Category: Russia

DLA Piper has advised VimpelCom on the acquisition of IBS DataFort. Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners advised the seller. Alrud reportedly also advised VimpelCom.

“With IBS DataFort’s digital infrastructure and expertise, the acquisition will enable VimpelCom to expand its portfolio of business-to-business and business-to-government cloud services,” DLA Piper informed. “VimpelCom also plans to use this platform to develop further products and integrated solutions in the area of cloud technologies, cybersecurity, big data, and the internet of things.”

VimpelCom is a Russian mobile operator working under the Beeline brand. The company belongs to global connectivity and internet services provider Veon.

IBS DataFort is a cloud IT infrastructure and information security services provider, focusing on developing a cloud platform. The company offers managed services for private, public, and hybrid clouds to process the full range of business tasks, including cloud services for large and medium-sized businesses, such as infrastructure, platform, software, and information security as a service.

The DLA Piper team was led by Moscow-based Partner Steffen Kaufmann and London-based Partner Ben Forgiel-Jenkins and included Moscow-based Legal Director Mukhamed Evloev, Senior Associates Azamat Abdulmenov and Zaurbek Timaev, and Associate Alexander Mysov, as well as Leeds-based Legal Director Paul Routledge and Associate James Croft.

The Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners team consisted of Partner Alexander Nektorov, Senior Associate Nadezhda Minina, and Associate Bulat Khalilov.

DLA Piper has advised the shareholders of Vochi on its sale to Pinterest. Norton Rose Fulbright reportedly advised the buyer.

According to DLA Piper, “the acquisition will help Pinterest bring more quality video content to the platform with more ways to watch, make, and shop creator ideas.”

Founded in 2019, Vochi is a video creation and editing app. Pinterest is a US-based image sharing and social media service.

“Our vision is to create a place where Pinners can go from inspiration to realization, and having more creator tools can help us further this vision,” Pinterest Head of Creators Engineering Bin Liu commented. “We’re excited to work with Vochi’s talented team to bring more video creation tools and quality content to our more than 400 million Pinners around the world.”

“The Vochi app gives creators the ability to apply high-quality effects based on computer vision on objects in a video instantly,” Vochi CEO Ilya Lesun added. “These technologies are unique in the industry, and we’re excited to bring them to an even larger audience as a part of the Pinterest team.”

The DLA Piper team was led by Partner Leo Batalov and included Associates Tsvetan Naidenov and Tatiana Askarova and Paralegal Firat Gulum.

DLA Piper has advised Russian IT company Rubbles on its USD 6 million series B investment round. Hogan Lovells reportedly advised investor Elbrus Capital.

The investment round was led by Elbrus Capital, joined by series A investor FinSight Ventures.

According to the firm, “the Series B funds will be used to accelerate growth in Russia and launch Rubbles’s products in international markets. The investment will also allow Rubbles to expand the product line in the company’s existing sectors, as well as to grow into other industries.”

Rubbles is a Russian developer of AI-powered solutions for technology and business processes.

The DLA Piper team was led by Partner Leo Batalov and included Senior Associate Georgy Vinogradov, Associate Vadim Iskhakov, and Paralegal Robert Oganesyan.

Alrud has advised Russkaya Energia on its RUB 15 billion acquisition of Vorkutaugol from Severstal.

Closing is expected in the first quarter of 2022, pending regulatory approval.

Vorkutaugol is a Russian coal-mining company, accounting for 11% of the production of coking coal used in the country’s metal industry.

According to the firm, “the transaction also suggests the conclusion of a long-term coal supply contract between Severstal and Vorkutaugol.”

The Alrud team was led by Partner Andrey Zharskiy and included Counsels Oleg Ezhov and Timur Akhundov, Senior Associate Ksenia Erokhina, Senior Attorney Alexander Shipilov, and Associate Boris Pribylov.

Alrud was unable to disclose further information on the deal.

DLA Piper has advised Russian online English school Skyeng on the acquisition of a 25% stake in Qmarketing Academy – a Russian online school of marketing and design – from Qmarketing.

According to DLA Piper, “Skyeng will integrate the online school into the professional education division of its Skypro online university. At the first stage of the deal, Skyeng will buy a 25% stake in Qmarketing Academy, with the possibility of further increasing its ownership. The deal will expand Skypro’s product line and increase its expertise in promoting educational courses in the area of continuing professional education.”

Skyeng is an EdTech company in Russia, combining products for children and adults in a single online educational ecosystem. In 2021, the company launched Skypro online university, marking the company’s entry into the professional education market. 

DLA Piper’s Moscow-based team was led by Partner Leo Batalov and included Legal Director Andrei Sheetkin, Associate Konstantin Savryga, and Paralegal Alexandra Khvorostyanova.

DLA Piper has advised NaPopravku on its USD 5 million investment round led by Swedish investment company VNV Global, Russian investment holding Avenir, and Malaysia’s JobStreet founder Mark Chang.

NaPopravku is a Russian online appointment service for clinics and doctors.

According to DLA Piper, “the new funds will be used to support NaPopravku’s marketing campaign, expand across Russia, and develop new services and products to be launched in 2022. With more than one million users per month, in NaPopravku the user can select a doctor based on reviews, compare prices, and make appointments in a private or public clinic without making a call.”

DLA Piper’s team included Partner Leo Batalov, Associate Tatiana Askarova, and Paralegal Firat Gulum.

Morgan Lewis has advised Baring Vostok on its USD 13 million investment in Mindbox. DLA Piper advised Mindbox on the deal.

Mindbox, an integrated cloud-based marketing automation platform, is one of Russia’s ten largest B2B software-as-a-service providers.

Baring Vostok focuses on private equity investments in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent Countries across a range of sectors, including IT, consumer goods, financial services, and media and telecommunications. 

According to Baring Vostok, the investment is intended for launching new products and developing existing ones, as well as for M&A. As a result of the transaction, Baring Vostok has become a minority shareholder of Mindbox, and Mindbox employees have been allocated a new option pool.

Morgan Lewis’ team was led by Moscow-based Partner Artem Tamaev and included Associate Emil Shagiakhmetov.

DLA Piper’s team included Partner Leo Batalov, Senior Associate Georgy Vinogradov, and Associate Vadim Iskhakov.

Advant Beiten and Advant Nctm have advised Comer Industries S. p. A. on the acquisition of German-based Walterscheid Powertrain Group. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer reportedly advised WPG on the deal.

Comer Industries is a global developer and manufacturer of mechatronic solutions and integrated drive systems for manufacturers of agricultural and industrial machinery, headquartered in Reggiolo, Italy.

WPG is a provider of drive systems and services for off-highway and industrial applications, headquartered in Lohmar near Cologne, Germany. 

According to Advant, “the merger of Comer Industries, listed on the Borsa Italiana, with WPG will create one of the world’s largest suppliers of drive solutions in the agricultural sector, with an expected combined turnover of EUR one billion in 2021.”

Advant Beiten’s team in Moscow included Partner Vasily Ermolin, and further teams in Germany and Italy.

DLA Piper has successfully represented Gett in a dispute with the Moscow Administrative Road Inspection. 

Gett is a technology platform focused on corporate ground transportation management.

According to DLA Piper, ”MADI filed a claim in May of 2020 with the intent of obliging Gett to constantly have to verify licenses of taxi fleets for the carriage of passengers in Moscow and the Moscow Region. Unlike other major aggregators, the parties failed to conclude an amicable agreement and, with the assistance of DLA Piper, Gett successfully defended its rights in the courts of three instances, as well as in the Russian Supreme Court.” 

According to the firm, “in its ruling, the Russian Supreme Court ultimately confirmed that so-called taxi aggregators are not bound by law to check that carriers are complying with statutory requirements, including licenses for taxi services. This case ends a long series of disputes with state authorities (such as the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing), and is key to the development of legal practices around allocating obligations and liability between state authorities, aggregators, and the service providers.”

DLA Piper’s team included Senior Associate Igor Arakelov.

Former Clifford Chance Partner Arthur Iliev has joined Dentons in Moscow.

Before joining Dentons, he spent more than 25 years in the Moscow office of Clifford Chance, including 20 years as a Partner and Head of the Equity Capital Markets Practice. Prior to that, he worked at Coudert Brothers in Washington D.C. and New York and Freshfields in Paris and Moscow.

“I am very happy to join the Dentons Capital Markets team,” says Iliev. “The team is one of the strongest in Russia and the CIS with two partners and a counsel, who have a well-established track record of representing issuers and underwriters in debt and equity capital markets transactions.”

“We are very happy that such a prominent lawyer as Arthur has joined our Capital Markets team,” adds Managing Partner of Dentons Alexey Zakharko. “His recruitment is a clear indication of our commitment to further develop and expand our business in Russia and other CIS countries.”