- Legal follow-up of a foreign investment project implemented to acquire real estate
in the Smolenskaya Region and build a beauty products factory. Preparation of recommendations
to select the investment scheme. Recommendations on legal issues relating to the
technical follow-up and construction, as well as the construction supervision during
the project implementation;
- Comprehensive legal follow-up of a project implemented by a foreign investor to acquire
a land plot of 51 ha in the Udmurtskaya Republic and build a hypermarket. Due Diligence
of the land plot and the seller. Preparation of a Development Services Agreement.
Coordination between investment project parties regarding the Development Services
Agreement provisions aimed at regulating the relationships between the parties (investor,
general contractor, client's developer);
- Comprehensive legal follow-up of an investment project implemented by a foreign investor
to acquire a land plot of 30 ha in the Tulskaya Region and build a hypermarket. Due
Diligence of the land plot and the seller. Preparation of a Development Services
Agreement. Coordination between investment project parties regarding the Development
Services Agreement provisions aimed at regulating the relationships between the parties
(investor, general contractor, client's developer);
- Legal follow-up of an investment project consisting in the construction of a cottage
village in the Leningradskaya Region (implemented by a foreign development company).
Participation in the Development Services Agreement. Coordination between investment
project parties regarding the Development Services Agreement provisions aimed at
regulating the relationships between the parties (investor and developer);
Corporate law, mergers and acquisitions
- Participation in a complex regional project in an area without any infrastructure
through the endeavor of a Russian-American joint venture to reconstruct the production
facilities of a Russian concrete plant for further assemblage of pre-fabricated dwellings
and their erection on land plots. This included the registration of those land plots
as suitable for residential construction, negotiations with regional authorities
on land and architectural issues, preparation of drafts of appropriate contracts
and agreements, legal examination of design documents, registration of property titles
and other issues. The total amount invested in the project initial stage reached
$ 3.5 billion;
- Acquisition by a major foreign investor of shares of a mill, an open joint-stock
company located in the Moskovskaya Region. This transaction required a legal due
diligence of the company to be purchased;
- Acquisition of a Russian company's assets including 900 ha of peat requiring a legal
and financial due diligence of the company to be purchased (amount of the project
ˆ 20 million);
- Execution and registration of a framework agreement between foreign and Russian investors
for implementing a joint venture producing concrete and broken stone (amount of the
project ˆ 40 million);
- Comprehensive follow-up of the merger of a major Scandinavian company specializing
in metal corrosion treatment and a Russian manufacturing company, including comprehensive
due diligence of the Russian contractor, structuring of the transaction, consulting
on investment and taxation procedures in Russia;
- All-inclusive follow-up of the merger of one of the biggest Finnish concrete-manufacturers
with a Russian group of companies manufacturing and supplying base construction materials,
including all-inclusive transaction structuring, and consultation on off-shore financing.
Customs law
- Legal follow-up of an investment project related to the import of industrial equipment
to Russia as a contribution to the Charter capital of a Russian closed joint-stock
company (total amount of the transaction exceeding ˆ 2.5 million);
- Legal follow-up of an investment project related to import of industrial equipment
to Russia (total amount of the transaction approx. ˆ 2 million);
- Legal follow-up of a procedure of release into free circulation with consecutive
export of production equipment under provisional release in Russia (total amount
of the equipment approx. ˆ 700,000).
Labor law issues
- Comprehensive audit of human resources documentation of a major Russian company (approx.
400 employees), subsidiary of a foreign company manufacturing elevator equipment;
- Comprehensive audit of human resources documentation of a Russian company, subsidiary
of a major British company;
- Procedure of staff reduction of an investment company, subsidiary of a major European
broker;
- Representation of a major company in a conflict with a trade union.
Restructuring
- Restructuring of holding companies and Russian concerns as well as execution and
registration of the relevant development agreements (amount of the project $ 31 million);
- Legal examination within the establishment projects of several companies in Moscow,
Saint Petersburg, and others cities.
Legal and tax consulting
Follow-up of projects related to sale & acquisition of companies:
- Legal, financial, tax due diligence of the companies under acquisition;
- Preparation of documents for purchase and sale of shares of companies under acquisition;
- Preparation and submission of the necessary applications/notifications to state authorities,
mandatory bids for acquisition of shares of open joint-stock companies, etc.
- Client’s representation, negotiations.
Intellectual property issues
- Issues related to observance of intellectual property during an international tender
of inventions in engineering and design held by a major British manufacturer of house
appliances;
- Assistance to the biggest Finnish hotel chain to select a company for collective
management of property rights;
- Preparation of an agreement for execution of pilot design works by a major international
concern specialized in design and manufacture of marine and special equipment;
- Consulting on issues related to distinctiveness and register ability of trademarks
and service marks for the restaurants and hotels of a major Finnish hotel chain;
- Development of franchise agreements, license agreements on transfer of trademarks,
service marks and know-how, consulting on taxation of royalties and registration
of license agreements and franchise agreements;
- Development of chapters on intellectual property in agreements on creation and setting
of corporate network portals;
- Consulting on commercial confidentiality issues.
Comprehensive follow-up of foreign companies entering the Russian market
- Comprehensive legal assistance of a major Finnish hotel chain since its entrance
onto the Russian market, including the opening of 3 hotels and restaurants in Saint
Petersburg, consulting on investment issues in Russia and tax optimization;
- Comprehensive follow-up of the operations of a major Finnish retailer since its entrance
onto the Russian market, including developing an optimal corporate business structure
and its coordination with antimonopoly authorities, consulting on investment issues
in Russia, and all-inclusive follow-up of the opening of a supermarket with an area
of more than 2,500 m2;
- Comprehensive follow-up of the operations of a major Scandinavian manufacturer of
frame houses, including developing a supply structure and further distribution of
frame houses to Russia, as well as developing a project of suburban low-rises.
Legal follow-up of transactions
- Representation of a major international manufacturer of medical equipment during
negotiations with a big Swedish developer in relation to the conclusion of a long-term
tenancy agreement;
- Representation of a Finnish developer during negotiations with the head of a district
in the Moskovskaya Region in relation to the acquisition of a land lot of 100 ha
and construction of a logistics center of more than 10,000 m2 on the land plot;
- Consulting of a major Finnish company and follow-up of the acquisition of a cable-manufacturing
plant in the Moskovskaya Region;
- Consulting of an American investor and follow-up of the leasing transaction of a
warehouse complex in the Moskovskaya Region to a major international manufacturer
of construction and agricultural equipment.
Client representation in court
- Representation of a leading fashion retailer in Russia in relation to a claim from
an IT company for the recovery of sums of unjust enrichment, losses and return of
double deposit;
- Representation of major Russian producers of potato chips and snacks in a series
of disputes with raw material suppliers and regional distributors of end products;
- Representation of a major Icelandic financial company in trials against its former
employees having filed claims for reinstatement in employment and payment of indemnities;
- Representation of a major Finnish hotel chain (Saint Petersburg) to appeal against
acts issued by Rosfinnadzor (Russian Finance Supervisor), FAS (Federal Antimonopoly
Service), as well as tax authorities imposing administrative sanctions on companies
of the chain;
- Representation of Russian and foreign clients in disputes with tax authorities over
legitimacy of tax withholding, tax rebate, imposition of administrative sanctions
for tax violations;
- Representation of clients in international commercial arbitration courts for claims
from a Finnish producer of frozen food against a Russian retailer (Arbitration Institute
of the Finnish Chamber of Commerce) and for a claim from a Swedish construction company
against a Russian hotel chain (Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of
Commerce).