BASIC PRACTICE AREAS

Company law and law of legal entities, contractual practice. Andrey Gorodissky & Partners represent major Russian and foreign companies which operate in various fields, such as oil extraction and processing, metallurgy, building, telecommunications and communications, TV and radio broadcasting, publishing business, pharmaceutics, automobile building, real estate, international trade, banking and securities, consumer goods manufacturing. We also represent private and state companies. Our lawyers represent clients in general meetings of shareholders and before management bodies of joint stock companies, handle matters of shareholders relations, defend clients in common courts and arbitration courts. We advise our clients on the legal status of companies of various types of ownership, extent of their legal capacity, contractual practice matters. One of the main objectives of our work is to create for our clients a stable system of contractual relations with business partners, ensuring protection of our clients' interests in various commercial and financial transactions. In addition, we render advice on the issues of employment contracts and labor relations.

International practice. The firm renders legal support to Russian and foreign companies in matters relating to investment, setting up and operation of joint ventures in Russia and abroad. We assist our clients in carrying out foreign trade and transnational transactions, implementation of investment projects, including acquisition of foreign companies and securities offerings in Western stock exchanges. Our lawyers represent clients in negotiating the execution and carrying out of such transactions in Russia and abroad. The strong ties of our firm with leading attorneys' offices and law firms in different countries help us to secure our clients' interests in negotiating and performing international contracts that are governed by foreign laws.

Reorganization and acquisition of companies. Legal issues concerning reorganization (merger, division, appropriation), liquidation and acquisition of Russian and foreign companies form an important part of the firm's practice. We represent our clients and offer them legal vehicles for purchase of the controlling stock of existing Russian companies, perform due diligence checks of the companies proposed for acquisition. Our lawyers develop corporate arrangements for proposed international holdings and investment foundations on the basis of foreign corporate and tax laws and double-taxation treaties.

Securities. One of the basic areas of our practice is participation in preparing Russian companies for initial public offerings of their stock (IPO) in foreign and Russian stock exchanges, as well as preparation and placement of Russian companies' loan instruments, including issuing and placement of Eurobonds, and we have set up a team of professionals with a unique experience in such highly complicated projects.

We advise our clients on the matters of issuance, registration, sale and acquisition of different corporate securities, and represent them before state commercial (arbitrazh) courts in disputes related to securities circulation

Financing. The firm represents its clients in the matters of loan granting/obtainment for the purpose of company development, investment project financing, purchase and lease of equipment. Our lawyers give advice on and prepare financial leasing transactions and project financing deals. We also provide legal opinions with respect to such transactions to the world-known financial institutions.

Banking and securities. Andrey Gorodissky & Partners act as independent consultants of certain major Russian and foreign banks and other financial institutions in the field of banking law, currency regulation, operations with securities.

Due diligence. We have considerable experience in doing due diligence checks and preparing legal opinions in connection with acquisition of Russian companies or purchase of major stock in Russian companies by foreign or Russian investors.

Telecommunications and media. Among our clients there are major publishing holdings, independent TV broadcasting companies and telecommunication companies (operators and equipment manufacturers) to whom we render advice on the matters of, inter alia, state regulation and control in the relevant fields.

Intellectual property. The firm has an in-house patent attorney who assists the clients in registration of trademarks and trade names. We defend our clients before courts in trademark disputes and represent them before the Chamber for Patent Disputes of the Russian Patent and Trademark Agency in matters connected with wrongful registration of trademarks. We also represent trademark owners before customs authorities in connection with appearance of counterfeit products in the Russian markets. Our lawyers draft license agreements with respect to inventions, know-how, and trademarks, including franchise agreements. We also render services in the field of copyright protection.

Taxation. Taxation issues form one of the basic areas of the firm's practice. We advise our clients on the matters of tax optimization and minimization, carry out analysis of legislation and normative acts, supply interpretation and clarification of the current tax treatment, and represent our clients before state commercial (arbitrazh) courts in disputes with tax authorities.

Natural resources. An essential area of our practice is the matters of subsoil use, in particular, for the purpose of exploration and development of oil and gas fields, extraction and sale of oil and gas. In this area the firm gives its clients advice regarding licensing, tenders and auctions, relations with local authorities, rational use of natural resources, environment-related issues, etc.

Construction and real estate. Our lawyers have extensive experience in handling projects for construction of industrial, office and residential buildings and complexes. Apart from drafting of contracts, the work includes development of a project financing structure, setting up of appropriate corporate entities, and regulation of the investor-contractor relationship. On a regular basis, we handle sale and purchase of real estate in Moscow and in other regions of Russia.

Employment relations. Our lawyers give advice, on a regular basis, to corporate clients on the matters of entering into, performance and termination of employment contracts, and represent the clients before courts in connection with labor disputes.

Litigation and arbitration. A separate area of the firm's practice is the representation of clients before common courts, state commercial (arbitrazh) courts and in international commercial arbitration, both institutional and ad hoc. In this area the firm has accumulated broad experience in serving Russian and foreign clients. The firm handles, on a regular basis, cases in the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and in Stockholm. Our attorneys represent clients before courts in Moscow and other cities of the Russian Federation.

Setting up and registration of companies, branches and representative offices. Our firm has a department that efficiently handles, on a turn-key basis, setting up and registration of companies of different legal forms (joint stock companies, limited liability companies, branches and representative offices), including those with partial or 100% foreign ownership, and renders services on accreditation of Russian representative offices of foreign companies.

Bankruptcy law. We represent and protect the interests of stockholders/members of companies that are involved in bankruptcy proceedings. We also represent our clients in and carry out transactions for acquisition of bankrupt companies' property.