Marina Golovnitskaya

Professional highlights

Expert in pharma. For years I have worked with companies from the pharmaceuticals sector, learning the industry from inside. I know what the acronyms IIS, PhV, INN, CTA and CRO stand for and serve as a day-to-day advisor for both Big Pharma and boutique healthcare companies.

Defending clients in IP and competition disputes. Being attorney-at-law I have defended clients in IP and competition disputes, including before the IP Board of the Belarusian Supreme Court and the Belarusian Ministry of Antimonopoly and Trade. I have led virtually all IP cases that Sorainen has handled in Belarus in recent years and also have experience of managing cross-border disputes such as pursuing IP infringers for US-based CrossFit across six countries.

Hundreds of contracts. Over the years I have drafted, negotiated and localised hundreds of contracts under Belarusian and non-Belarusian law. I am an effective negotiator and can help to close the deal. My contractual experience covers launching international franchises in Belarus, assisting distribution chains in Belarus and abroad, drafting agreements for supply of multimillion euro-worth equipment and arranging contract manufacturing.

Building IP fortresses. I know how to build an IP fortress in an IT company – participating in due diligences of IT companies has given me the knowledge of the legal pitfalls in the industry. I was responsible for developing software agreements for product and outsourcing companies, as well as protecting commercial secrets in the IT sphere. I work closely with Intel, managing their trademark portfolio in Belarus.

International background. Holding diplomas from several EU universities (including LLM from University of Amsterdam), I also have experience of working as a lawyer in the Netherlands. This allows me to better understand non-Belarusian business and handle cross-border matters more efficiently.