Goltsblat BLP nominated for one of the most prestigious Chambers Europe Awards 2016 as Russia Law Firm of the Year

Andrey Goltsblat and Anton Sitnikov are among the world’s leading M&A lawyers

Andrey Goltsblat, Managing Partner of Goltsblat BLP and Senior Partner in Corporate / M&A and Investment Projects and Anton Sitnikov, Partner, Head of Corporate / M&A of Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of the international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), have been identified by the prestigious legal directory Who’s Who Legal as being among the world’s leading M&A lawyers.

Nadezhda Ilyushina Head of Employment Pensions & Benefits Practice, Goltsblat BLP

General information 

1 January 2016 will see the so-called Law “On Banning Borrowed Manpower” (the Law) come into effect, introducing substantial restrictions on hiring and using “leased personnel”. 

Friends will be friends?

Practical aspects of JVs in Russia: conflicts between venturers, behavior patterns and typical mistakes Anton Sitnikov, Partner, Head of Corporate, Anton Panchenkov, Head of Group, Corporate/ M&A Goltsblat BLP is the Russian practice of Berwin Leighton Paisner, an award-winning international law firm.

Russian Corporate Law: Full Speed Ahead! 

Matvey Kaploukhiy, Partner, Corporate/M&A, Goltsblat BLP 

Why have Russian law shareholder agreements gained momentum recently? Some companies (primarily state-linked ones) had followed this route long before the Civil Code was reformed and the first amendments concerning shareholder agreements were introduced into specialised laws. Yet the political environment has now changed: the deoffshorisation law has given a fillip to JV establishment within Russia. A second factor consists in the sanctions: for companies not permitted to conduct business with foreigners, establishing a holding company in a European jurisdiction can no longer be considered an option. Finally, there is now a marked trend, especially among major state-owned or state-linked companies, favouring establishment of joint ventures in Russia. 

Localised production and import substitution: new business opportunities under the sanctions

Vladimir Tchikine

Partner, Customs & International Trade Practice, Goltsblat BLP

Vladislav Safonov

Senior Associate, Customs & International Trade Practice, Goltsblat BLP  

The weakening of the Russian economy under the impact of the sanctions imposed by the West and against the backdrop of falling global energy prices is having an adverse effect on foreign trade, which has contracted significantly over the last year. In the current situation, the Russian authorities’ intent to support development of domestic manufacturing is both predictable and consistent.

An important step in this direction is Federal Law No.488-FZ dated December 31, 2014 "On Industrial Policy in Russia", which came into force on June 30, 2015.  

SIAC broadens its appeal beyond Singapore with new model clauses

Kent Philips, Partner, Head of International Arbitration BLP

Rimma Malinskaya, Dispute Resolution Practice, Head of Group in the Goltsblat BLP

Advertising non-prescription medications or Biologically Active Supplements (BAS) using prescription medications names and packaging designs declared unlawful by Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service 

Yana Pylaeva 

Senior Associate (IP and advertising), Goltsblat BLP 

In March 2015, the Federal Antimonopoly Service Commission delivered two landmark decisions recognising as unacceptable so-called surrogate advertising of prescription medications by promoting non-prescription products under “umbrella” brands. 

The agreement stipulates dispute resolution in an Asian arbitration centre. Advantages enjoyed by the Russian party

Kent Philips, Partner, Head of International Arbitration BLP

Rimma Malinskaya, Dispute Resolution Practice, Head of Group in the Goltsblat BLP

– Specifics of the arbitration proceedings in Asia

– Risks to be taken into account when applying to a certain arbitration centre

– Advantages of considering disputes in Singapore

When a recession hits, distressed assets become a popular topic, their purchase often being seen as a good investment in times of crisis. Yet the matter is not so simple, especially when it comes to so-called distressed assets on the commercial real estate market.