Mergers & Acquisitions
Buy-side and sell-side work, from the first target list to registration of the new owner.
- Target search and structuring
- Legal due diligence
- Share purchase agreements
- Escrow and closing
Deals, boards, contracts and people: the legal work behind an established company, led by partners who read it from the business side.
the registry starts acting on companies that missed the re-registration deadline
for a manager to file for insolvency, or face criminal liability
of book assets: above this, a transaction needs general meeting approval
a typical timeframe to acquire a clean Georgian LLC, depending on the target
KNM Advisory's corporate practice helps Georgian and foreign-owned companies buy and sell businesses, run boards and shareholder meetings, negotiate commercial contracts and manage employment relations. Our partners bring experience in M&A, banking regulation, licensing and due diligence for IPO and bond transactions.
Georgia's new company law took effect on 1 January 2022, and older companies had to bring their registration data into line with it. If yours did not, your registration is already at risk. We check your status, prepare the founders' decision and new charter, and file with the registry.
Companies that did not comply have their registration suspended, a record is made in the register, and extracts are no longer issued.
From this date the registry issues a decision on the defect to each entrepreneur in breach and sets a time limit to remedy it.
If no application is filed in time, the registry decides to revoke the registration of the entrepreneur or branch.
Buy-side and sell-side work, from the first target list to registration of the new owner.
Clear rules for owners, boards and managers, so decisions hold up when challenged.
Drafting, review and negotiation in Georgian and English.
Hiring, restructuring and exits. Our managing partner trains on Georgian labour law and has published on unjustified termination.
Group structures that match how the business actually operates.
Permits and regulatory authorisation for regulated activity, and banking regulation advice.
A straightforward LLC acquisition typically takes around two months. The timing depends mostly on the condition of the target and the cooperation of its shareholders.
We identify solvent companies that are not in insolvency or liquidation, and whose shareholders are ready to sell a clean business.
Corporate records, title to shares, contracts, litigation, tax, employment, IP, licences and data protection, reviewed before and during negotiation and again before closing.
We draft and negotiate the SPA, including warranties, price mechanics and conditions to closing.
Funds and documents are secured through a bank or notary escrow, so neither side carries the risk alone.
The transfer is registered with the Entrepreneurial Registry, and we deal with management changes, bank mandates and the first steps after closing.
Georgian company law sets out specific duties for managers. Knowing them protects both the company and the individual.
A manager must act lawfully and in good faith, and is liable to the company for damage caused by culpable failure. Liability for intentional breach cannot be limited.
If the company is insolvent, the manager must file within three weeks. Failure carries criminal liability.
A manager is not liable for a business decision reasonably believed to be properly informed and in the company's interest, unless it breaches the law or charter.
Without consent, a manager may not run the same activity or manage another company in the same field.
A manager may not use the company's opportunities for personal benefit. The company can claim damages, including lost profit.
Where several managers cause a failure, they answer together. Major transactions over 50% of book assets need general meeting approval.
Senior Partner
Leads the Corporate and Banking practices. Advises domestic and international clients on M&A, structural transformations, banking regulation, ESG frameworks and employment.
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Senior Partner
Leads the Corporate, Litigation and Regulatory practices. Represents clients in complex disputes before courts and arbitral tribunals, and guides businesses through licensing and regulatory authorisation.
View profileThe Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs, which replaced the 1994 law from 1 January 2022. It regulates company forms, registration, partners' rights, manager duties, reorganisation and liquidation.
Its registration is suspended and the registry stops issuing extracts. From 1 January 2027 the registry issues a decision on the defect with a 3-month period to fix it. If no application is filed in that time, the registry decides to revoke the registration. We can check your status and make the filing.
Yes. A manager is liable to the company for damage caused by culpable breach of the duty of care, and several managers can be jointly and severally liable. Failing to file for insolvency within three weeks carries criminal liability. A properly informed business decision made in good faith is protected.
When its value exceeds 50% of the book value of the company's assets, or a lower amount set in the charter, the general meeting must approve it.
Corporate records and title to shares, material contracts, litigation and enforcement, tax, employment, IP, licences and data protection. We run it before and during negotiation of the share purchase agreement and again before closing.
Yes, foreign individuals and companies can own a Georgian company outright. See Market Entry for incorporation and bank accounts.
On the grounds listed in the Labour Code. For downsizing and certain other grounds, the employer gives at least 30 calendar days' written notice with at least one month's severance, or at least 3 calendar days' notice with at least two months' severance. The employee can ask for written reasons within 30 days, and the employer has 7 days to give them.
· Reviewed by: Gvantsa Barbakadze, Senior Partner. This page is general information, not legal advice. Rates, deadlines and procedures change: please speak to us before relying on them for a decision.
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