Banking & Finance, Capital Markets - PRACTICE AREAS

The practice

Our lawyers provide legal advice to investment and commercial banks, institutional investors, government and municipal authorities, state companies and organisations, and other parties to transactions in the capital markets and banking business, including lenders and borrowers, financial consultants, issuers, guarantors and sureties, arrangers and underwriters. We offer comprehensive advice for raising equity and debt capital, raising funding, investment projects and debt restructuring.

We are experienced in international, sovereign and private finance and advise on transactions at all stages. We support IPO projects, including prospectuses drafting, conducting due diligence, national law legal memorandums drafting.

The Firm’s lawyers have extensive experience in advising on currency control issues, foreign currency regulation and licensing of banking operations, financial services and securities market transactions in Russia and Belarus.

Our experts advise financial institutions, underwriters and investment companies on a large number of matters, including legislative amendments, capital and liquidity issues. We aim to giving practical and up-to-date recommendations in dealing with complex and comprehensive tasks.

We have a unique experience on the Russian market and support private pension funds and banks on a number of debt products by providing legal assistance in debt restructuring and cross-border financing.

Furthermore, we advise and are experienced in acting for various parties in international financial arrangements, including syndicated lending, project and trade finance.

Our lawyers were at the origin of the Russia’s securitization market and were involved in drafting and adoption of the most important statutes governing the sector, including Federal Law dd. 21 December 2013 No. 379-FZ, which has allowed to securitize the non-mortgage assets in Russia.

Our Minsk team have experience in advising on various investment and finance projects. Some examples of the projects include giving advice on raising and disposing of investments, obtaining loans from foreign banks (including structural financing), securities and stock market operations (including offering matters).

Our Belarusian team acted as the Belarusian law counsel to BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sberbank, as co-arrangers, on the debut and subsequent Eurobond offerings by the Republic of Belarus. The offerings totaled USD 1.8bn.

Services

In Russia our services include advice and support in respect of:

transactions involving public and private offerings (IPO, SPO, Eurobonds);
transactions involving bonds in both primary and secondary markets;
deals to raise syndicated and bilateral loans, including support for deals to secure funding, corporate acquisition funding, project finance;
debt restructuring;
securitization;
deals involving derivatives (future and forward contracts, options and swaps) and structured products;
advice on various matters in licensing and foreign exchange control;
counselling on international financial arrangements, including syndicated lending, acting for either lenders or borrowers.

Some of our projects in Belarus include:

Advising the Eurasian Development Bank on financing of the construction of Polotskaya hydro power plant. Value of the financing: USD 100m.
Advising state-owned Belarusian energy companies in relation to the Belarusian-Chinese financing programme. Total value of the financing: USD 1bn.
Advising Minsk National Airport on the air-terminal reconstruction and the construction of the second runway by means of a loan facility. Estimated project value: USD 600m.
Advising the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and development in regard to the financing of the Svoboda detergents factory in Belarus.
Advising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on a number of investment projects including financing small and medium businesses and corporate law issues.
Advising the Eurasian Development Bank on two facility agreements with one of the leading Belarusian banks for the consequent financing of small and medium businesses. Total value of the financing: USD 50m.
Advising on of the largest Baltic commercial banks on the restructuring of its business in Belarus.
Advising a number of international investment companies on their real estate investments in Belarus.
Advising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on financing of its largest infrastructure project in Belarus.

Reputation

"Оne of the best law firms in securitization." (Chambers Europe 2020)

“… the team is client-oriented; it has both international and domestic experience and access to the expertise of other competent departments, where needed; lawyers have a deep understanding of the trends and tendencies on the market and have a good relationship with the regulators.” (The Legal 500 2020)

“…They implement pioneering projects and represent clients in cross-border loan and security transactions, transactions involving bonds in both primary and secondary markets, securitization, and others.” (The Legal 500, 2020)

“A team of professionals whose advice is always valuable and appropriate ”. (The Legal 500 2020)

“Top notch knowledge and creativity”, "a top level team” (Сhambers Europe 2019)

"Proactive and innovative approach". "One of the best equipped teams to handle complex cross-border matters" (The Legal 500 2019)

“The highly professional, client-oriented” team (The Legal 500 2018)

"Attorneys … come up with useful and creative solutions" (Сhambers Europe 2018)

“Very reliable business partner with in-depth knowledge in capital markets law. Good at innovations and challenging tasks” (IFLR1000 2017)

“Excellent support and their ability to handle innovative projects” (The Legal 500 2017)

“Solution-oriented approach”, "suggesting the best route for the project development” (Chambers Europe 2017)

“Particularly active in local securitisation deals” (Chambers Europe 2016)

“Highly professional legal skills, great market understanding and strong dedication to the client” (The Legal 500 2016)

Third prize in the category Best Law Firm in the Bond Market (Cbonds Awards 2016)

“Banking powerhouse lauded for its skill in international, sovereign and private financing”. “Superb capital markets team” (Chambers Europe 2015)

“Recommended for its Russian law capabilities spanning transactional, regulatory and contentious banking and finance matters” (The Legal 500 2015)

“The team thoroughly and deeply explores legislation in order to achieve the client’s interests”. Its “comprehensive assessment of the legal consequences allows the customer to reach correct final decisions" (IFLR1000 2015)

“It's one of the leading law firms in Russia in the securitisation area” (IFLR1000 2015)

For more testimonials please follow the link.