Arsen Khachikyan, Counsel, Corporate

Arsen Khachikyan

Counsel

Areas of Focus

Arsen Khachikyan, Counsel, Corporate

Arsen Khachikyan

Counsel

akhachikyan@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Arsen’s practice is focused on construction, energy, projects and corporate.
  • The total value of key projects in which Arsen has participated exceeds $45 billion.
  • The geography of Arsen’s projects covers more than 70 jurisdictions.

Arsen is a counsel specializing in construction, energy, projects and corporate areas. His experience also encompasses sanctions and export control issues, and he has familiarity in various commercial real estate transactions.

Arsen’s professional background includes representing major international vertically integrated oil companies in their upstream, midstream and downstream projects, including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)/front end engineering design (FEED) contracts, technology licenses, equipment supplies, product sharing agreements, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other transactions. Additionally, he has provided legal counsel to developers and private equity investors in their diverse corporate projects related to oil and gas, real estate, banking and finance, car retail, petrol stations, chemical productions and other assets.

Prior to joining Akin, Arsen began his career in another international law firm as a paralegal.

Representative Work

Construction and Projects

  • Represented the client in a $1.2 billion EPC project with McDermott, Maire Tecnimont and China National Chemical Engineering No. 7 Construction Company (CC7). From the inception of this project until its successful start-up, Arsen provided comprehensive legal support on all related issues, such as:
    • Handling change order requests and other disputes with contractors related to extension of time, changes in design, advance payments, bonds, letters of credit, customs and import issues, etc.
    • Managing the client’s response to the U.S. insolvency procedure (chapter 11) of one of the EPC contractors.
    • Managing the client’s response to the consequences of COVID-19 restrictions.
    • Supporting the client in the wind-down of operations by U.S./European Union (EU) contractors due to export control restrictions and the project’s transfer to CC7.
    • Advised the client on currency control issues associated with the project.
  • Advised the client on its FEED contracts with Daelim and Tecnicas Reunidas.
  • Represented the client in its tender for a petrochemical project where he handled parallel negotiations of the EPC contracts with Daelim and Tecnicas Reunidas.
  • Negotiated a petrochemical license suite with Honeywell, including a license, basic design, guarantee, catalyst supply and service agreements on behalf of the client.
  • Advised the client on its potential $84 million dispute with a major EPC contractor with respect to the construction of upstream facilities in Uzbekistan.
  • Advised the client on a warranty claim against a major producer of power generation turbines.

Corporate and Energy

  • Advised the client on the sale of one of the largest diamond mining company in the world for $1.45 billion.
  • Represented a group of investors in a potential $1.3 billion acquisition of a distressed chemical production.
  • Represented Equinor (formerly, Statoil) in its acquisition of a 49% stake in major upstream assets in Russia for $550 million.
  • Advised Equinor on its acquisition of 33.33% stake in a major upstream asset in Russia for more than $250 million.
  • Advised the client on its $220 million acquisition of a share in the production-sharing agreement in Kazakhstan from investors from Oman and Thailand.
  • Represented the client in a tripartite joint venture for development of unconventional oil and gas fields.
  • Advised the client on its potential acquisition of an $800 million ammonia producer.
  • Represented the client in its $160 million acquisition of a large chain of petrol stations.
  • Advised the client on its acquisition of more than $160 million upstream assets under a set of transactions with various sellers, with the consideration payable partly by way of assumption of debts.
  • Counselled on antitrust and governmental approval issues for the Russian part of the global $28 billion merger of Baker Hughes and Halliburton.
  • Advised a major Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) oil company on a number of oil products supply contracts with a total value exceeding $60 million, priced based on the Platts index.
  • Represented the client in its $300 million divestment from one of the largest car retail chains in Russia.
  • Advised a major oil company on various commercial and corporate issues, including, for example, United Arab Emirates (UAE) corporate issues, international arbitration procedures, land law issues, etc.
  • Represented the client in its acquisitions of a $73 million Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) bank and $36 million African microfinance business.
  • Coordinated global legal research on finance and corporate legislation in more than 60 countries (EU, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia) for a major private equity investor.

Other Areas (sanctions, export controls, dispute resolution and real estate)

  • Advised clients on sanctions and export control regulations, as well as on Russian countersanctions. For example:
    • Supported the client in the U.S. export control violation administrative proceedings with the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
    • Handled applications for export and reexport licenses from the U.S. and Russian authorities.
    • Represented the client during the wind-down of its EPC projects in Russia by U.S./EU contractors.
    • Advised on sanctions and export control-related clauses in various contracts.
    • Advised on various issues related to divestments from Russia.
  • Supported the dispute resolution team in a long-running cross-border dispute in the High Court of Justice of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) between an ultra-high net worth individual and their business partner concerning the ownership of one of the largest privately owned power generation companies in Russia.
  • Supported the dispute resolution team in a $334 million dispute in the High Court of England & Wales between a major oil company and a number of individuals and corporations concerning tortious interference into the oil supply contracts inflicted to the claimant by the defendants.
  • Represented the client in its potential $1 billion acquisition of a Moscow skyscraper.
  • Advised a major investment holding on the acquisition of the White Gardens business center in Moscow for approximately $750 million.
  • Represented a development and investment company in due diligence and the acquisition of Aura, a major shopping mall in Novosibirsk, Russia.
  • Acted on behalf of a leading Russian insurance company in connection with the 100% sale of a landmark office building in the center of Moscow.
  • Assisted various landlords and tenants in drafting and negotiating retail, office and warehouse leases, with a combined rent total exceeding $1 billion.

Languages
  • Russian

  • English

Education
  • D.L., Moscow State University (MGU), with honors, 2011

Insights and Achievements

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