Jelena Gazivoda

Highly regarded legal expert with over 20 years of experience, advising on landmark transactions and projects of strategic importance for Serbia and the SEE region.

Expertise

Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy Law, Banking & Finance, PPP/Concessions, Insurance, Mining, Insolvency/Bankruptcy and Liquidation, Aviation, Commercial Law, International Commercial Law.

Projects

• Advising on the regulatory environment of the Republic of Serbia applicable to a foreign entity holding a wholesale electricity trade license and obtaining the wholesale electricity trade license on behalf of the client.
• Advising the Client with respect to the preparation of the Network Code, to be aligned with the 5 European Union Natural Gas Network Codes.
• Advised the Client in the procedure of preparation of draft network code of future natural gas transmission operator to be in place for the planned commercial operational date. The Network Code drafted for this purpose is a pioneer project document being drafted in accordance with the respective requirements of the Serbian regulator – Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia, and Energy Community Secretariat in line with the Third Energy Package and the requirements yet to be embedded into Serbian legislation. This is the very first Network Code of the natural gas transmission operator to be operating under the exemption regime.
• Member of a working group on behalf of three natural gas transmission system operators established by the Ministry of Mining and Energy for the preparation of 5 regulations implemented in the legislative of the Republic of Serbia of the EU natural gas network codes (NC CAM, NC TAR, NC BAL and NC IDE) and Annex 1 to the Regulation 715/2009.
• Advising the Borrower, a Serbian natural gas transmission system operator in amendments of the loan agreement for the EUR 935 million loan received from Gazprom Capital LLC, which includes prolongation of the loan to 13 years and establishing relevant security documents.
• Advising JP Srbijagas and Transportgas Srbija in the process of ownership unbundling under Chapter IV of the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC. This is the most complex and most demanding restructuring of the natural gas transmission operator to result in operational ownership unbundling ever implemented in the Republic of Serbia. The subject restructuring includes complex issues related to public debt matters, public assets, and preparation of separation balances and transfer of agreement with cross-border aspects.
• Advising Transportgas Srbija, the operator of the largest natural gas transmission system in the Republic of Serbia, on its certification under Art 10 and Chapter IV of the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC. This is the second certification of natural gas transmission operator ever implemented in the Republic of Serbia, and the first certification under the model of independent transmission operator (ITO).

• Legal 500 EMEA 2024 – Hall of Fame
• IFLR 1000 Woman Leaders – Women Leader for 2024
• IFLR 1000 – Market Leader for 2024
• Ranked in Chambers Europe and Global Chambers for 2024

• Belgrade Bar Association
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• Association of Insurance Law
• Association of Commercial Lawyers of Serbia
• Serbian International Law Association
• European Law Association

• Lecturer at the post-graduate studies at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law.
• Advocacy Academy of the Bar Association of the Republic of Serbia.