Ratings and Awards

The Legal 500

COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE AND M&A: ST PETERSBURG – TIER 2

Pepeliaev Group excels in joint venture transactions, foreign direct investment work and corporate governance issues. On the contentious side, the team also represents clients in corporate and commercial disputes. Department head and recently promoted senior partner Sergey Spasennov has niche expertise in transactions with land and real estate elements. Sergey Sosnovsky is also recommended and is a noteworthy adviser for tax advice relating to corporate restructuring work.

Practice head(s):Sergey Spasennov

Testimonials:

‘Very business-oriented, good and practical advice, very professional‘

‘Sergey Sosnovsky utilises his exceptional commercial understanding to meet the needs of his clients.‘

Key clients

• Almaz-Antey
• Container Terminal Saint-Petersburg
• Fazer
• Habasit
• Lenta
• Procter & Gamble
• SNF Vostok
• Ursa Eurasia
• Etalon LenSpecSMU
• Mertens House

Work highlights

Assisted a leading Russian investor with its acquisition of a large Russian steel enterprise.

Assisted a Russian asset trust management company with conducting comprehensive due diligence of a potential target of acquisition – a leading Russian company that leases out warehouse facilities.

COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE AND M&A: MOSCOW - TIER 5

Practice head(s): Ilya Bolotnov, Nikolay Solodovnikov, Sergei Shorin

Key clients

• Barilla Group
• BIC CIS
• Canon
• Lamb Weston / Meijer
• Mercedes Benz Rus
• Moscow Exchange
• HAVI
• Skolkovo Ventures
• STEK.COM
• UFG Private Equity
• Aeromar
• Amway
• Astellas Pharma
• Brother LLC
• Essilor
• Gazprom Zakupki
• Gucci Rus LLC
• Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
• Knauf insulation
• LEGO Russia
• Legrand
• Procter&Gamble
• RULOG LLC
• SDM-Bank
• Sovcomflot
• Uhrenholt
• Volkswagen
• Vympelcom
• Zara
• Zarubezhneft

COMPETITION – TIER 3

The ‘extremely competent’ Elena Sokolovskaya leads the antitrust practice at Pepeliaev Group, which is active in the energy and natural resources, pharmaceuticals, TMT and retail sectors. The department assists clients with a wide array of matters involving the Federal Antimonopoly Service including investigations, merger clearances and public procurement issues. Other areas of focus for the team include regulatory advice concerning foreign investment issues and due diligence. Senior associate Olga Protchenko is also noted.

Practice head(s): Elena Sokolovskaya

Testimonials:

‘Our cooperation with Pepeliaev Group’s antitrust team only started a year ago, but within this relatively short period of time, the lawyers have shown a high level of professionalism and a great ability to work as a team. The advice provided was always perfectly precise and reflected the latest trends in Russian legislation. It is also quite remarkable that the team carries out an educational role, providing clients with analytical articles on antitrust and other issues that fall within the competence of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).‘

‘Elena Sokolovskaya is impressive. Our case was complex due to the lack of an applicable precedent, but Elena put in an outstanding performance; this was only possible due to her unique experience, her deep knowledge, and her familiarity with the inner workings at the FAS.‘

Key clients:

• AbbVie
• Astellas Pharma
• Becton Dickinson
• Evison Holdings Limited
• GE Healthcare
• Procter & Gamble
• Rusenergosbyt
• Sanofi Russia

DISPUTE RESOLUTION: LITIGATION – TIER 4

With multiple offices spread across the country, Pepeliaev Group is able to handle a wide variety of disputes domestically and across the wider CIS region. The team differentiates itself through its capacity to assist Russian clients with issues specific to the Chinese market and has key relationships with firms in China. Headed up by Yuri Vorobyev, the department has particular strength acting in contractual, corporate and insolvency disputes. Roman Bevzenko, Yulia Litovtseva and Ekaterina Lebedeva are also noted, alongside senior associate Aleksandra Chernova.

Practice head(s):Yuri Vorobyev

Testimonials

‘We value that the team has experience across multiple sectors and is also very helpful. When needed, the team uses its connections to get us in contact with other firms, which we also appreciate.‘

‘Yuri Vorobyev is very competent and always finds the time to assist us, regardless of how busy his schedule may be.‘

‘Ekaterina Lebedeva is a unique professional who is pleasant to work with.‘

Key clients

• Aeroflot
• Alrosa
• Campari Rus
• Gazprom
• Hyundai Heavy Industries
• Jaguar Land Rover
• Mareven Food Central
• Multiregional Transit Telecom
• Oriflame
• Samsung
• Sanofi Russia
• Steelman Partners Europe

EMPLOYMENT – TIER 2

Pepeliaev Group's expertise in employment law includes advising employers on internal restructuring, hires and dismissals, immigration issues and general HR assistance. The team is led by Julia Borozdna, who advises on non-contentious matters and is also experienced in pre-trial settlement of labour disputes and litigation. Senior associates Dmitry Zykov and Anna Berlina are of note for internal audits, data protection and representation before the labour regulatory authorities.

Practice head(s): Julia Borozdna

Key clients

• Allianz
• Barilla Group (Harry’s)
• Becton Dickinson
• DHL Logistics
• Galanz
• Gazprom Personal

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES – TIER 4

Pepeliaev Group assists domestic clients in the energy, oil and gas, and mining sectors on all legal issues arising in the course of the development of offshore fields, including contractual work, taxation and audits, and dispute resolution. Sergey Pepeliaev is a specialist in tax issues in the energy sector, while Natalia Stenina focuses on investment projects and structuring transactions in the real estate sector throughout the CIS region.

Practice head(s): Sergey Pepeliaev

Key clients

• BKE Shelf Ltd
• JSC Zarubezhneft
• LLC Zarubezhneft-Dobycha Kharyaga
• CJSC Rosshelf
• PJSC Gazprom Zakupki

Work highlights

Advised Zarubezhneft on the acquisition of a mid-size oil and gas company which owns the rights to oil fields located in the Saratov region.

Assisted Gazprom Zakupki with a number of corporate transactions, contractual agreements and procurement matters in respect of its subsidiaries.

Advising Rosshelf, a Russian company involved in the development of the continental shelf, on various corporate, project development and procurement matters relating to the construction of complex marine facilities for offshore field development.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – TIER 2

The team at Pepeliaev Group is led by Valentina Orlova, who specialises in patent, trade mark, copyright and software protection, handling both non-contentious matters and representing clients before Rospatent and other intellectual property offices. She is recommended for transactional IP, where she has extensive experience in the commercialisation of IP rights through licensing and franchising agreements in e-commerce and advertising.

Practice head(s): Valentina Orlova

Key clients

• A1 Operating Ltd
• Alrosa
• Astellas Pharma
• BMW
• British American Tobacco
• Brunswick Rail Group

Work highlights

Advised Cezar, a new market entrant specialising in frozen food items, on the filing and registration of new product lines as both a trade mark and an industrial design.

Assisted A1 Operating with the transfer of several trade marks to an affiliated company.

Advised Rosatom in various matters related to patent registrations abroad.

PRIVATE CLIENT – TIER 2

Pepeliaev Group's full-service practice handles a myriad of private client matters, ranging from family law - including pre-nuptial agreements, the division of property and dealing with custody issues - to representing clients in contentious cases involving the tax authorities, debt recovery, defamation and breach of confidentiality. Julia Borozdna, Yulia Litovtseva and Olga Puchkova are the lead lawyers.

Practice head(s): Julia Borozdna

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION – TIER 3

Pepeliaev Group fields a practice, which focuses on real estate transactions and construction projects; the group is also particularly well versed in providing regulatory advice. The team is advising a growing number of industrial and agricultural sector clients in Moscow and across Russia. Department co-heads Natalia Stenina and Alexey Konevsky are the key names to note.

Practice head(s): Natalia Stenina; Alexey Konevsky

Key clients

• Barilla Group
• Bionorica
• Castorama
• Crocus International
• Duracell
• FMC LLC
• Gazprom Zakupki
• Gucci Rus
• Hals Development
• JTI
• Leroy Merlin
• Mercedes Benz Rus

Work highlights

Advising Agroholding Taman on regulatory issues relating to the construction of a grain terminal.

Advising Castorama Rus on its acquisition of development land plots for the purpose of constructing new Castorama retail stores.

Assisting AO Citibank with due diligence relating to the properties it mortgages.

RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY – TIER 2

The bankruptcy practice at Pepeliaev Group handles a well-balanced mix of contentious and non-contentious bankruptcy matters; it has a recent strong track record in subsidiary liability cases. Yulia Litovtseva heads up the team and is well versed in handling bankruptcy proceedings thanks to her prior experience as a bankruptcy judge. Senior associate Leonid Barkov is also a key name to note.

Practice head(s): Yulia Litovtseva

Testimonials

‘Team members are always available to discuss our options and all possible courses of action.‘

‘It is always very pleasant to turn to Yulia Litovtseva, who is not only a great, helpful and competent professional, but also a wonderful person to communicate with. I also think that her experience as a judge at a state commercial court is beneficial to us and other clients, as she can see both sides of the coin.‘

Key clients

• Alrosa
• Astellas Pharma
• Cherkizovo Group
• Evison Holdings
• Kuzbank
• Moldindconbank
• Multiregional Transit Telecom
• Pernod Ricard
• Procter & Gamble
• Rietumu Banka
• SK MOST Group of companies
• Rolf

Work highlights

Represented Rietumu Banka in multiple bankruptcy cases including disputes with the bank’s private borrowers.

TAX – TIER 1

Pepeliaev Group is a key name in the tax market in Moscow and has substantial tax dispute resolution knowledge. According to clients, managing partner Sergey Pepeliaev is a standout practitioner and is regularly retained by companies in actions before the Russian courts. In addition to his contentious tax experience, Rustem Ahmetshin handles international taxation mandates and advises on the application of legislation concerning controlled foreign companies. The group’s non-contentious experience also stands out, where it is adept at handling regulatory issues, VAT matters and the tax aspects of M&A transactions.

Practice head(s): Sergey Pepeliaev; Rustem Ahmetshin

Testimonials

‘High level of expertise, focus on the needs of the client, and an ability to solve complex legal issues‘

‘Sergey Pepeliaev is excellent in strategizing and in understanding tax law exceptionally well. Sergey also has great organization and presentation skills.‘

‘Rustem Ahmetshin is a calm and confident leader. He reacts quickly to freshly arisen issues.‘

Key clients

• Alrosa
• Bamtonnelstroi
• British American Tobacco
• Brunswick Rail Group
• Burovaya Kompaniya Eurasia
• De Lage Landen Leasing
• Gazprom
• Gazprom Zakupki
• Kinross Group
• Knauf Insulation
• Metro Cash & Carry
• Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC

Work highlights

Successfully defended Bamtonnelstroi in a case before the Supreme Court concerning issues relating to its allegedly premature VAT recovery.

Acted for Burovaya Kompaniya Eurasia in multiple disputes against the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources concerning the payment of charges for the placement of waste.

Representing Knauf Insulation in challenging the results of a field tax audit.

TMT – TIER 3

Pepeliaev Group primarily advises on taxation and corporate transactions in the TMT space, with additional experience providing regulatory advice in relation to antitrust, licensing and media law. The practice also has a strong track record of defending telecoms operators in commercial and tax disputes. Natalia Kovalenko is the key figure.

Practice head(s): Natalia Kovalenko

Key clients

• Megafon
• Multiregional TransitTelecom (МТТ)
• Nokia Solutions and Networks
• Rostelecom