VALUYEVA Sviatlana

More than 15 years of commercial law experience, particularly in intellectual property law, in the private sector;

• Over 15 years of active representation of clients before Belarusian courts, including in bankruptcy cases and subsidiary liability matters;
• Representation of Microsoft Corporation (USA) since 2014 in the field of software copyright protection in Belarus;
• Since 2010, Project Team Leader for the EBRD and external legal consultant for the BED;
• Legal support for financing an investment project in the production of furniture products and by-products in Belarus with a loan of over €70 million from an international financial organization and a banking group;
• Legal support for financing an investment project in a bar mill in Belarus with a loan of over €240 million from an international financial organization (an international bank) and a Belarusian bank;
• Legal assistance in adopting license manufacturing of goods and services in Belarus (electronic products, cleaning equipment, agriculture), assistance in identifying strategies for intellectual property rights protection and transfer;
• Legal advice and support for an international financial organization in the implementation of a project to finance the construction of a wood processing enterprise in Belarus for a total amount of €50 million;
• Legal advice and support for several international franchisors (USA, UK) in their entry into the Belarusian market, structuring relationships with developers, drafting and monitoring franchise agreement registrations;
• Legal advice and representation of clients in cases of unfair competition related to the illegal use of intellectual property (mainly trademarks).

OTHER EXPERIENCE:

• Research and teaching: External professor, EHU (Vilnius, 2006–2012), author/developer of an original course: "Intellectual Property Law," research on the legal protection of software in private international law, participation in thematic academic conferences, publications;
• Expert in various international projects: Doing Business of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; World Bank (IFC) study on bankruptcy and secured transactions;
• External expert (by correspondence) in Belarusian law (property and trust) on a case examined by the High Court of Justice in the United Kingdom;
• Microsoft Central & Eastern Europe DCU Excellence Award in the field of copyright protection (2015).

EDUCATION:

• Faculty of Law, Belarusian State University, 2001;
• Faculty of International Relations, Belarusian State University, Master’s degree, 2005;
• Faculty of International and European Law, EHU-International (Vilnius), postgraduate studies, 2008;
• Course on the professional activities of patent attorneys, National Intellectual Property Center, 2015.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Arbitration Court of Information Technology and Intellectual Property (Minsk, arbitrator);
• Patent Attorneys Association.