Category: Russia

Nektorov Saveliev & Partners has advised IBS IT Holding on the acquisition of Aplana Software from the Aplana Group, which was reportedly advised by DS Law.

Aplana Software is a Russian software testing company.

The NSP team included Partner Alexander Nektorov, Senior Lawyers Nadezhda Minina and Mikhail Khaletsky, and Lawyers Kristina Ikayeva and Bulat Khalilov.

Editor’s note: After this article was published, CEE Legal Matters has received confirmation regarding DS Law’s involvement on behalf of Aplana Group.

The DS Law team included Partner Denis Belyaev, Lawyer Nikita Lebedev, and Junior Lawyers Alexander Vonyets and Kirill Kachalov.

Andrey Gorlenko has joined Ivanyan & Partners, where he will focus on investment and commercial arbitration as part of the firm’s newly formed International Arbitration practice, as well as on cross-border commercial disputes.

Gorlenko graduated from the Higher School of Economics in 2008 and holds an LL.M. from the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences. Prior to joining Ivanyan & Partners he practiced for nine years with the offices of Reznik, Gagarin, and Partners, spent a year as a Senior Associate with Debevoise & Plimpton, and was an Executive Administrator at the Russian Arbitration Center at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration.

“We have known Andrey for a long time, he is one of the best experts in the field of arbitration in Russia and we are happy that he has agreed to join our team,” commented Partner Khristofor Ivanyan. “His diverse experience in international and Russian arbitration will expand our capabilities in protecting the clients’ interests worldwide.”

“It is a great honor for me to join such an experienced and well-orchestrated team of professionals,” said Gorlenko. “I will be happy to help strengthen the position of the firm on the international and Russian markets.”

Lawyers from DLA Piper’s Moscow office joined the multi-jurisdictional team advising Evraz, a steel and mining company listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index, on its EUR 40 million sale of Evraz Palini e Bertoli to the Marcegaglia Group, an Italy-based company in the steel processing sector. Marcegaglia was advised by LCA Studio Legale.

According to DLA Piper, “Evraz Palini e Bertoli is one of Italy’s largest steel production sites, specializing in the manufacturing of heavy quarto plates with over 400 thousand tons of steel processed every year.”

DLA Piper’s team consisted of, in Moscow, Partner Julien Hansen and Associate George Avery; in Rome, Partner Giulio Maroncelli and Lawyer Gianmarco Scialpi; and in Brussels, Partner Daniel Colgan and Lawyer Catherine Derenne.

The LCA Studio Legale team included Partners Marina Rosito and Paolo Tagliaferri, Counsel Elisa Scilhanick, and Associate Federica Pecorini.

The Pepeliaev Group has entered into an agreement of mutual understanding and cooperation with the Commercial Legal Service Center of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The agreement was signed at the International Commercial and Legal Cooperation Forum in Changsha, China.

According to the Pepeliaev Group, ”developing a relationship with the CCPIT’s head office is the new stage in strengthening business relations, which will encourage the promotion of legal cooperation between the two countries.”

The agreement was signed by Pepeliaev Group Senior Partner Rustem Ahmetshin and Commercial Legal Service Center Director Cai Chenfeng.

Debevoise & Plimpton has advised the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Nasdaq-listed Yandex N.V. on a restructuring of the company’s corporate governance. Kemperink Maarschalkerweerd Wouters acted as co-counsel.

According to Debevoise & Plimpton, “the restructuring seeks to balance the interests of the company’s stakeholders, including its public shareholders, with developments in Russia’s regulatory environment, including proposed limitations on foreign ownership of businesses.”

The proposed amendments to the company’s corporate governance are subject to shareholder approval.

Debevoise’s team was led by Moscow Partner Alan Kartashkin and London Partner James Scoville. 

The Kemperink Maarschalkerweerd Wouters team included Partners Guus Kemperink and Rob Wouters.

DLA Piper has acted as lead tax advisor to several shareholders of Familia, Russia’s leading off-price apparel and home fashions retailer, on the USD 225 million sale of a 25% stake to the TJX Companies Inc.

According to DLA Piper “this investment gives TJX the opportunity to invest in Russia’s off-price apparel and home fashions retail market, which has significant potential for further growth.”

Familia is an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer that operates over 275 stores in Russia. It was founded in 2000.

The DLA Piper team was led by Moscow Partner Igor Venediktov and Luxembourg Partner Jacques Wantz, assisted by New York Partner Drew Young and Associates Joy Cheng and Robin Theuns.

DLA Piper did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

Russia’s Prime Advice law firm has opened a new Criminal practice.

The practice, which will specialize in economic crimes, is led by Partner Alexey Petukhov. 

Petukhov has a Law degree from the Moscow Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and a degree in Finance from the Higher School of Economics. He worked for 13 years as an investigator in the Main Investigation Department of Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow, specializing in the investigation of economic crimes.

“As always, in any case, the most important thing is the team,” commented Prime Advice Managing Partner Inna Vavilova. “In such complex and difficult matters as criminal cases, you first of all must be confident in the integrity of the lawyer representing your interests and in his professionalism in this area. That is why we decided that Alexey is the person who will be able to lead the criminal practice of Prime Advice, and develop it and provide our clients with the most important value – real protection of their interests.”

Herbert Smith Freehills and Indonesian associate firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung have advised a joint venture of Pertamina-Rosneft on engineering contracts for a new USD 16 billion refinery in Tuban, East Java, designed to increase Pertamina’s refining capability and strengthen Rosneft’s presence in the Asia-Pacific petroleum market.

“Tuban will be one of the most technologically advanced refineries in the world, so the engineering contract process was more complex than usual,” said Herbert Smith Freehills Partner Danila Logofet, who has led the team advising the project company since 2018.

Herbert Smith Freehills worked with Matthew Goerke, senior international counsel at Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, says that “this is one of many energy and infrastructure projects which have advanced following the recent Indonesian presidential elections. Greater political certainty is refocusing project companies, financiers, construction companies and bidders on Indonesian projects, and we expect more announcements of this type into 2020.”

The Pertamina-Rosneft joint venture project company that will build and operate the new refinery was established in October 2017, with Pertamina holding a 55% stake and Rosneft 45%.

Herbert Smith Freehills Singapore-based Counsel Mark Veitch led the negotiations with Rosneft Counsel Alexey Kolentsev, supported by Herbert Smith Freehills Moscow-based Senior Associate Oxana Koerner and Associates Yulia Turkina (in Moscow) and David Douglas (in Hong Kong).

Former KPMG Moscow Senior Lawyer Irina Orlova-Panina has joined Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners as a partner in the firm’s Tax and Tax Dispute Resolution practices.

According to NSP, “in tax disputes, Irina has represented the interests of Russian and foreign companies from various sectors of the economy, including retail, the consumer sector, the automotive industry, oil and gas, pharmacies and healthcare, food and beverage production, real estate and construction, industrial equipment, services, and others.”

Orlova-Panina spent the past twelve years with KPMG Russia & CIS. From 2008 to 2016, she was also a member of the Tax and Customs Law Expert Council of the Russian State Duma.

Russian lawyer Konstantin Litvinenko has been promoted to the Baker Botts partnership, effective on January 1, 2020.

According to Baker Botts, “Litvinenko concentrates on project development, mergers and acquisitions, various aspects of transactional and corporate law, and tax matters. He deals with cross-border and domestic M&A transactions, upstream and midstream projects, joint ventures, gas and LNG sales. He also advises clients on regulatory and licensing matters and has particular experience in oil & gas, mining and LNG.”

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Konstantin worked at Deloitte and Macleod Dixon. He obtained an LL.B. and a diploma in law from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Litvenenko was one of 14 lawyers included in Baker Botss’ partnership promotion round. “These new partners are future owners and leaders of our firm,” said John Martin, Managing Partner of Baker Botts. “They provide exemplary client service and share in our culture of collaborative entrepreneurship, creating opportunities with and for others. They make a wide range of contributions to the Firm, not only to their clients and their colleagues, but also in their respective communities”.