Go East! Pepeliaev Group Opens Sakhalin Office

The Pepeliaev Group has announced the opening of its office in Sakhalin, the large Russian island in the North Pacific Ocean that is about one fifth the size of Japan. Attorney Andrey Mikulin — who practices in the areas of administrative, financial, customs, and civil law — has been appointed as the head of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk office, and Moscow-based Partner Pavel Kondukov, who head's the firm's Offshore Projects and PSA Group and whose practice includes a number of Sakhalin-based clients, has been appointed the Manager of the Pepeliaev Group's practice in the Far East (which also encompasses an alliance office in Vladivostok operated in unison with with Russin & Vecchi).

The firm describes The Russian Far East — often mistakenly described as Siberia, though in fact that region is further west — as "a region of Russia which is strategically important for the development of the national economy and attracting foreign investments. Mechanisms have been developed at the initiative and under the personal control of the Russian President to improve the investment climate in the region: territories of advanced development have been created, law “On the Free Port of Vladivostok” has been signed and many investment projects are being implemented. Additionally, enormous deposits of raw materials are concentrated in the Far East. All this gives rise to a need for qualified and experienced advisors who can help business to solve the most difficult challenges."