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Ekaterine Egutia, Esq.Founder, Managing AttorneyEkaterine Egutia is the founder and managing attorney at EK Law Office. She offers business law and immigration advice to its clients. For several years, Ekaterine Egutia served as the General Counsel of TBC Bank, a leading commercial bank in Georgia. Before joining the bank, she worked as the Deputy Head of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia in charge of legal and international affairs. In 2009-2010 Ekaterine Egutia served as the Chief Legal Officer of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia. Before her career with the government of Georgia, Ekaterine worked for several years as a legal officer at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the European Union (EU) on a variety of projects. She has more than 15 years’ experience of working as a lawyer. Her practice areas include corporate law, contracts, IP law, administrative law, banking and finance. Before her studies at Harvard Law School, Ekaterine Egutia earned her law degree from Tbilisi State University in Georgia (2003), Bachelor of business administration from the University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland (2005), and Master of European Law from the Lund University in Sweden (2006). Ekaterine earned her LL.M degree from Harvard Law School in 2015. Ekaterine Egutia is admitted to the New York bar and the Georgian bar. Ekaterine is a member of the Georgian Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
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Nina KobakhidzeBusiness Development DirectorNina Kobakhidze is the Business Development Director at EK Law Office. She is a shareholder and a member of the supervisory board of Global Benefits Georgia - a partner branch of insurance company Global Benefits Group. Nina also chairs the supervisory board of GEO Hospitals, a chain of private hospitals and medical providers in Georgia.
During 2014-2017, Nina Kobakhidze worked for the Prime Minister of Georgia as the deputy chief of staff of the Government of Georgia. Among Nina's notable initiatives and achievements are: structural reforms for effective public administration in Georgia, launching of the international education center, establishment of the Solidarity Fund and promotion of other significant educational and social programs. Nina Kobakhidze’s name is also related to introducing world’s third largest broker, Willis Towers Watson to Georgian market. In 2011, Nina Kobakhidze became a partner and a shareholder of this reputable financial broker group. Nina Kobakhidze serves as the chairwoman of the business leaders' federation in Georgia - Women for Tomorrow. Nina Kobakhidze holds a law degree from Tbilisi State University (2003), and a Master of Business Administration and Management (2004) from ESM, Georgia. |
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Jonathan D. Messinger, Esq.Of CounselJonathan D. Messinger, Esq. is Of Counsel with EK Law Office in New York City and focuses on serving clients with Civil Litigation, Estate Planning and Immigration needs. Jonathan is from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has practiced law since 2006, is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and New York, and is known for his creative problem solving when faced with complex legal challenges. He obtained his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in Boston (2005) and his Master of Laws in International Law from the Lund University in Sweden (2006). Emphasizing “Compassionate Advocacy”, Jonathan founded LoveYourLawyer.com in 2005 as a way to continue collaborating with talented professionals, friends, and colleagues worldwide and is grateful for his powerful team of colleagues and friends who share his intellectual curiosity about the interactivity of life, law and love. In addition to practicing law, it has been Jonathan’s distinct honor to lecture at various universities and private companies in Japan, India and the United States. He volunteers with and for organizations such as the National Lawyers Guild, the American Lung Association and Mentor Discover Inspire.
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Nino Pataraia, Esq.Associate AttorneyNino Pataraia is an associate attorney at EK Law Office. Nino is a dual-qualified lawyer. She obtained her primary law degree (LL.B.) from Tbilisi State University in Georgia and a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) from Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Law. Nino is admitted to practice of law in the state of New York.
Nino’s expertise covers individual, family, and business immigration cases; commercial litigation and arbitration; and corporate matters. Nino advises foreign nationals seeking to work in the United States, as well as companies who wish to hire the most highly skilled individuals from around the world. Nino’s work in EK Law Office also focuses on removal defense for detained and non-detained individuals. She has successfully litigated complex cases involving asylum, withholding of removal and relief under the Convention against Torture. Prior to joining EK Law Office, Nino has worked for a reputable New York City law firm where she acquired considerable experience in commercial litigation and arbitration, estate planning, wills and trusts, probate and administration proceedings. Currently, Nino serves as a member of the Commercial Law and Uniform State Laws Committee and the Young Lawyers Practice and Skills Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Nino is fluent in English, Georgian, and Russian languages. |
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Gvantsa GrigoliaParalegal
Gvantsa Grigolia works as an immigration paralegal at EK Law Office. She joined the firm in November 2022. She provides caseload support to our immigration attorneys. Gvantsa obtained her Bachelor of Laws (2012) from Georgian Technical University in Tbilisi, Georgia. Gvantsa is TFAS (Fund for American Studies) alumni (2015) and has successfully completed a fellowship program held in Prague, Czech Republic.
Gvantsa has nine years of experience working as a legal officer and a civil servant in her home country of Georgia. Before moving to the United States in 2019, Gvantsa held various positions in public service in Georgia. She worked at the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, as a Senior Legal Officer of the Litigation Division (2012-2017), as a Senior Specialist at the strategic communication department of the State Ministry for Euro-Atlantic Integration of Georgia (2017-2018), and as a Legal Advisor at the Property Management Agency of Tbilisi City Hall (2018-2019). Prior to joining EK Law Office, Gvantsa worked as an immigration paralegal at the immigration law firm in Brooklyn NY for two years, where she gained experience in immigration law and practice. Gvantsa is fluent in English, Georgian and Russian languages. |