SERGEJS DILEVKA
DIFC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Mobile: +44 7704 944 529
E-mail: s.dilevka@gmail.com
PERSONAL SUMMARY
An experienced, detail-driven professional with developed technical knowledge and a proven track record of excellence in advising and representing clients in high-value transactions and contentious proceedings in the Middle East. Ambitions lie in providing business-focused legal advice of exceptional quality with increasing efficiency. Enjoys working in busy teams and exercising relative individual autonomy. Presently, seeking a new challenge and looking forward to joining a reputable dynamic legal practice.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Mena Chambers Limited, Dubai, 2011 – Present (previously based in London and Brussels)
Associate, International Law & Dispute Resolution
Areas of Expertise:
International investment, maritime, construction and commercial litigation and arbitration;
International and corporate finance;
· Investment treaties and commercial agreements.
Recent Experience:
· Counsel in international arbitration cases under auspices of major international arbitration centres, including:
– Acting for a construction company against one of the largest energy corporations in a USD 85 million LCIA arbitration concerning development of a logistics support base for a major oil field in Iraq;
– Advising a Liechtenstein-registered company concerning investments in the gambling sector of Palestine, including the legal system, corporate structuring, and the USD 200 million SCAI arbitration;
– Representing a managing director of an investment corporation in a BCDR-AAA dispute with the Bahrain financial services regulator concerning risk management policies and transactions made during the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
· Assisted in research and preparation of legal opinions for international investment disputes, including:
– Expert Legal Opinions on matters pertaining to international law, government regulation and the Energy Charter Treaty (the ECT) in Vattenfall AB et al v Federal Republic of Germany (ICSID Arbitration No. ARB/12/12) and Cem Cengiz Uzan v Republic of Turkey (SCC Case No. V 2014/023).
· Rendered multiple final arbitral awards as Sole Arbitrator appointed by the DIAC, including:
– Dispute regarding implementation of expansion strategy under an international franchise agreement;
– Dispute concerning construction and handover of retail units in a major Dubai shopping centre and corresponding advance payments made under six leasehold agreements.
· Acted as tribunal secretary in high-value international arbitration cases (ICC, DIAC and UNCITRAL Rules).
· Lead business development efforts by, for example, organising, attending and speaking at conferences, creating and distributing useful materials of the highest quality, maintaining successful client relationships.
PricewaterhouseCoopers UK LLP, London, 2010 – 2011
Senior Case Manager, Forensic Services
Supported Hogan Lovells, acting on behalf of BTA Bank against former management, in a USD 10 billion corporate litigation and asset recovery project, including:
· Investigated multi-layer financial transactions and off-shore corporate arrangements;
· Supervised 15 document review specialists in London and Moscow;
· Drafted summaries for comprehensive client reports and memorandums.
Webgains Limited, London, 2008 – 2010
Senior Business Consultant, Finance Department
Analysed financial performance of an international online company, including:
· Prepared weekly market share analysis and financial reports to company directors and shareholders;
· Developed and implemented financial and performance reporting models and revenue improvement strategies;
· Supervised debt recovery proceedings against delinquent clients.
Professor Adnan Amkhan Bayno Limited, London, 2008 – 2009
Assistant Counsel, Al-Bahloul v Republic of Tajikistan (SCC Case No. V (064/2008)
Acted for the claimant in a USD 80 million international investment arbitration case seated in Stockholm, including:
· Advised the client, interviewed witnesses, actively participated in the oral hearing;
· Conducted legal research, and contributed to drafts of correspondence and pleadings;
· Prepared evidence for disclosure, and organised bundles for the proceedings.
EDUCATION
Legal Practice Course (LPC), College of Law, London (Corporate Route; Commendation), 2011 – 2012
· Acquisitions; Public Companies & Equity Finance; Commercial Dispute Resolution.
LLM (International Business Law), Queen Mary, University of London (Merit), 2008 – 2010
Legal Aspect of International Finance; International Commercial Law; International and Comparative Commercial Arbitration;
Dissertation: The Concept of Damages in International Investment Law.
LLB (Honours), University of Bedfordshire (2:1), 2005 – 2008
Dissertation: A Comparative Analysis of the Practical Tendencies of the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation Concerning State Immunity.
Finance, Moscow State University, 2002 – 2005
Jurisprudence; Finance; Economics; Accounting; Management; Marketing.
MEMBERSHIPS
· Bar: New York Bar Examination (July 2017);
· Member: IBA, ICC, LCIA, DIAC, DIS, SAC, CEPANI, DAA, RAA, BRLA, BIICL, CIArb.
PUBLICATIONS
· “Artificial Intelligence and International Arbitration: Going Beyond E-mail”, contribution to “International Arbitration – the Next 100 years” book, 2017, CIArb;
· “Arbitration Claims by Ukrainian Investors under the Russia-Ukraine BIT: between Crimea and a Hard Place?”, 2016, CIS Arbitration Forum;
· “Mr Pugachev’s Multi-Billion Dollar Claim and One Insurmountable Hurdle”, 2015, CIS Arbitration Forum;
· “The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution”, 2015, IBA Arbitration News;
· “Attachment of Russia Owned Assets in Belgium”, 2015, RAA;
· “South Stream Intergovernmental Agreements: A Compendium”, 2014 (Co-authored);
· “The Suspended Bulgarian Bill for Amendments of the Energy Act: Political Gambit or Genuine Concern”, September 2014 (Co-authored), IBA Oil & Gas Law Newsletter;
· Series of Notes on the Energy Charter Treaty, 2014-2015 (Co-authored).
CONFERENCES
· Organiser, Islamic Finance Conference, MC Academy/CIArb, Manama (Bahrain), 2016;
· Speaker, Energy and Arbitration, AIA, Brussels, 2016;
· Speaker, Yukos Panel Discussion, Shepherd and Wedderburn, London, 2016;
· Arbitrator, IV ICC Lex Mercatoria, Minsk, 2015;
· Arbitrator, 22nd Vis Moot pre-moots, Riga-Amman-Moscow, 2015;
· Speaker, Young Members Group Annual Conference, CIArb, London, 2014;
· Organiser, Sir Elihu Lauterpacht Lecture Series on the Administration of International Justice, Brussels, 2012.
Projects
Founder of LawEvents.com (public calendar for events in the legal sector);
Founder of Mena Chambers ECT Gateway App (available on iTunes and Google Play).
Languages
English, Russian, Latvian.
References
Available on request.