Mergers & Acquisitions · Georgia
Find a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Georgia for your transaction
Georgian deal work sits inside a continental civil-law system with its own registry, notarial practice and court timetable. Tell us what you are buying, merging or disputing, and we match you with a Georgian Bar Association member who handles that kind of work. The matching service costs you nothing.
- Georgian Bar Association members checked before any introduction
- Experience of share deals, due diligence and post-closing disputes
- First response typically within 24–48 hours, at no cost to you
No fee for matching and no obligation. You agree rates directly with the advocate you choose.
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Matching service
Mergers and acquisitions in Georgia: what to expect
Cross-border share purchases, asset transfers and shareholder reorganisations in Georgia run through a civil-law framework that differs from what many foreign buyers expect. Whether you are acquiring a Tbilisi technology company, merging two Kutaisi manufacturers or restructuring a group registered with the National Agency of Public Registry, the sequence of due diligence, signing, registration and completion needs local judgement. A mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Georgia reads the Georgian-language corporate record, coordinates notarial formalities and briefs you on how the courts treat contested deals. On this page you tell us what you are working on and we match you, free of charge, with a Georgian Bar Association member whose practice covers your sector and transaction size.
Georgia in practice
How deal-making and commercial disputes work in Georgia
Georgian M&A advice is shaped by written codes, a compulsory bar association, a centralised registry and short procedural deadlines. These are the practical features that most often surprise foreign buyers and their in-house teams.
A civil-law framework, not common law
Georgia belongs to the continental legal tradition: private-law relations are governed by written codes, above all the Civil Code of 1997, and court decisions do not create binding precedent. The jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Georgia nevertheless guides the uniform interpretation of the law, so earlier rulings remain persuasive material when a transaction or a dispute is assessed.
Three tiers of ordinary courts
Ordinary justice is administered by district and city courts at first instance, where magistrate judges sit alone on property disputes up to GEL 2,000 and certain other matters; appeals go to the courts of appeal, and cassation review belongs to the Supreme Court of Georgia, whose Grand Chamber hears particularly significant cases. The Constitutional Court sits outside that hierarchy.
Language of proceedings
Georgian is the official state language and judicial proceedings are conducted in Georgian, with decisions made in the name of Georgia. In the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Abkhazian is also official. If you or your advisers do not command Georgian, translation or interpretation will be required for the documents filed and during hearings.
Time limits that decide cases
A first-instance civil judgment may be appealed within 14 days, and a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court within 21 days. On the substantive side, the general limitation period for civil claims is 10 years, contractual claims are time-barred after 3 years, and a wrongful-termination claim must be brought within 1 month.
Who may act for you
Advocacy is a single, self-governing profession in Georgia and membership of the Georgian Bar Association is compulsory to practise; candidates must hold Georgian citizenship, a higher legal education, a clean criminal record and a valid qualification certificate. Parties may appear in person at first instance, but bar admission is required before the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court.
Registration, notarial form and cost
Company and property registrations are handled by the National Agency of Public Registry through Public Service Halls and territorial offices, and Georgia runs a Latin-type notariat whose members must belong to the Notary Chamber; notarial authentication is mandatory or customary for important acts such as transfers of immovable property. Court fees are 3% of the value of a property claim, minimum GEL 100.
Key time limit — Commercial & Corporate Law
Contractual claims — 3 years. A shorter, claim-specific period that applies when the dispute arises from an agreement.
The country information on this page is taken from official Georgian sources — the Parliament of Georgia, the Georgian Bar Association, the National Agency of Public Registry and the Legislative Herald of Georgia (Matsne) — as published at the date of writing.
- Parliament of Georgia — Constitution of Georgia
- Georgian Bar Association — How to become a member
- Legislative Herald of Georgia — Civil Procedure Code
- Legislative Herald of Georgia — Civil Code (limitation periods)
- Legislative Herald of Georgia — Labour Code (dismissal claim)
- Legislative Herald of Georgia — Law on the Notariat
- National Agency of Public Registry
Common difficulties
Why Georgian transactions stall
Most problems in Georgian M&A are not commercial. They are procedural, documentary and linguistic.
Documents nobody can read
Extracts, resolutions and registry records arrive in Georgian. Without a lawyer who reads them properly, nationality, ownership and signing authority can stay unclear well past the exclusivity period.
Deadlines that look generous
Fourteen days to appeal, one month for a dismissal claim, three years for a contractual dispute. Buyers who discover a problem late often find the procedural clock has already been running.
Advice that stops at signature
Completion is not the end of a Georgian deal. Registration steps, notarial authentication for property and post-closing warranty claims all need the same adviser to stay involved.
Why use the matching service
What you get when we introduce your Georgian lawyer
We are not a law firm. We are a free introduction service built for clients who need the right specialist, quickly.
Checked bar membership
Every advocate we introduce is a member of the Georgian Bar Association, the compulsory body for practising lawyers in Georgia. We verify standing before your details are shared.
Matched to the deal, not the postcode
A share purchase, an asset transfer and a shareholder dispute need different skills. We shortlist advocates whose practice covers your transaction type and sector.
Clear scope before you commit
You decide the scope and agree fees directly with the advocate. There are no binding tariffs for legal fees in Georgia, so a written scope protects both sides.
One point of contact abroad
If you are outside Georgia, we keep the process simple: one request, a shortlist, and an introduction by email or call at a time that suits your time zone.
Cross-border work
Georgian deals we help with from elsewhere in Europe and the region
Clients often approach us from neighbouring states or from EU jurisdictions where the parent company or the investor sits. These are the markets we see most often.
Questions
Mergers and acquisitions in Georgia: frequently asked questions
Do I need a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Georgia if the target is a small company?
Even a modest acquisition touches the Georgian-language corporate record, registration with the National Agency of Public Registry and, where immovable property is involved, notarial authentication. A mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Georgia can scope the work to what your deal actually needs, and we match you with a Georgian Bar Association member at no cost.
How long do I have to challenge a decision in a Georgian commercial dispute?
A first-instance civil judgment may be appealed within 14 days, and a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court of Georgia must be lodged within 21 days. On the substantive side, the general limitation period for civil claims is 10 years, but contractual claims are time-barred after 3 years, so waiting is rarely neutral.
Must proceedings in Georgia be conducted in Georgian?
Yes. Georgian is the official state language and judicial proceedings, including decisions issued in the name of Georgia, are conducted in Georgian. In the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Abkhazian is also official. Parties and advisers who do not command Georgian will need translation or interpretation, which is worth budgeting for early.
How are lawyers regulated in Georgia?
Advocacy is a single, self-governing profession. Membership of the Georgian Bar Association is compulsory to practise under the Law of Georgia on Advocates, and it requires Georgian citizenship, a higher legal education, a clean criminal record and a pass in the Bar Qualification Examination, after which the certificate is valid for ten years.
What does it cost to bring a commercial claim before a Georgian court?
State fees are set by the Civil Procedure Code: 3% of the value of a property claim, with a minimum of GEL 100, and 5% for a cassation appeal, minimum GEL 300. A non-property claim attracts GEL 100, GEL 150 on appeal and GEL 300 on cassation. Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed.
Can my own foreign counsel appear before the Georgian courts?
Before first-instance district and city courts, parties may appear in person or through an authorised representative. Bar admission in Georgia is, however, mandatory to appear before the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court, and a lawyer’s participation is required at all levels of criminal proceedings. Many international clients therefore instruct a Georgian advocate alongside their own counsel.
Next step
Tell us about your Georgian transaction
Describe the deal, the sector and your timetable in a few lines. We review the request and introduce you to a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Georgia whose practice fits the work — free of charge and with no obligation to instruct.