Insights

EPAM Advises Knauf on Leningrad Investment Agreement | The Lawyer

On 2 June, on the sidelines of the 21st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Government of Leningrad Region and joint stock company Knauf Petrobord, a member of the Knauf Group. The agreement includes an investment by Knauf of at least RUB3.5bn to renovate production facilities for cardboard facing over the period to 2020, and provision of investor support by the Government of Leningrad Region.

EPAM Successful for Private Individual in Claim Before Russian Constitutional Court | CEE Legal Matters

The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation has accepted arguments made by EPAM Partner Dmitry Stepanov and found Article 302, Paragraph 1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation unconstitutional.

EPAM Supports Knauf in RUB 3.5bln Investment Agreement With Leningrad Regional Government | CEE Legal Matters

EPAM has assisted Knauf Petrobord on its June 2, 2017 entrance into an agreement with the Government of Leningrad Region involving Leningrad's funding of at least RUB 3.5 billion to renovate production facilities for cardboard facing before 2020.

EPAM advises Danone Russia on Soyuzmultfilm JV | The Lawyer

EPAM has advised Danone Russia on its entry into a joint project with Soyuzmultfilm.

EPAM Advises Danone Russia on Joint Venture with Soyuzmultfilm | CEE Legal Matters

EPAM has advised Danone Russia on its entry into a joint project with Soyuzmultfilm.

On Possible Amendments to the “De-Offshorizatsia” Law | Reuters cites EPAM survey

Some of Russia's super-rich have given up residency to escape a 2014 law requiring them to disclose offshore assets, wealthy businessmen told Reuters, a practice that could keep billions of dollars hidden from Moscow's tax authorities.

EPAM Advises Special Committee of Bondholders on Restructuring of Roust Group | CEE Legal Matters

EPAM has acted as legal advisor to the special committee on the rights of Russian bondholders in the international debt restructuring of the Roust Corporation, which the firm describes as "one of the largest producers of vodka in the world."

EPAM Advises on Transfer of Motor Insurance Portfolio | CEE Legal Matters

EPAM has successfully assisted on the transfer of JSC Uralsib's motor insurance portfolio to JSC Reliance.

GCR Know How – Information Exchange 2017 – Russia Chapter | by Evgeny Bolshakov and Oksana Akhmedova

The information exchange, as such, is not prohibited by the effective Russian Federal Law On Protection of Competition (the Competition Law or Law), but the content of the information exchange between business entities and its consequences are important. Generally, a confirmed exchange of any commercially important information (about prices, production volumes, etc) may be treated as showing that there is an anticompetitive arrangement between companies that will be qualified as a cartel, if the information is exchanged between competitors and if the exchange agreement has resulted in variation of prices, lowering the number of market players or gaining a competitive advantage (article 11 of the Competition Law).

Russia: Roskomandzor’s Decision to Restrict Access to Zello a “Warning Sign” for Companies | commentary by Pavel Sadovsky and Maria Demina, DataGuidance

The Federal Service for the Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications (‘Roskomnadzor’) announced, on 10 April 2017, that pursuant to its decision of 6 April 2017 No. 8 (‘the Decision’), it had ordered telecommunications operators to restrict access to Zello Inc.’s services within Russia after the company failed to inform the Roskomnadzor of the storage on its servers of all electronic messages sent using Zello’s website and apps. According to Federal Law of 27 July 2006 No. 149-FZ on Information, Information Technologies and Protection of Information, as amended (‘the Law’), ‘information distributors’ are obliged to notify the Roskomnadzor of their compliance with localisation and retention obligations under the Law.

Application of the New York Convention to Foreign Judgments: Analysis of the Wrong Approach of Russian Courts | by Mikhail Samoylov

Although the New York Convention is applicable to the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, the Convention has a parallel application in Russia — judges employ the Convention for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.

Contracts, Negotiations and Enforcement in the Russian Federation: Overview | Daria Ilyina, Practical Law Global Guide 2016/17

Daria Ilyina, Senior Associate, on contracts, negotiations and enforcement in the Russian Federation.

Legislative Developments in the Field of Information Technology

Intellectual Property / TMT Practice of EPAM informs on the recent legislative developments and current judicial practice in information technology.

How Legislation on Handling Personal Data Will Be Enforced in the Future: LinkedIn Case Study | Pavel Sadovsky and Olga Tyangaeva, The Russia and Eurasia Committee Newsletter by the ABA Section of International Law

A Russian court published its exceptional decision and ruled that LinkedIn’s activity in Russia was in breach of Russian personal data law. The court of appeal did not overturn the decision: LinkedIn.com is now blocked in Russia.

New Pretrial Procedure in IP Cases | Helen Avakyan and Irina Kosovskaya, The Russia and Eurasia Committee Newsletter by the ABA Section of International Law

Currently, a bill titled “Amendments to Articles 1252 and 1486 of the Russian Civil Code and Articles 4 and 99 of the Russian Arbitrazh Procedure Code” (the “Bill”) is pending in the Russian State Duma. The Bill was drafted in pursuance of a directive given by D.A. Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister, and introduced in the Russian State Duma by the Russian Ministry of Justice. The Bill was cleared by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property and the Court for Intellectual Property Rights.