Our Mission Matters

Nazli Ahmadova has over 25 years of experience in Business Law, Investment Law, Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Arbitration and Litigation. She is the founder and director of Apex Advisors, as law firm based in Azerbaijan. Nazli has advised numerous private businesses, international development organizations and government agencies on matters related to oil and gas services, construction, real estate development, agriculture and food, creative industries and heritage, institutional and capacity building. Nazli Ahmadova is admitted in the Bar of the Republic of Azerbaijan. She is the founding Chair of the Business Law Committee of the Azerbaijani Bar Association and represents the Azerbaijani Bar Association at LAWASIA, the organization connecting the legal professionals from Asia and the Pacific. She is acknowledged by the Chambers Global 2011 as being "very positively viewed in the oil and gas market." She was a speaker or moderator at several international conferences on creative industries, heritage and restitution, and international arbitration. She has authored articles on practical issues of law, the first legal blog on intellectual property in Azerbaijani, nazliahmad.wordpress.com, and amicus curae opinions for the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan. She is the founder of Culture4U, a research group on heritage law, Legal Postcards ("Hüquqi açıqcalar"), a legal educational project. Nazli was an adjunct lecturer on Property Law at the ADA University Law School, Baku, Azerbaijan. Ms Ahmadova holds a Bachelor of Law and Master of Law from the Baku State University and the LL.M. from the University of Minnesota Law School, MN, USA.

Toghrul Ahmadov is a seasoned legal and compliance professional with proven delivery of high-profile work in diverse environments. He has more than twenty years of experience in legal counseling, external affairs and stakeholder management, regulatory compliance and leading commercial negotiations. In his current role as Chief Legal Officer of NEQSOL Holding, Mr. Ahmadov leads legal and compliance teams of the group across the globe. He has been awarded with the medal of "Progress" by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in recognition of his contributions to the 'Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline' and 'Shah Deniz' natural gas projects in the region.

Celal Savaş has been a practicing lawyer since 1989, registered with the Istanbul Bar Association. Over more than three decades, he has developed a distinguished career in commercial law, energy law, construction law, mergers and acquisitions, and dispute resolution, with a particular focus on arbitration. Mr. Savaş currently serves as Senior Advisor to the CEO of SOCAR on legal matters, providing strategic counsel on high-stakes projects, complex negotiations, and cross-border transactions in the energy sector. His advisory scope includes major infrastructure and construction projects, as well as complex M&A deals involving multinational stakeholders. He previously held senior leadership positions, including Chief Legal Officer for SOCAR Turkey, General Counsel for Siemens Turkey, and Legal Counsel for BP. In these capacities, he managed large-scale legal teams, oversaw compliance and regulatory frameworks, and advised on transformative transactions and large scaled construction projects with significant national and international impact. As an active arbitrator, has served in both domestic and international proceedings, bringing a wealth of experience in contract disputes, investment cases, and regulatory compliance. His combined legal acumen and sector-specific insight have made him a trusted figure in aligning legal strategy with business objectives. Proudly being Member of TAA, Baku Arbitration Center, listed Arbitrator in IAC Kazakhstan, CCI Kyrgyzstan and registered in ADRIC Alberta / Canada.

Kamil Valiyev completed his bachelor's degree in law at Baku State University, then earned a master's degree in intellectual property, technology, and commercial law at the University of New Hampshire in the United States. He also participated in an exchange program in political science at the University of Oregon. He is currently a partner at the international law firm Dentons and the Managing Partner of its Baku office. His practice focuses on corporate and mergers and acquisitions (energy and telecommunications), intellectual property and technology, oil and gas and infrastructure, regulatory matters, litigation, and dispute resolution. He provides legal strategy and comprehensive advisory services to both domestic and multinational companies, with extensive experience representing clients in the oil and gas, construction, and technology sectors. Mr. Valiyev also teaches at Baku State University and ADA University, delivering lectures in information law, energy law, and related subjects.

Aytaj Gasimova is the Director of the Legal and Compliance Department at PASHA Holding LLC, where she has served since 2012. With over twenty years of professional experience, she has developed extensive expertise in corporate law, compliance management, and legal advisory within major financial and commercial institutions. Before joining PASHA Holding, Ms. Gasimova worked at Kapital Bank ASC as Deputy Director of the Legal Department and previously at Karasu Operating Company, where she held positions in legal affairs, human resources, and public relations. Throughout her career, she has been involved in developing internal governance processes and supporting the implementation of compliance frameworks within corporate structures. Ms. Gasimova holds a Ph.D. in Law and a master's degree in International Law from Baku State University, as well as a bachelor's degree in International Law from Western University (Qərb Universiteti). She has also completed several international executive programs, including *Maximizing Leadership Potential* in Belgium, *Legal English: Contract Drafting and Negotiation* in Hong Kong, and *Advanced Contract Law* in Singapore. Fluent in Azerbaijani, English, and Russian, Ms. Gasimova is recognized for her leadership, strategic legal insight, and commitment to promoting compliance and integrity within corporate structures.

Prof. Dr. Kamalia Mehtiyeva is a Professor of Law at the University of Paris-Est Créteil (France) where she co-directs LLM International arbitration and international economic litigation. Her teaching and research fields focus on international arbitration law, civil procedure, civil enforcement, international law of enforcement, as well as mutual legal assistance in both civil and criminal matters. Professor Mehtiyeva is widely published. Among her various publications, she is author of the annual commentary of decisions related to international mutual legal assistance in the Journal du Droit International (Clunet). Professor Mehtiyeva is admitted to the Paris bar. Prior to becoming a Professor of law, she practiced in the Public International Law and Arbitration Group of Shearman & Sterling in Paris (2007-2014), as co-founding partner of Barbier Mehtiyeva Law (2019-2024) and presently as Special Counsel at Clay Arbitration. She has represented clients in complex cases involving economic sanctions, commercial arbitrations relating to gas pricing, investment arbitrations arising from energy infrastructure construction projects, oil and mining exploration projects as well as in cases at the crossroads of international arbitration, white-collar crime, mutual legal assistance matters such as proceedings before INTERPOL, extradition proceedings as well as applications before the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Professor Mehtiyeva also regularly sits as arbitrator. She has acted as arbitrator (sole arbitrator, Chair and co-arbitrator) in cases across various sectors, such as contractual disputes, such as franchise agreement, sales contracts, banking sector, cases involving sanctions, gas pricing disputes, investment disputes (expropriation, fair and equitable treatment) arising namely out of energy infrastructure construction projects as well as investment in oil exploration projects and uranium mining projects. She is also a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce and member of the Commission of the Centre de Médiation et d'Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP). Professor Mehtiyeva is the President of the Azerbaijan Arbitration Association and co-President of the Turkic Arbitration Association. She is also member of the scientific-advisory council of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Baku Arbitration Centre.