Heuking Kuhn Luer Wojtek has established a Russian/CIS Desk. 

Baker Botts has advised Russian liquified natural gas producer PAO Novatek on the sale of a 10% participation interest in Arctic Transshipment LLC to TotalEnergies SE.

Alrud has advised German chocolate manufacturer Ludwig Schokolade on countering imports of counterfeit goods resembling its products into the Russian Federation and protecting intellectual property.

DLA Piper has advised the Renaissance Insurance Group on the sale of its 100% stake in Renaissance Pensions to the non-state pension fund of Russia’s Sberbank. Herbert Smith Freehills reportedly advised the buyer.

Liniya Prava has advised the Moscow Exchange on its acquisition of a 70% stake in electronic commerce platform Inguru, with an option to increase its stake to 100% within the next five years.

Alliance Legal CG has successfully represented the Ekaterinburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, on a pro bono basis, in a RUB 4 million dispute with the Ekaterinburg City Administration over the diocese’s subsidiary liability for the obligations of its Orthodox Kindergarten. The case was brought before the Arbitration Court of the Sverdlovsk Region.

The Moscow, London, and New York offices of Debevoise & Plimpton have advised NLMK on its EUR 500 million 5-year Eurobond offering with an annual coupon rate of 1.45%. Linklaters advised joint lead managers and joint bookrunners J.P. Morgan, BofA Securities, and Societe Generale.

Baker McKenzie has advised the Russian Ministry of Finance on a EUR 1 billion issuance of 2.65% bonds due 2036, as well as a EUR 500 million tap offering of 1.125% bonds due 2027.

Former Deputy Director of the Department of International Law of Russia’s Ministry of Justice Olga Tsvetkova has returned to Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners as Co-Head of the firm’s International Arbitration group.

Dentons has advised titanium producer VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation on an English law-governed unsecured five-year club loan facility for up to USD 400 million provided by a number of international banks. The mandated lead arrangers included Societe Generale, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Banca Intesa, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Luxembourg S.A., and UniCredit S.p.A., with the latter four banks also serving as book-runners. Bank Zenit and Bank ICBC were lead arrangers. ING Bank N.V. acted as agent and UniCredit S.p.A. acted as documentation agent.

Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners has advised PPG Industries on Russian legal aspects of its tender offer for the shares of Finnish paint manufacturer Tikkurila.

Kachkin & Partners has advised real estate developer Krasnaya Strela on the sale of a business-class residential development project on Moskovsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg, including the 2.63-hectare plot, building permits, and RUB 6.3 billion in financing provided by the DOM.RF Bank, to developer E.Development of Moscow.

A team of former King & Spalding Moscow lawyers, including Managing Partner Sergey Komolov, Counsel Ilya Zotkin, and Associate Stanislav Rzhaksenskiy, will join Russia's Rybalkin, Gortsunyan & Partners law firm in July.

Kachkin & Partners has advised Sirin Development on the sale of the Nordway logistics complex near St. Petersburg to investment development company Central Properties.

Dentons has advised UniCredit on its provision of a USD 50 million sustainability-linked loan to PJSC Sibur Holding, the largest integrated petrochemicals company in Russia.

Dentons has advised Russian animation studio Soyuzmultfilm LLC on its acquisition of an unidentified stake in Mult Efir LLC.

Generally, the responsibility for interpreting foreign laws lies with the state commercial court. Parties have a right, but are not obliged to, render assistance and provide the court with information concerning statutory provisions of foreign laws. However, if the content of the foreign law is not ascertained with reasonable expediency, Russian law applies.

Most changes in Russian commercial real estate law in 2020 were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the governmental bans and restrictions introduced in connection with it.