Irina has experience in complex international arbitration proceedings and commercial disputes across a range of industry sectors. She joined Enyo Law in March 2019 as a Legal Assistant and qualified as a solicitor of England & Wales in September 2022.
Background
Irina read Russian Law at Saratov State Law Academy, where, in 2013, she defended her PhD. While studying in Russia, she assisted advocates in the local chambers and worked in-house, advising Russian companies on various commercial matters and representing their interests in Court. After moving to the UK, she graduated from Birkbeck University of London and completed an English law conversion course (GDL) at the University of Law.
- Acting for a port developer in its USD2 billion claim relating to the construction of a commodities transhipment terminal in Southern Russia.
- Acting for Gennadiy Bogolyubov in his defence of a series of claims brought by Ukraine’s largest commercial bank, PrivatBank, following its nationalisation in December 2016.
- Acting for a joint venture owned by major Russian and Italian Banks in a USD70 million LCIA arbitration claim against its co-partner arising out of breaches of a Shareholders’ Agreement concerning the oil and gas sector in Russia.
- Acting for a UK property developer in bringing a professional negligence claim against its former solicitors worth over GBP100 million.
- Acting for four members of the same family defending a USD850 million fraud claim brought by two banks majority owned and controlled by the Central Bank of Russia in the English Commercial Court.
- Advising the pipeline transport company on jurisdictional challenge before the English High Court.
- Acting for IMC Invest in its ICSID arbitration against Kyrgyzstan in relation to the ban on uranium mining.
- “Silent witness. There is a time and a place for expert witnesses”, Credit Management, 24 June 2024
- “What the data says about experts in English commercial litigation”, Company Secretary’s Review, 14 May 2024
- “Impact of sanctions on arbitration” (Practice notes), Thompson Reuters Practical Law
Testimonials
GAR 100, 2024
'....associate Irina Durnova pay “attention to all details".'
