The Best Lawyers™ released the results of its review Best Lawyers® 2021 for Russia and Ukraine, where EPAM once again reaffirmed its market leader status.

Following the legal community’s vote, the Firm was named the Legal Firm of the Year in Russia in two categories at once: Competition/Antitrust Law and Insolvency and Reorganization Law. For Competition/Antitrust Law, the Firm has already received this award twice, while it is the first time The Best Lawyers™ has ranked the Firm for Insolvency and Reorganization Law.

In Russia, Best Lawyers® 2021 recommends 86 lawyers of the Firm (approximately 30%) with 18 lawyers being rated for the first time. All in all, our experts have been recommended for various areas of law 240 times, as compared to the 172 recommendations from the previous year.

9 lawyers of the Firm have been granted the Lawyer of the Year status:

• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office - for Competition/Antitrust Law
• Valery Eremenko, Partner – for Litigation
• Taras Rabko, Partner – for Government Relations Practice
• Sergey Kalinin, Partner – for Trusts and Estates
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel – for Regulatory Practice
• Evgeny Gurchenko, Counsel – for Appellate Practice
• Pavel Sadovsky, Counsel – for Telecommunications Law
• Daria Sergeeva, Senior Associate – for Technology Law.

Managing Partner of the Firm Ilya Nikiforov is still the leader by the number of references; Best Lawyers has recommended him for 16 areas of law in Russia.

For the Firm’s relevant practices, International Arbitration, Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation, including important Bet-the-Company Litigation - 42 lawyers have been recommended 65 times:

• Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman -  for International Arbitration and Litigation
• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner  -  for International Arbitration, Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Valery Eremenko, Partner  -  for Bet-the-Company Litigation and Litigation
• Denis Arkhipov, Partner  -  for International Arbitration and Litigation
• Evgeny Raschevsky, Partner  -  for International Arbitration, Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Dmitry Stepanov, Partner  -  for International Arbitration, Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Vera Rikhterman, Partner  -  for Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office -  for Litigation
• Robin Wittering, Partner  - for International Arbitration and Litigation
• Victoria Burkovskaya, Partner  -  for Bet-the-Company Litigation and Litigation
• Tatyana Nozhkina, Partner  -  for Litigation
• Konstantin Tretyakov, Partner  -  for Litigation
• Andrey Porfiriev, Partner  -  for Litigation
• Evgeny Gurchenko, Counsel (St. Petersburg) -  for Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Ilya Tur, Counsel (St. Petersburg) -  for International Arbitration, Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Igor Serebryakov, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Pavel Sadovsky, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Maria Kobanenko, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Alina Kudryavtseva, Counsel  -  for Arbitration and Mediation
• Ekaterina Slivko, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Tatyana Neveeva, Counsel  -  for Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Vladimir Talanov, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Oleg Bouiko, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Alexey Rodionov, Counsel  -  for Litigation
• Victor Radnaev, Counsel -  for International Arbitration and Litigation
• Anna Ivanova, Senior Associate - for Litigation
• Ays Lidzhanova, Senior Associate (St. Petersburg) - ranked for the first time -  for Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Alexey Rizhkin, Senior Associate -  for Litigation
• Evgenia Evdokimova, Senior Associate -  for Litigation
• Konstantin Elfimov, Senior Associate -  for Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
• Oleg Valkov, Senior Associate - ranked for the first time -  for Litigation
• Lev Vasilievykh, Senior Associate - ranked for the first time -  for Litigation
• Anton Berezin, Senior Associate -  for International Arbitration
• Artem Magunov, Senior Associate (St. Petersburg) -  for Arbitration and Mediation
• Julia Bobrova, Senior Associate -  for Litigation
• Nikolay Kazantsev, Senior Associate -  for Litigation
• Sergey Korolyov, Senior Associate -  for Litigation
• Grigory Shafeev, Senior Associate -  for Litigation
• Maxim Burda, Associate -  for Litigation
• Alexander Svashenko, Associate (St. Petersburg) - ranked for the first time – for International Arbitration, Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation.

For Corporate Law, 21 have been noted:

• Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman
• Elena Gavrilina, Partner
• Dmitriy Glazounov, Partner
• Valery Eremenko, Partner
• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner
• Arkady Krasnikhin, Partner
• Denis Arkhipov, Partner
• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office
• Michael Copeland, Partner
• Natalia Korosteleva, Partner
• Evgeny Bolshakov, Partner
• Dmitry Stepanov, Partner
• Robin Wittering, Partner
• Alexey Andrusenko, Counsel
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel
• Maria Kobanenko, Counsel
• Roman Malovitsky, Counsel
• Tatiana Neveeva, Counsel
• Igor Serebryakov, Counsel
• Evgenia Evdokimova, Senior Associate.

For Competition/Antitrust Law, The Best Lawyers in Russia 2021 recommends 18 lawyers:

• Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman
• Natalia Korosteleva, Partner
• Anna Numerova, Partner
• Evgeny Bolshakov, Partner
• Denis Arkhipov, Partner
• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office
• Taras Rabko, Partner
• Arkady Krasnikhin, Partner
• Denis Gavrilov, Counsel
• Maria Kobanenko, Counsel
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel
• Alexey Rodionov, Counsel
• Elena Kazak, Senior Associate
• Olga Denchenkova, Senior Associate – ranked for the first time
• Ksenia Firsova, Senior Associate – ranked for the first time
• Anna Arutyunyan, Senior Associate
• Grigory Shafeev, Senior Associate.

For Insolvency and Reorganization, the guide mentioned 13 best lawyers form the Firm:

• Valery Eremenko, Partner
• Denis Arkhipov, Partner
• Evgeny Raschevsky, Partner
• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office
• Dmitry Stepanov, Partner
• Arkady Krasnikhin, Partner
• Andrey Mashkovtsev, Partner - ranked for the first time
• Oleg Bouiko, Counsel
• Ilya Tur, Counsel
• Alina Kudriavtseva, Counsel
• Sergey Korolyov, Senior Associate
• Ays Lidzhanova, Senior Associate – ranked for the first time.

11 experts have been recommended for Criminal Defense:

• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner
• Victoria Burkovskaya, Partner
• Tatyana Nozhkina, Partner
• Andrey Porfiriev, Partner
• Andrey Vorobyev, Partner
• Ildar Mustafin, Counsel - ranked for the first time
• Elena Pristanskova (Novikova), Senior Associate
• Andrey Tuzov, Senior Associate, - ranked for the first time
• Konstantin Elfimov, Senior Associate
• Nikolay Kazantsev, Senior Associate.

10 lawyers have been recommended for M&A:

• Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman
• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner
• Arkady Krasnikhin, Partner
• Dmitriy Glazounov, Partner
• Dmitry Stepanov, Partner
• Robin Wittering, Partner
• Michael Copeland, Partner
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel
• Maria Kobanenko, Counsel
• Roman Malovitsky, Counsel.

For Corporate Governance and Compliance Practice, the guide has noted:

• Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman
• Dmitry Stepanov, Partner
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel
• Roman Malovitsky, Counsel
• Elena Kvartnikova, Associate, - ranked for the first time.

The following lawyers have been recommended for Banking and Finance Law, Capital Markets and Financial Institutions:

• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner -  for Banking and Finance Law
• Dmitriy Glazounov, Partner -  for Banking and Finance Law, Capital Markets, Financial Institutions
• Sergey Kalinin, Partner -  for Banking and Finance Law
• Roman Malovitsky, Counsel -  for Banking and Finance Law
• Alexander Mandzhiev, Counsel -  for Capital Markets
• Oleg Ushakov, Counsel – for Capital Markets.

Partner Dmitriy Glazounov and Counsel Oleg Ushakov are recommended for Venture Capital Law and Structured Finance Law. Senior Associate Vladimir Goglachev has been noted for Leveraged Buyouts.

For Construction and Real Estate Laws, as well as Land Use and Zoning Law, the guide has highly appreciated:

• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner -  for Construction and Real Estate Laws
• Elena Gavrilina, Partner -  for Construction and Real Estate Laws, as well as Land Use and Zoning Law
• Andrey Vorobyev, Partner -  for Construction Law
• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office -  for Construction and Real Estate Laws
• Anton Alekseev, Counsel -  for Land Use and Zoning Law
• Evgeny Gurchenko, Counsel -  for Real Estate Law
• Olga Mischenko, Counsel -  for Construction and Real Estate Laws
• Sergey Ustalov, Counsel -  for Construction Law
• Roman Malovitsky, Counsel -  for Real Estate Law
• Yuri Nadezhin, Senior Associate – for Construction Law.

The leading experts for Investment are

• Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman
• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner
• Ivan Smirnov, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office
• Natalia Korosteleva, Partner
• Arkady Krasnikhin, Partner
• Roman Malovistsky, Counsel
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel
• Tatyana Boyko, Senior Associate.

Experts for Intellectual Property Law, Telecommunications Law, and Media Law are:

• Ilya Nikoforov, Managing Partner -  for Intellectual Property Law
• Pavel Sadovsky, Counsel -  for Intellectual Property Law, Telecommunications Law, and Media Law
• Denis Arkhipov, Partner -  for Intellectual Property Law and Telecommunications Law
• Irina Kosovskaya, Counsel  - ranked for the first time -  for Intellectual Property Law
• Alina Kudriavtseva, Counsel -  for Media Law
• Daria Sergeeva, Senior Associate -  for Intellectual Property Law
• Maxim Burda, Associate - for Intellectual Property Law.

For Information Technology Law, Entertainment Law and Technology Law, Best Lawyers recommends

• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner -  for Technology Law
• Pavel Sadovsky, Counsel -  for Information Technology Law, Entertainment Law and Technology Law
• Daria Sergeeva, Senior Associate -  for Technology Law

Helen Avakyan, Counsel (ranked for the first time) has been recommended for FinTech.

The best lawyers for Labor and Employment, and Immigration Laws are:

• Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner -  for Labor and Employment Law
• Elena Gavrilina, Partner -  for Immigration Law
• Elena Agaeva, Counsel -  for Labor and Employment Law
• Anna Ivanova, Senior Associate -  for Labor and Employment, and Immigration Laws
• Evgenia Fedoreeva, Senior Associate - ranked for the first time - for Immigration Law.

Best Lawyers recommends Dimitry Afanasiev, Chairman, and Partners Taras Rabko, Elena Gavrilina and Dmitry Stepanov for Government Relations Practice.

For Tax Law, the guide recommends Partner Sergey Kalinin and his team of Senior Associates: Torez Kulumbegov (ranked for the first time), Olga Morozova (ranked for the first time) and Ekaterina Roletr (ranked for the first time).

Senior Associate Anastasiya Boytsova has been recommended for Environmental and Water Laws, and Counsel Sergey Ustalov and Associate Anton Kleschenko – for Energy and Natural Resources Law.

Partners Anna Numerova, Taras Rabko and Dmitry Stepanov have been recognized for Government Practice.

Partner Sergey Kalinin and Counsel Denis Golubev have been named experts in Trusts and Estates.

Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office Ivan Smirnov and Counsel Vladimir Talanov have been recommended for Trade Law.

Partner Andrey Porfiriev has been recommended Administrative Law.

Best Lawyers 2021 has noted Counsel Alexey Karchiomov (St. Petersburg) for Customs and Excise Law and first time ever for Maritime Law.

Partner Evgeny Raschevsky has been recommended for Public Law.

Counsel Elena Agaeva has been named an expert in Regulatory Practice.

The guide recommends Counsel Roman Zhavner for Non-Profit/Charities Law.

For Project Finance and Development, Best Lawyers highlights Ilya Nikiforov, Managing Partner, and Counsels Roman Malovitsky and Olga Mischenko.

The Firm’s Insurance Law expert is Managing Partner Ilya Nikiforov.

In Ukraine, 3 experts have been noted: Oksana Ilchenko, Managing Partner of the Kyiv Office, (Corporate Law, Antitrust / Competition Law and M&A), Ilona Zekely, Partner (M&A, Banking and Finance Law, Investment, Land Use and Zoning Law, Construction Law and Real Estate Law) and Aleksandra Yevstafyeva, Senior Associate (Labor and Employment Law and Corporate Governance and Compliance Practice).

Best Lawyers is an international peer review publication in the legal profession.