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Last updated: 12.02.2024

I do realise that visitors looking for useful information on this website and would like to see some examples of my recent cases. Here are a few typical issues I have advised my clients in the past:
  • Agreement on preparation and placement of board advertisement during Euro 2020 Qualifier Scotland vs Russia Game for global manufacturer and distributor of infection control products. 

  • Recruitment services agreement for Russian subsidiary of the UK innovative resourcing and recruitment solutions consultancy.

  • Due diligence services on supplier of diesel gasoil from Rostov region of Russia for British oil trading company.

  • Purchasing additional stakes and appointment of new general director to a subsidiary company for electrical parts and equipment supplier.

  • Search for and negotiations with direct supplier of English well-known porcelain brands for Russian porcelain trading company.

  • Agreement on equipment supply for an engineering company, manufacturer of cake production lines. Equipment will be installed in Vladimir Region of Russia by one of multinationals, the second largest food and beverage company in the world.

  • Reliability and due diligence services for Anglo-American Brand Identity & Design Agency on their trading partners from Siberian region of Russia before their entering into Contractual Agreement on Identity Development for Chain of Coffee Shops.

  • Agreement on buyout of the Russian language newspaper in London for international media publishing group.

  • Execution of a hotel interior design contract with one of the world's leading premier hotel companies in Russian city of Sochi in Krasnodarsky Krai, for interior design practice. Hotel is to be built before Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games start in February 2014.

  • Entering the Russian market, GOST & Russian Ministry of Health certification and registration of medical device and equipment, for a manufacturer and supplier of infection control products. 

  • Application of Russian law to End-User Software Licence Contract for a company delivering software solutions for pharmaceutical industry.

  • Resolution of Complexity in existing rules for organisation and registration of sweepstakes in Russia, for sales promotion agency.

  • Following necessary terms and conditions in the process of registration of reversed auction bidding in Russia, internet auction company.

  • Agreement on employment of company’s Russian contractor for research, development and programming of software products, hotel reservation software company.

  • Methods of "Invention" patenting in Russia for inventions development company; due diligence services related to their partner company from Russia; drafting and translation of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement.

  • Enforcement of agency agreement and resolution of dispute with Russian customer, creative design consultancy.

  • Market and industry research and analysis in Kaliningrad region; setting up a company to deal with the packing of food supplements in the Special economic zone (SEZ) in the Kaliningrad, rental of premises for company production, employment of 10 persons staff, customs clearance and certification of production, producer of food supplements.

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Information

Inheritance in Russia

When someone close to you in Russia passes away, then you may be entitled to benefit from the deceased person's estate. Under current law you must submit an "Application on Acceptance or Rejection of Inheritance" to the local notary within a period of six months from the moment of opening of succession. If you are in England, application can be submitted personally by post or via power of attorney on your behalf. Booth application and the power of attorney must be properly certified ....›

Adoption in Kaliningrad

There are 1 901 children-orphans and children left without parental care registered in Kaliningrad.

At total of 289 children are in orphanages in Kaliningrad and 1612 orphans and children are left without parental care and are living with families, which come up to 84.8%: 800 children are under guardianship; 79 children in foster care; 92 children - in foster care families, 641 children under the age of 18 living in adoptive families, among them: families of citizens of Russia – 300, children living abroad - 341.

There are in this article references to network of institutions for orphans and children left without parental care in Kaliningrad region as well as resources and information required for adoption. ....›

Legal basis for organisation, operation and government regulation of lotteries in the Russian Federation

The major law that establishes the legal basis for organisation, operation and government regulation of lotteries in the Russian Federation is “Law on Lotteries” (138-FZ, dated November 17 2003)   ....›

Expanding Into Russia Or The Baltic Area? Easier Than You Think!

If you have been doing well in the UK, you may have been wondering about expanding your company into Russia. And really – it makes sense to consider it an option. Keeping your business in areas which are currently facing economic struggles is like staying in a farm that has been experiencing dry spells when there is a farm right next door that constantly yields great crops. Right now, Russia has one of the strongest economies in the world, and being able to get a slice of the Russian market will likely prove to be very profitable for your business  ....›

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Other News...

June 26, 2019. E-visa Russian e-visa scheme is making it easier to visit Kaliningrad region for British tourists.

Starting from July 1, 2019, nationals of 53 foreign States may be granted an e-visa to enter the Russian Federation through the border crossing points , located on the territory of the Kaliningrad region. An e-visa is issued within 4 calendar days, including week-ends and bank holidays. There is no need for any invitations or confirmations. Just fill in the application form on the website. There is no need to waste your free time or working hours to visit the consular agency during its business hours. The website works 24/7. You do not need to pay for anything to obtain an e-visa......>

November 23, 2018. The business desk. AZ Real Estate, the London and Moscow-based real estate consultancy, revealed it has brokered a £4m investment in the Hilton Hotel, Manchester Airport, on behalf of a private Russian equity investor.

The £4m equity is part of a wider pool of overseas investment into the hotel, with the fund management process being overseen by Regency Project Management.

Scheduled to open in 2021, and with a gross development value of £116m, the scheme is being developed by Versant Developments and will form part of the wider hotel district at Manchester Airport .....>

December 20, 2017 Casino Review. No one will pity anybody: Tax hike to impact Russian industry growth

Russian casino operations are preparing for the impact of the Duma’s plans to raise gaming taxes throughout the Russian Federation by next year.

In November, the Duma approved the first reading of the crucial bill that could lead to Russian-licensed gambling operators’ tax obligations doubling by January 2018.

Russia does not impose taxes on gross gaming revenues, instead imposing monthly flat taxes on gaming devices.

The draft legislation would raise the top levy per gaming table to RUB250,000 ($4,280), double the present figure of RUB125,000, while raising the maximum tax levy on gaming machines in Russia from RUB7,500 roubles to RUB15,000 ($257) 

“It’s just about revenues,” explained Sergey Naumkin, a UK-based lawyer specialising in Russian business law. “It’s not about any conservative elements in the political system, it’s about revenues.

“In Russia, tax is not taken by the central government, it’s taken by the local governments, and the local government need more resources, so they want the central government to make changes to provide them with this.

“The government actually did not think through how to best apply high taxes – not the casino industry but to the lottery, for instance, because that generates much bigger revenues,” he added. ....›

August 24, 2017 The General Data Protection Regulation (Новый Общеевропейский регламент о персональных данных), enters into effect on 25 May 2018. Although the GDPR will not have a direct effect on Russia, as a non-EU Member State, it will impact the operations of multinational business in Russia and Russian businesses abroad. The article below was published in Lawyer magazine, August 2017 to show GDPR nessessary requirements and recommendations for Russian companies. ....›

February 7, 2017 MegaFon strikes 2018 Fifa World Cup deal

Russian firm named as communications infrastructure partner of tournament. 

Telecoms firm MegaFon has been announced as the official communications infrastructure partner of the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

The Moscow-based company secured the 4.25 billion ruble (US$71 million) contract to supply internet and communications infrastructure to the 11 host stadiums for the global soccer showpiece, as well as to the training camps for all 32 teams, hotels, organising committee facilities and data centres across the country.

“Winning the competition gives us the opportunity to show all the advantages of MegaFon infrastructure," said Sergey Soldatenkov, chief executive of MegaFon. "Having experience of working at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi and the Universiade in Kazan, we can guarantee the highest-quality connection and internet at top speed."

MegaFon is part-owned by Alisher Usmanov, a shareholder in English Premier League soccer side Arsenal, while Farhad Moshiri, majority owner of their rivals Everton, is also believed to own shares in the company. ....›

May 26, 2016 Harvard University, Contract Law Course

Just completed Contract Law Course,  study offered by Harvard Law School under the guidance of Prof. Charles Fried, the Beneficial Professor of Law at Harvard University since 1961.  He served as Solicitor General of the United States and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.

October 27, 2015 Sports Business Daily. Vladimir Kozlov. Russia Considering Allowing Sports TV Channels To Take Bets On Matches.

Russia is considering allowing sports TV channels to take bets on matches in a move that would become a game changer for the local betting industry. Russian news agency Interfax quoted Natalya Parshikova, deputy sports minister, as saying that "the issue of allowing organizations that own TV rights to sports events to take bets on their results" is being discussed. If the idea is adopted, new powerful players are to come to Russia's $2.4B-a-year betting industry, in which TV networks were never involved before. Industry insiders say that the arrival of new players like that would only benefit the industry, but getting set up for a bookmaking business wouldn't be easy for a TV network. ....›

August 7, 2015 Gambling Compliance. Lina Sennevall. Russia To Relax Betting Ads Ahead Of World Cup.

Russia’s government is proposing relaxed advertising rules for bookmakers in a bid to boost sports clubs and media companies ahead of the country hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Russian business lawyer Sergey Naumkin said the government believes the advert changes could be "vital" before the football World Cup. ....›

Новое в законодательстве об учете трудового стажа.

21 декабря, 2014. С 1 января 2015 года в России вводится новый порядок формирования и расчета пенсии. Происходит это в связи с принятием Федерального закона от 28.12.2013 № 400-ФЗ "О страховых пенсиях". Тем кто живет в Англии и добровольно за себя уплачивает пенсионные взносы нужно до 1 января 2015 года предоставить сведения о трудовом стаже, чтобы по новому законодательству их пенсионные права были сформированы в полном объеме.

С этого времени вводится новый порядок формирования и расчета пенсии. Все пенсионные права, заработанные до этой даты, должны быть конвертированы в баллы. В настоящее время специалисты Пенсионного фонда проводят работу с гражданами, в индивидуальных лицевых счетах которых отсутствуют сведения о периодах работы до регистрации в системе персонифицированного учета.

Пробелы в данных о трудовом стаже наблюдаются в основном у тех, кто в 2003-2004 годах не работал, либо занимался предпринимательской деятельностью. По данным Отделений ПФР, таковых в каждом регионе насчитываются десятки тысяч человек. Всем кто проживает в Росси были разосланы уведомления с просьбой подойти в управление ПФР по месту жительства с паспортом, страховым свидетельством, трудовой книжкой и другими документами, подтверждающими периоды работы, в том числе в особых условиях труда. К сожалению, тем кто проживает за рубежом сделать это довольно проблематично. Хотя в пенсионном фонде меня заверили что российские консульства уже получают от пенсионного фонда инструкции об учете сведений о трудовом стаже, ни на одном из сайтов диппредставительств России за рубежом такие сведения мне найти не удалось.

Сама процедура в России такова, что подачей сведений о трудовом стаже, занимаются главные бухгалтера предприятий, они с 01.01.2002 года когда начался сам учет стажа в ПФ и подают сведения о работниках в виде специальной формы СЗВ-К. С этого времени если за работника уплачиваются пенсионные взносы на предприятии стаж и учитывается. Но по другому обстоит дело со стажем до 2002 года. Он есть в трудовой книжке, но учтен в пенсионном фонде лишь у тех кто либо самостоятельно об этом позаботился, либо предприятие на котором он работает эти сведения за него подало. Поэтому для россиян в Анлии по моему мнению сейчас есть два выхода из этой ситуации - ехать в Россию и по месту регистрации в пенсионном фонде самим подавать эти сведения - либо через представителя в России, например через фирмы занимающиеся сдачей сведений по бухучету в автоматическом режиме, с использованием системы СКБ Контур.

Второе гражданство и доказательства постоянного проживания за рубежом (Великобритания) 

1 сентября, 2014. C 4 августа 2014 года вступил в силу новый закон, устанавливающий обязанность российских граждан уведомлять Федеральную миграционную службу России о наличии у них второго и каждого последующего иностранного гражданства, а также видах на жительство. Освобожденными от этой обязанности оказались лишь те россияне, кто постоянно проживает за пределами России.

В связи с чем появилась необходимость в доказательствах постоянного проживания за рубежом для предоставления в ФМС или при паспортном контроле на российской границе. На территории Великобритании на мой взгляд такими документами могут быть паспорт гражданина Великобритании, вид на жительство, справка о постановке на консульский учет, справка-подтверждение статуса налогового резидента (Certificate of Residence) из HM Revenue & Customs, справка-подтверждение о регистрации в качестве плательщика Council Tax.

Кроме того основываясь на документах о виде на жительство, я могу выдать свидетельство о постоянном проживании на территории Великобритании и адресе проживания за своей подписью и печатью на русском языке. Что значительно облегчит ФМС или офицеру паспортного контроля этом случае проведение экспертизы предоставленных документов и определение вашего резидентского статуса. Образец.

How sanctions against Russia are hitting UK businesses

November , 2014. Caroline Bayley, In Business, BBC Radio 4                      

Western leaders are prepared to tighten sanctions further against Russia, according to the UK foreign office.

Introduced after Russia's intervention in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, sanctions imposed on Russia - and then by Russia in retaliation - are already making life difficult for some UK businesses.

At SMD, a specialist engineering firm in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, they make sophisticated robots which operate on the seabed, doing the job of deep-sea divers.

These are used for developing oil fields all over the world.

SMD relies on its exports, and one fifth of its market is in Russia.

That stopped when targeted economic sanctions against Russia by the US and the EU were announced at the end of July.

These banned trade with certain sectors in Russia: defence, some banking, and the oil and shale gas industry; as well as with key individuals.

Andrew Hodgson, chief executive of SMD, highlights the damage to his business, especially as it can take three to four years to win a major sub-sea contract.

"Imagine we're a 500 employee business and 20% of your business doesn't exist, that's 100 jobs and obviously we've been working hard on the technology," he says.

"We've got a number of significant projects in the pipeline, which we've been working on over a number of years with Russia, which clearly are just in abeyance now and they've just stopped," Mr Hodgson points out. ....›

Putin Signs Law Establishing Gambling Zone in Crimea

July  23, 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law allowing the establishment of a gambling zone in Crimea and extending the Krasnodar gambling zone to Sochi, according to a statement published on the official web portal of legal information on Wednesday.
The statement says that Crimean authorities will determine the borders of the new gambling zone. The Crimean leaders already said that they will either spread gambling facilities across the peninsula, or establish a gambling zone in the south coast of Crimea, near the town of Yalta, where the majority of resorts are located.
At the same time, the borders of the Krasnodar gambling zone will now be set by the Russian government so that the territory of Sochi will be included..
 ....›

Baltic States Honorary Consulates in the United Kingdom

March  14, 2014. I updated my site with the list of Baltic States Honorary Consulates in the United Kingdom. There are contact details of Honorary Consuls of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia in the United Kingdom. Can be found here."" this="" title="Russia increasingly attractive prospect for UK co

UK design services for export: how to become successful working with Russian client

July 28, 2011. A successful story of Russian-British collaboration in the area of design goes back to late 1990-s – early 2000-s, when such Russian brands (now among the most valued domestic ones, by the way) as Russian Standard Vodka (1998, Identica) and MTS (2006, Wolff Olins) were designed. That was the crucial moment, when the biggest Russian business entities from various industry sectors realised the power and value of the design and branding ‘made in Britain’.                                                                                      

Soon it has become quite popular and prestigious for the emerging and established Russian businesses to reach out to the major UK design consultancies for the ‘design and branding services’. Since that time some large creative agencies such as Identica, Wolff Olins, Fitch, Claessens and SCG London have become the best-known UK design groups in Russia having some fruitful experience of collaboration with Russian companies in the area of the brand and design. But what about smaller niche agencies? Do they have any chance to make their mark and difference on the new unexplored yet attractive Russian market? “They absolutely do” — proves David Rogers, the owner and creative partner of a small Nottingham-based packaging and brand design consultancy We Are Pure. ....›

Russia in $10bn move to tempt investors

March 06, 2011. The Financial Times, Henny Sender in Paris and Catherine Belton in Moscow. The Russian government is setting up a $10bn fund to co-invest with leading international private equity firms in an effort to attract foreign capital to the country, and has asked Goldman Sachs informally to guide the project, according to people familiar with the matter.

Separately, Russia is also creating a committee to advise Dmitry Medvedev, Russian president, on transforming Moscow into an international financial centre. Members will include Goldman’s chief executive Lloyd Blankfein, Blackstone’s founder Steve Schwarzman, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, as well as representatives from BNP Paribas and UniCredit among others.

The $10bn fund initiative comes directly from Mr Medvedev, these people add. The firms that have been approached include Apollo Management, Blackstone and Carlyle among others, and each is considering its response
......›

UK architects and engineers plan to participate in regeneration of                 St. Petersburg

March 04, 2011. Gareth Ward Consul General, St Petersburg. This week a delegation from the St Petersburg city authorities and business is visiting London and Manchester. As well as exploring energy efficient building approaches in London, they will be meeting Manchester City Council to talk about how former industrial areas such as Salford Quays have been redeveloped. And they will be meeting a number of UK architects, planners and engineers who have delivered these projects.

The scope for regeneration in St. Petersburg is huge. Industry is moving out of the city centre and leaving behind brownfield sites which need the kind of integrated approach, with transport and social infrastructure, which has worked in Salford. As Europe’s 4th biggest city, and with a spectacular historic centre to showcase, St Petersburg deserves dynamic regeneration projects. UK companies are well placed to take part in that process. .....›  

Russian Architects Face Western Competition

The ongoing construction boom in Russia has brought about a problem that only 10 years ago none of the experts could see coming. Russian developers maintain that amid the significant growth of the construction market and increase in the number of high-end, upscale projects, this country does not have enough talented architects. However, in a market environment a lucrative niche cannot remain vacant for very long, and this vacuum is now gradually being filled by foreign architects and designers ......›

Doing Business 2011: Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs. The Russian Federation.

November 16, 2010. Doing Business 2011: Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs. The Russian Federation, the eighth in a series of annual reports published by

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