Nurlan Mustafayev was born in 1982 in Azerbaijan. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Law from Baku State University in 2003, an LL.M. in Natural Resources Law and Policy from the University of Dundee (UK) in 2007, and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School (USA) in 2019.

He is the Head of the Corporate Law Department at the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), managing and advising on international oil and gas agreements, corporate law and governance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and international arbitration matters. Member of Board of Directors of SOCAR Midstream Gas Operations since April 1, 2025.

Alongside his professional career, he lectures on the Energy Law course at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. He is also the co-author of How to Read and Understand Oil Contracts, a book designed to help developing countries structure and negotiate upstream oil and gas agreements with international oil companies.