilisi, Lewiatan Court of Arbitration in Warsaw, Caspian Arbitration Society in Geneva and Kazakhstani International Arbitrage (KIA) in Almaty. She is included in the Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist: CIS and Caucasus.