On February 5, 2025, the LEGIS Legal Forum, organized by PASHA Holding and its subsidiaries, successfully concluded, bringing together legal professionals, experts, and industry leaders.
As the first event of its kind in Azerbaijan, the forum gathered government officials, private sector representatives, and more than 500 legal professionals.
The forum aimed to strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors in legal matters, provide a platform for knowledge exchange among legal professionals, discuss key legislative reforms, and assess existing legal gaps.
The opening ceremony featured speeches from the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mikayil Jabbarov; the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Farid Ahmadov; the Head of the Department of Legislation and Legal Policy at the the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Gunduz Karimov; the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kamran Aliyev; the Chairman of the parliamentary Committee of Law Policy and State-Building of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ali Huseynli; the Chief Executive Officer of PASHA Holding, Jalal Gasimov; and the Director of Group Legal and Compliance at PASHA Holding, Aytaj Gasimova.
Jalal Gasimov, Chief Executive Officer of PASHA Holding, emphasized the significance of the forum: “For the first time, a legal forum of this scale is being held in our country, and it is both a great honor and a source of pride for us to be its initiator and organizer.”
Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, highlighted the importance of developing the legal system to support economic diversification: “Strengthening mutual trust between the public and private sectors is essential for economic diversification. Stimulating business activity, ensuring the efficient management of state-owned enterprises, and fostering public-private partnerships are key priorities in the economic sphere. As various economic sectors evolve, new challenges arise for the legal and judicial system. The LEGIS Legal Forum serves as a crucial platform for evaluating proposals to enhance legislation.”
During his speech, Minister of Justice Farid Ahmadov highlighted the necessity of engagement between the government and the private sector: “This interaction must encompass all three branches of power. I believe this forum will significantly contribute to that goal.”
Companies in the private sector are sometimes reluctant to report violations to the General Prosecutor's Office. This was stated by General Prosecutor Kamran Aliyev at the LEGIS Legal Forum. He emphasized that the modern General Prosecutor's Office acts as a protector of businesses: "The Prosecutor's Office is responsible for overseeing the precise and fair enforcement of laws. If reports related to the private sector do not contain clear criminal elements, we redirect them to the relevant state authorities. Our objective is to ensure that there is no unnecessary interference in the operations of the private sector, except when absolutely necessary."
The forum also featured a speech by Latif Huseynov, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights. He shared valuable insights on contemporary issues in human rights and highlighted important points regarding their role and development trends in modern legal systems.
One of the most fascinating moments of the event was the interactive interview with the world-famous humanoid robot Sophia. Moderated by Sabuhi Goyushov, Director of the Legal Department at PASHA Life Insurance, this session discussed the latest trends in innovation and legislation. The dialogue touched upon the intersection of artificial intelligence and law, shedding light on how legal regulation mechanisms are evolving in the digital age and the challenges expected in this field in the future.
In addition to these engaging discussions, several critical legal topics were explored through panel sessions. The Public-Private Sector Cooperation Panel examined the role of legal frameworks in fostering innovation and strengthening partnerships. Moderated by Ilham Huseynov, Head of PASHA Bank’s Legal Affairs Department, the discussion featured insights from government, private sector, academic, and legal professionals. Elnur Aliyev, First Deputy Minister of Economy, stressed the importance of public-private collaboration in economic development, while Heydar Mammadov, Deputy Prosecutor General, highlighted systematic legal analyses aimed at identifying and preventing corruption. Mammad Abbasbeyli, Head of the State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control under the Ministry of Economy, spoke about the impact of the Competition Code on public-private partnerships and fostering a fair business environment.
The Arbitration Panel focused on the evolving role of arbitration in modern legal systems and its development in Azerbaijan. Moderated by Kamala Mehdiyeva, Chair of the Azerbaijan Arbitration Association, the panel included legal experts such as Paolo Marzolini, Founding Partner of Patocchi & Marzolini; Hugo Barbier, Partner at Peter & Kim; Nurlan Mustafayev, Head of SOCAR’s Corporate Legal Department; and Head of the Legislative Development Sector of the Legislation and Legal Policy Department of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Araz Poladov. The discussion underscored arbitration as an effective dispute resolution mechanism and explored its broader implementation in Azerbaijan.
The Digital Ecosystem Panel provided an in-depth analysis of legal issues at the intersection of law and technology. Moderated by Alakbar Ismayilzade, Director of Kapital Bank’s Legal Department, the discussion covered regulatory challenges, artificial intelligence, tax incentives, and legal risk management. Participants included Vusal Isayev, Head of the Legal Services Sector the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Farid Isayev, Advisor to the Chairman of the State Tax Service; Habib Teymurov, Director of Competo’s Legal Department; Funda Tüfekçi, Head of Trendyol Group Azerbaijan’s Legal Department; and Arif Mehdiyev, Director of PASHA Pay’s Legal Department.
During the session, Vusal Isayev noted the necessity of addressing legal issues related to AI integration: “A dedicated AI strategy is currently being developed to ensure legal clarity and foster technological advancement in the coming years.” Advisor to the Chairman of the State Tax Service, Farid Isayev, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and private sector: “Effective engagement between state institutions and businesses is essential in shaping incentive mechanisms for technological industries. We remain open to dialogue and business proposals to support this development through tax policy.”
