Levon M. Kocharyan
Levon, born in Russia, spent most of his childhood in the United States before returning to Moscow. A partner with Macleod Dixon, Levon graduated with honours from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where he specialized in International Trade Law. He completed a three-year course in International Economics and a five-year course in International Law. He also participated in the East/West Exchange Program on Business Administration at York University in Toronto, Ontario.
Levon has built an impressive mining and oil and gas practice and earned an enviable reputation as a leading practitioner in his specialized field of mining law in Russia. He is widely regarded and sought after for his knowledge and practical application of law in the natural resource sector by both clients and fellow professionals. Levon has great experience in undertaking and supervising work for oil and gas service companies, including setting up operations in Russia, registrations, work permits, tax advice, drafting and negotiating equipment supply and oil services agreements.
Levon is consistently highly recommended in legal directories and was recently nominated for the 2008 edition of The International Who's Who of Professionals. Levon often chairs regular meetings of the Mining Council held in Moscow, which is often asked to act as an advisor in the drafting of subsoil legislation.
Levon has 14 years of experience in assisting clients with mining and oil and gas projects. His practice area includes not only the corporate structuring of mining and energy projects but also:
- Advising clients on the structure of joint ventures to conduct mining and oil and gas activities;
- Drafting and negotiating gold and silver sales agreements;
- Participating in litigation over title issues;
- Obtaining and transferring mineral licenses;
- Supervision over due diligence of oil and gas and mining projects;
- Advising on complex tax structures and conducting complex tax work related to oil and gas and mining projects;
- Issuance and transfer of shares, bonds, securities; and
- Preparing and drafting legal documentation on behalf of clients participating in the increasing number of auctions granting mineral rights in Russia.
Prior to joining Macleod Dixon in 1993, Levon worked in Moscow as a manager of the crude oil trading department of a major international commercial house, and as a sales executive at The State Oil Company Nafta. In 1990 he was an intern at the Soviet Embassy in Burundi, Africa.
In his spare time, Levon enjoys soccer, tennis and piano.
Click here for a Russian version of Levon's profile.
- York University, Ontario, Canada, East/West Exchange Program on Business Administration, 1995
- Moscow State Institute of International Relations, International trade law (three-year course in international economics and a five-year course in international law), 1991
- Russian
- English
- French
- Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mining Advisory Council
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, American Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Energy and Tax Committees
- Member, Russian Canadian Intergovernmental Economic Council, Mining Committee
- Co-author of an article "Eye on the License", which described the options in transferring mineral licenses between legal entities under Russian Subsoil Law.
- Co-author of the article “More than a Twilight Zone” (Magadan Special Economic Zone).
- Co-author of “Some Practical Recommendations with respect to Implementation of New Subsoil Legislation” published in Oil & Gas Vertical magazine.
- Author of "Mining Sales Regime in Russia", distribution paper among the participants of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.
- International Who’s Who Legal, Mining Lawyers, 2008
- International Who’s Who Legal, Business Lawyers, 2008
- Chambers Global 2008 Band 1 ranking, Energy & Natural Resources
