Dentons separated from its Russian practice on January 1, 2023. The Russian offices have become an independent law firm, Nextons, and the team of 130 lawyers continues to provide legal services from its offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg.  Nextons is Dentons’ preferred law firm for matters related to Russian law and is a member of the Nextlaw Referral Network.

Dentons’ Russia Team

To assist global clients with the challenges they face with regard to the Russian market, Dentons has formed a Russia Team consisting of a group of Dentons partners who have extensive experience in representing international companies in Russia. Having spent many years in our former Moscow office, they have since relocated from Russia and remain available to share their long-term experience and deep knowledge of the market and all main areas of business law. To contact our Russia Team, send an email to russia.team@dentons.com or contact any of the key contacts listed on this page.

Market challenges

The war in Ukraine and the resulting international sanctions and Russian countersanctions have impacted on thousands of international businesses with operations, supply chains or investments in Russia.

Like many international companies, you may have already exited or are contemplating an exit from the market. However, due to the counter-sanctions regime, selling your Russian subsidiary is often equivalent to writing-off your investment, due to the requirement to obtain permission from the Government Commission, which levies at least a 50% discount on the fair market value of the enterprise and an additional exit tax of at least 10% of the transaction value. Furthermore, some clients operating in strategic sectors, such as oil and gas, are simply not allowed to leave and are faced with the tough decision to either continue operating in Russia or abandon their investment altogether.

Here to help

Relying on decades of experience of advising international companies on the ground in Russia, our Russia Team provides strategic and legal advisory to help you achieve your strategic and commercial objectives and mitigate against investment risks. Where Russian law advice is needed, our Russia Team will coordinate and collaborate with lawyers from Nextons, where permissible according to sanctions and Dentons’ internal policies.

• Full scope legal advice on international sanctions against Russia as well as Russian counter-sanction measures
• Wind-down or restructuring of Russian operations (including liquidation, bankruptcy and restructuring options, taking into account Russian counter-sanctions legislation
• Sale of Russian subsidiaries of international companies and exit from Russian joint ventures (including in the form of management buy-outs, sale to market buyers, tenders, asset swaps, etc.)
• Cross-border debt repayment structures for international creditors of Russian obligors, taking account of counter-sanctions legislation
• Applying for authorization from the Russian Governmental Commission for transfer of profits outside of Russia and/or repayment of inter-company loan agreements
• Sale of real estate assets and renegotiation/termination of commercial leases
• Cross-border litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration
• Employment law advice related to the restructuring of operations, collective dismissals, collective bargaining, as well as executive relocation and compensation.