Ratings and Awards

Legal500

Tax - tier 1

Pepeliaev Group’s team ‘always tries to get a deep understanding of the client’s business and the case at hand’, and offers ‘comprehensive and detailed responses within the agreed timeframe’. Practice head Rustem Ahmetshin has extensive tax dispute experience, and Sergey Pepeliaev advises on corporate and personal taxation issues. Highlights included advising Gazprom on cross-border tax structuring.

Leading individuals:

• Sergey Pepeliaev
• Rustem Ahmetshin

Competition - tier 2

Pepeliaev Group is ‘quickly able to understand the specifics of each business sector’, and offers ‘solution-oriented, business-focused advice’. Elena Sokolovskaya heads the practice, and has extensive experience of conducting antimonopoly-related due diligence and representing companies before the FAS.

Employment - tier 2

Pepeliaev Group ‘always responds within the agreed timeframe’ and provides ‘a thorough risk analysis of each matter along with suggestions on how to mitigate accordingly’. Practice head Julia Borozdna is ‘very personable’ and advises on employment disputes.

Intellectual property - tier 2

Pepeliaev Group provides ‘a high level of professional support’ and is ‘a valuable partner in IP issues’. Practice head Valentina Orlova is praised for her ‘thorough analysis of complex issues’ and ‘efficient support across the full range of registration processes’. Work highlights included advising Rosatom on various patent registrations overseas, and representing Richter Gedeon Nyrt in patent cancellation proceedings before the CPD.

Real estate and construction - tier 2

Pepeliaev Group provides ‘comprehensive support and excellent advice throughout each stage of a project’, ‘pulling out all the necessary stops to ensure that the project is implemented’. Corporate partner Natalia Stenina ‘has in-depth knowledge of Russian construction legislation’.

Commercial, corporate and M&A (Moscow) - other recommended firms (tier 1)
Commercial, corporate and M&A (St Petersburg and elsewhere) - tier 2

Pepeliaev Group advises on corporate reorganisations, M&A, antitrust and compliance matters, and also has a strong track record in commercial contract drafting and corporate disputes. Key individuals include Sergey Spasennov, who specialises in foreign direct investments, restructuring and real estate transactions, and Sergey Sosnovsky, who advises on the tax aspects of transactions in the banking, real estate and oil and gas sectors. In a recent highlight, the team represented Daesung Industrial in a dispute regarding sale and purchase agreements for products manufactured in South Korea. Other active clients include Lenta, Maersk and Calsonic Kansei.

Private client - tier 3

Pepeliaev Group specialises in family and inheritance law, and advises on asset ownership structuring, personal data protection and immigration issues, among other matters. Managing partner Sergey Pepeliaev leads the group and handles personal taxation issues.

TMT - tier 3

Pepeliaev Group is led by Rustem Ahmetshin, who has a strong track record in contentious TMT sector cases. Tax expert Natalia Kovalenko regularly advises on regulatory issues in the media and telecoms space.

Energy and natural resources - tier 4

Pepeliaev Group ‘performs tremendously when working on complex projects’, and has ‘in-depth knowledge of Russian oil and gas legislation, along with solid commercial understanding’. Sergey Pepeliaev has significant energy tax expertise; real estate specialist Natalia Stenina is ‘a real rainmaker, with the energy and commitment to drive projects forward’. Clients include Gazprom, Zarubezhneft and Alrosa.

Dispute resolution: litigation - tier 4

At Pepeliaev Group, highlights included representing Thomson Reuters in a contract-related dispute. Yuriy Vorobyev heads the practice and focuses on disputes in the financial services sector; Roman Bevzenko has a strong track record in commercial disputes involving real estate and construction elements.

Banking and finance: Borrower side - tier 4

Pepeliaev Group specialises in the tax-related aspects of financial transactions, and also advises on transaction structuring and support. Igor Marmalidi handles international financial and investment transactions, and Ivan Khamenushko advises on the full spectrum of banking-related tax issues.

Banking and finance: Lender or arranger side - tier 4

Pepeliaev Group’s pan-Russian practice specialises in banking disputes and bankruptcy matters. Recent highlights include acting for Rietumu Banka on a number of bankruptcy cases before the Court of Appeal. The team is led by Igor Marmalidi, who advises on banking and securities regulations and international financing and investment transactions.