Special report: Russia – Feeling the chill

A quarter of a century after the first international law firms moved into Moscow, booming workflows for both domestic and foreign practice have suddenly been affected by president Vladimir Putin’s aggressive moves towards neighbouring Ukraine, and the US and EU sanctions imposed on Russian individuals and companies.

“Foreign law firms have tried to lure clients by saying that the use of Russian law is bad and that Russian courts are bad,” says Pepeliaev Group managing partner Sergey Pepeliaev. “Our political leaders don’t like that, and they are encouraging Russian businesses to draft contracts under Russian law and to refuse to instruct foreign law firms.”

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