What he specialises in
Sergey specialises in matters that relate to safeguarding entrepreneurs from unlawful criminal and administrative prosecution by applying tools of social and state agencies for the protection of the rights of business.
He advises clients on preventing and counteracting hostile takeover attacks on their businesses, including corporate and B2B conflicts in which state authorities are involved.
Sergey is an expert in anti-corruption compliance.
He provides expert support in legislative drafting activities to change the regulatory environment for the client’s benefit.
His main achievements
Sergey has more than 25 years of professional experience, and, among other things:
- was directly involved in the foundation of the institution of the entrepreneurs' rights ombudsman and in developing the legislative and methodological framework for its functioning;
- coordinated the work of the key expert platform under the Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights, namely the ‘Business Against Corruption’ Social Procedures Centre, which enabled practical assistance to be provided in safeguarding the rights of more than 1,500 entrepreneurs and companies;
- prepared the Annual Report to the President of the Russian Federation on Observing Entrepreneurs' Rights. Sergey has co-initiated a number of laws in the field of the protection of entrepreneurs' rights, including the ‘economic amnesty’ initiative, the ‘amnesty of capital’, as well as changes to the Russian Civil Code, the Russian Code of Administrative Offences, the Russian Criminal Code and the Russian Criminal Procedure Code to benefit business between 2013 and 2018;
- participated as a permanent member in the Interagency Taskforce for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs for the Russian General Prosecutor's Office;
- conducted anti-corruption audits and implemented anti-corruption standards and compliance procedures within a number of large companies;
- acted as an expert of the Council of Europe within the framework of the PRECOP project: Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in the Russian Federation from Corrupt Practices;
- is experienced in providing complex legal support for major holding structures.
Sergey has extensive experience in drafting laws and in interacting with legislative authorities at all levels including on proposed legislation in the field of regulatory issues relevant to the criminal law protection of business, to regulatory and supervisory activities, and to administrative law.
Alongside representatives from the business community and state authorities, Sergey is helping to counteract corruption as a member of the working group for the Presidium of the Presidential Council for counteracting corruption and is the Executive Co-Chairman of the Centre of Public Procedures “The Protection of Business”.
He completed a training course within the framework of the seminar ‘Compliance in the Eurasian Economic Union’ organised by the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Vienna, took the ICA Compliance Course and received the ICA certificate.
Sergey is the practice head of the ‘Compliance and Prevention of Legal Risks’ Master’s degree programme, while he is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Sergey has been acclaimed in the individual ratings of Pravo-300 for 2019-2025 and of Kommersant for 2020 in the Compliance category. He has been also recognised by Rossiyskaya Gazeta in its 2024 ranking in such categories as ‘Lawyer as Educator’ and ‘Pro bono support of business’.
Pepeliaev Group’s compliance practice featured in the top group of the Pravo-300 ratings in 2019-2025.
What they say
Sergey has been awarded a
silver medal of the Russian Ministry of Justice “For a contribution”; a Certificate of Honour of the Russian Federal Chamber of Advocates
‘For High Professional Excellence’; a certificate of honour
from the Russian President's Business Ombudsman For Contributing to the
Development of Institutions for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights; a
certificate of honour of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Russia For
a Personal Contribution; and an acknowledgement from the Law Department of
the Higher School of Economics For Legislative Initiatives Aimed at Securing
Entrepreneurs’ Rights.
