Executive Director

Alf Torrents assumed the role of Executive Director of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce in October 2017.

Alf had a first career as an officer in the British Army where he served in a variety of countries including Afghanistan, Chile and South Africa. During this time he spent three years in Moscow at the British Embassy, where he also travelled and worked in Turkmenistan.

On leaving the Army in 2012 Alf did a MBA and spent three years with his family in Zimbabwe where he worked with an entrepreneurial start up business. On his return to the UK Alf worked as a corporate risk consultant for a boutique firm based in central London.

Deputy Head of Mission and Minister Counsellor for Economics, Science and Trade at the British Embassy in Moscow

Julia joined the British Embassy in Moscow in July 2020.

She is acting Deputy Head of Mission with specific responsibility for economics, science and trade. Julia worked as a lawyer in private practice before joining the Government Legal Service in 2005. She has worked in four Government Departments including as head of Public and Constitutional Law at the Attorney General’s Office and Head of the Prison and Sentencing Team in Ministry of Justice.

She joined the Foreign Office in 2018 as Deputy Director for International agreements –leading a team negotiating 16 Trade and 11 Political International Treaties as part of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Rupert has been recognised as a leading barrister in commercial litigation and international arbitration by Chambers and Partners UK, Chambers & Partners Global and The Legal 500 which have commended him as “very bright” “commercially astute” and “extremely responsive”. He has been cited in these publications for his “profound knowledge of the law” and as “an excellent draftsman” who “stands out for his quick mastery of the law as applied to the facts”; “anticipates any pitfalls very effectively” and is “very good on detail”.

Rupert’s advocacy has been repeatedly recognised by other lawyers who have worked with him. His peers are recorded in Chambers and Legal 500 as commenting that “his advocacy is excellent” and have “singled him out for his authoritative arguments in court” and for “succeeding in obtaining the relevant responses without being aggressive”.  

Rupert’s niche expertise in Russian & CIS related disputes is widely recognised. Chambers, Chambers Global and Legal 500 have described him as being “Extraordinarily knowledgeable on all matters relating to the CIS” and noted that “his Russian language skills and substantial understanding of local market practice make him a strong asset in CIS-linked disputes.” As such, the directories have commended him as “excellent for CIS work”, and “a good choice for cases in need of a cerebral Russian/CIS expert” He is regularly instructed to provide expert opinions on English law issues for use in CIS court proceedings.

Rupert holds the following positions of responsibility in relation to Russia and the CIS:

Bar Council International Committee representative for Russia and the CIS
Secretary of the British-Russian Law Association (BRLA)
Secretary of the British-Kazakh Law Association (BrKLA)
Rupert also sits as arbitrator in LCIA arbitrations involving CIS parties.

Shantanu undertakes domestic & international litigation, arbitration and advisory work in a number of areas. He has a substantial and growing practice in disputes involving CIS parties, often instructed directly by lawyers in the CIS.

He qualified as a mediator in 2019 and was appointed Queen's Counsel (“Silk”) in 2020.
His practice encompasses:

• Agency
• Arbitration
• Banking & Finance
• Breach of Warranty
• CIS disputes
• Civil Fraud & Asset tracing
• Commercial Litigation
• Company and Insolvency
• Employment
• Economic Torts
• Guarantees
• Injunctions and other urgent relief
• Insurance
• Jurisdiction and Conflict of Laws
• Limitation
• Professional Negligence and Liability
• Restitution, equity and trusts in a commercial context
• Sale of goods & supply of services
• Sanctions
• Shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes

The Legal 500 2020 ranks him in Tier 1 (2020 Silks) in 

• Commercial Litigation
• Civil Fraud &
• Professional Negligence

Amongst other things, it says that he is a
‘A strategic thinker, hard-working and collaborative – a superb trial lawyer and cross-examiner.’

James specialises in all areas of commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on commercial disputes, insolvency, and professional negligence.

Recent highlights include representing liquidators in an 8-week and 3-week £100M+ commercial fraud trial relating to 3 Thistle hotels overlooking Hyde Park, representing the trustees in bankruptcy of 2 members of the supervisory board of a Russian bank subject to a $400M+ English judgment, and following one of the first BitCoin insolvencies back in 2015 finally obtaining a £20M+ judgment and recovery for the liquidators of a failed cryptocurrency exchange.

Other highlights include representing the administrator in the high profile A1 Grand Prix insolvency, the financiers behind a Hollywood movie, several well-known football clubs, the shareholders in a leading celebrity chef-owned London restaurant, a lender in a professional liability claim arising out of Channel 4’s Brookside housing estate, and the defendants in a Liechtenstein trust fraud trial.

In February 2016 James was appointed as a Deputy Master of the High Court and in September 2018 he was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge. In March 2019 he was elected as Head of Chambers. In March 2020, James was appointed silk.

Mo Haque QC is a highly experienced and client-focussed commercial litigator.
He practised at the English Bar for eighteen years, during which period he took Silk (in 2015). He then spent time with a premier law firm in the British Virgin Islands. The Caribbean Legal 500 described him as a “first class heavyweight”. Missing the weather, he returned to the UK and joined CANDEY in 2019.
Mo’s workload spans the borders of the Caribbean, CIS, USA, UAE and the Far East. He advises on company and commercial disputes, acting for shareholders, directors and partners. He has considerable experience of international insolvency acting for liquidators, receivers and creditors. His practice covers enforcement, contract and tort issues and the professional negligence of business, construction and legal professionals. Being of a scientific slant, he also enjoys technology cases.
He has appeared in the Courts of England, the BVI and Cayman Islands. He has also acted in international arbitrations conducted under various arbitral rules.
His recent interesting cases include:

• Representing a Russian oil refinery in arbitral proceedings (involving multiple challenges to jurisdiction) and in parallel acting on a £200million freezing injunction, leading eventually to Russian insolvency proceedings.
• Representing an individual shareholder in a £30 million dispute involving the ownership of shares in part of a famous chain of hotels. Issues of director’s liabilities and responsibilities, derivative claims in complex structures and equitable remedies.
• Acting in one of the first legal disputes over the ownership of millions of dollars of contested Bitcoin held by a HK-registered crypto-currency exchange, with multinational parties under BVI law.
• Defending a £20million claim brought by Irina Abramovich for breach of trust by a former employee.
• Tracing the assets of one of the wealthiest individuals in the UK to seek enforcement of a £100million judgment.
• Acting for trustee in bankruptcy in the £2billion Petters fraud in the Cayman Islands in issues about the priority of claimants.
• Acting for Vincent Tchenguiz in the long-running £600million dispute against his brother, Robert.

He is the author of several texts, the most recent of which are the 2018 BVI and Cayman Island chapters of Global Legal Insights “International Arbitration”. He has also contributed to Emden’s Construction Law.

Yuri is a specialist in complex litigation and arbitration across multiple jurisdictions including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan (and other CIS countries) the Middle East and Africa for both corporations and individuals. Actions range from multi-million-dollar multi-jurisdictional fraud claims through to shareholders disputes, partnership disputes, foreign law claims, enforcing foreign judgments, construction disputes, actions for and against directors, defamation, breach of contract, tort and insolvency. Yuri is regularly invited to speak as an expert on a variety of topics regarding doing business in Russia/Former Soviet Union (‘FSU’) and emerging markets. Notable recent litigation cases involved a shareholders’ dispute regarding 600m USD asset in Russia which involved SCC arbitration proceedings and related interim injunctions in the BVI and Cyprus; shareholders’ arbitration dispute relating to a Russian bank involving numerous Cypriot and High Court injunctions, shareholders’ arbitration dispute regarding a CIS coal mine, contractual disputes regarding oil commodities. Yuri often acts in concert with lawyers from across the CIS/Middle East/Africa to provide access to international dispute resolution solutions for clients.

Ben Wells is a Solicitor Advocate and a fluent Russian speaker. The majority of his work is focused on Russian-speaking clients.
Ben is experienced in international arbitration and dispute resolution related to cross-border disputes. Ben has a particular focus on contentious trusts issues, claiming relief under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, asset-tracing and recovery. Ben also assists clients to decide contentious issues in relation to commercial contracts, trading, investments, banking, company and shareholder disputes, cross-border insolvency, international civil fraud and enforcement. Ben regularly represents clients in arbitration and in the English courts.
Ben is the founder and chairman of RusFor (the Russian Speaking Legal Professionals’ Forum) a group that hosts conferences and networking events for its professional members. He is also an executive committee member of the British-Kazakh Law Association, holds rights of audience at the Astana International Finance Centre (AIFC) and is listed as an international arbitrator with the Russian Arbitration Centre and RSPP (Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs).
Ben writes articles which have been published in CIS Arbitration Forum, Arbitration.ru and Zakon.ru as well as having featured in articles for the Law Society of England and Wales. Ben is a frequent speaker at conferences throughout Russia, Kazakhstan and the former Soviet Union and is a guest lecturer the St Petersburg State University of Economics.

Facts and figures

• In 2002 graduated from the Saint-Petersburg State University, Department of Law.
• Since 2009 the attorney-at-law, member of St.Petersburg Chamber of Lawyers.
• In 2009 started own legal practice as a Managing Partner of Semenyako, Golubok & Partners Law Offices further re-named Iusland Law Offices.
• In 2016 founded Law Offices NB | ABNB and currently pursuer its development in such key expertise areas as Corporate Law, Insolvency&Restructuring, Commercial Law, Intellectual Property, Construction&Real Estate, Finance&Taxation.

Professional recognition

• St.Petersburg Chamber of Lawyers’ Award for great contribution and achievements in the area of Commercial Arbitration.
• The Arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration at the St.Petersburg Chamber of Lawyers.
• In the list of best lawyers in Russia for Insolvency&Restructuring according to the Best Lawyers rating.
• Law Firm Management Committee member of the International Bar Association.

Key proffesional expertise

• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Corporate law
• Dispute Resolution

Industry sectors

• Transportation & Logistic
• Real Estate & Construction
• Manufacturing
• Oil&Gas

Partner, Attorney, Mediator,  Ph.D. in Law — Family Law

Victoria specialises in the resolution of cross-border disputes on custody over children and returning them from foreign states in cases of wrongful removal or retention, as well as in structuring family assets and will planning. Victoria holds the degree of Candidate of Juridical Sciences and delivers lectures on family law as part of an education programme for orphaned children and children left without parental care, as well as hearing-impaired persons. She has authored over 50 articles and education programmes for advanced training courses for Russian attorneys. Before she joined our team at BGP Litigation, Victoria practiced as an attorney with a private legal office. She is listed in the Best Lawyers  and Pravo.Ru-300 rankings.

President of the “Lawyers for Kids” Foundation. The Foundation has been created to protect the legal interests of children irrespective of their age, financial circumstances, or the causes of hardships that they may face. The foundation aims to reinforce the legal status of children in families and the society at large, as persons who are especially vulnerable to human rights violations.

Managing Partner CIS LONDON.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Svetlana London is a dual qualified Russian Advocate and English lawyer. She is the Managing Partner of the firm.

Svetlana specialises in advising clients on a range legal issues and cross-border transactions with a Russian element.

Over the years, she has been selected as a Russian law expert and as a legal advisor for several High Court of Justice cases.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Svetlana is an Associate member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a member of The LCIA Users' Councils and a member of STEP’s International Client group.

EDUCATION
Svetlana has graduated as a Russian qualified lawyer from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2006.

In the UK Svetlana has completed: a Graduate Diploma in Law course, the Legal Practice Course and LLM in Professional Legal Practice from the BPP Law School.

Recommended Lawyer
The Legal 500 - Leading Individual (2020)
Ranked lawyer
Chambers & Partners HNW (2020)

Speaks Russian and English

Anthony Walker is a senior adviser at RGP.

He is a solicitor-advocate, qualified in England and Wales, and has significant experience in international corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and related disputes. Anthony also has experience in international arbitration proceedings under LCIA and ICC Rules.

Anthony is registered as an arbitrator with a number of international institutions and is also a professional mediator, qualified in Russia.

Sergey Sitnikov is the Head of ESG practice of EMPP Law Firm. He focuses on climate projects, carbon units trading, and sustainable development issues.

Sergey has advised on such issues and projects since 2004. Sergey assisted with numerous projects for international and Russian companies and NGOs. He is a prominent expert in the field of ESG regulation, preparation of enactments, as well as other ESG-related issues. Sergey stood at the origins of the development of ESG-related legislation and helped Russian authorities with various aspects of the same.

Sergey Sitnikov is author (and co-author) of a number of books and tutorials, including inter alia: “Carbon border adjustment mechanism”, Ecologiya Proizvodstva, 11/2021; “Civil Law Regulation of Oil Transportation by Pipelines: Acute Issues”, YusticInform, Moscow, 2012; “Climate Change Liability. Transnational Law and Practice”, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2012; “Energy Law in Russia and Germany. Comparative Law Research”, Yurist publishing group, Moscow, 2011; “Trading In Air: Mitigating Climate Change Through the Carbon Markets”, Infotropic Media, Moscow, 2010.

In 2003 Sergey Sitnikov graduated (cum laude) from the Law Faculty of Moscow State University after M.I. Lomonosov, and in 2007 he obtained his Ph.D.

Grigory is an expert in ESG, oil and gas law with more than 12 years of legal practice at leading international law firms, investment and industrial companies. Grigory is also a lecturer at Russian State University of Oil and Gas named after I.M. Gubkin and holds courses on ESG, oil and gas law.

Grigory, inter alia, advises on M&A transactions and conducts corporate management of joint ventures in the natural resources sphere, manages litigation, participates in investors and legislative committees.

Stepan Puchkov is a Russian lawyer with 12 years’ experience in Dispute Resolution and a mediator. Worked for leading law firms in Moscow and London, currently runs a private practice as a DR lawyer.

Stepan is a co-founder and a mediator at the International Center for Russian Related Mediation and specializes in mediation of commercial disputes.

He conducts research in applied Psychology for litigation and arbitration practitioners and has had his articles published in leading international and Russian journals. Stepan teaches law at the Moscow State Academy of Law and is a guest lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and Moscow State University.

Attorney, mediator-conflictologist, negotiator, Ph.D in law, lecturer, author of articles and books


Since 2010, Anastasia is the attorney at the Moscow bar association. She has had working experience from trainee to managing partner at the Barschevsky & Partners Moscow bar association for 12 years. Great knowledge and working experience with private clients in settlement of family disputes, property distribution, as well as working with subscription clients: legal persons in areas like software development, international trade, medicine, private education, entertainment and aviation.

Artem Kazantsev is a partner at Synum ADV. Artem Kazantsev is Russian lawyer with over 15 years of experience in dispute resolution, bankruptcy and commercial law.

During his career, Artem advised and acted in courts for Russian and international corporations from a wide range of industries including coil and mining, aviation, manufacturing, financial and leasing institutions.

Artem has a unique experience in developing the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation regulating economic activities. Also, Artem is the co-editor of the Russian edition of the Rescue of Business in Insolvency Law instrument of the European Law Institute.

Artem is fluent in Russian, English and French.

Advocate, Partner at Law bureau, speaker at Maritime Arbitration Commission at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, arbitrator at Russian Arbitration Center, the Russian Arbitration Association, teacher at Moscow State University.

Main specialization:

Insurance and Reinsurance, Dispute Resolution, Transportation and Forwarding, Maritime Law, International Commercial Arbitration, Legal Investigations

Andrey Pereladov, Managing Partner, Kemerovo office, Head of Environmental Practice, Regionservice Attorneys at-law.


Andrey's practice areas include real estate, building and land use, environment, environmental protection, administrative regulation, law-making and protection of business reputation. Andrey specializes in the resolution of complex commercial and administrative disputes and disputes with public entities.

He has over 25 years of legal practice.

Andrey possesses expertise and significant experience in representing major businesses in complex disputes with administrative authorities in infrastructure projects, providing comprehensive legal support in litigation over construction, subsoil use, land and forest management, water use, civil turnover of public property, urban planning, protection of business reputation and due diligence of legislative acts and their drafts.

From 2002 to 2010, he was head of the department for overseeing compliance with federal law and the legality of legal acts of the Kemerovo region Prosecutor's Office.

He is a member, expert, and chairman of the commission for security and law enforcement agencies of the Kemerovo region Public Chamber, executive director of the Kemerovo regional branch of the All-Russia Public Organization Association of Lawyers of Russia, chairman of the state exam committee of the Kemerovo State University Law Institute and Kemerovo State University lecturer.

As a result of legal market research conducted by Kommersant Publishing House, Pravo.ru-300 and Best Lawyers, Andrey is regularly nominated in the annual ratings of legal services in the categories: "Environmental Law" and "Individual Rating of Lawyers".

He was awarded the Medal of the Federal Chamber of Advocates of the Russian Federation "For Services to the Protection of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens", 2nd Class, for his diligent and professional work.

Andrey has advocate status.

Counsel, British Virgin Islands

Alexander is a dispute resolution lawyer with experience across domestic and cross-border commercial litigation, international arbitration and matters related to Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other emerging markets.

Areas of expertise

• Corporate and Financial Services Disputes
• Dispute Resolution
• International Arbitration
• Investigations and Regulatory Advice

Alexander concentrates his practice on complex cross-border corporate, commercial and civil fraud disputes. He has represented clients in litigation matters in the BVI, UK, Russia and a number of other common and civil law jurisdictions as well as in arbitrations under all major institutional rules.

Examples of Alexander's work include:

• Representing an ultra-high-net-worth individual in the Commercial Court and the LCIA in a claim for breach of an obligation to transfer shares in a Ukrainian iron ore plant and claims for loss of profits and dividends arising out of the operation and management of a ferroalloy holding in Ukraine.
• Advising a client on a number of complex post-acquisition and shareholder claims in an LCIA arbitration related to a multibillion acquisition and joint venture in the Middle East.
• Representing a major Russian bank in a USD multimillion fraud claim involving proceedings and ancillary measures in the courts of the BVI, Cyprus, United States and other jurisdictions.
• Alexander is a frequent speaker (in Russian and English) on topics of international dispute resolution and commercial law at conferences and seminars for legal and business professionals from Russia and the CIS. He has also contributed to a number of publications in English and Russian on international business law topics.

Alexander started his legal career with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in St Petersburg, before training with Simmons & Simmons and qualifying as an English solicitor in 2011. He went on to work at White & Case in London and before joining Ogier in January 2017 he was part of Edwin Coe's Dispute Resolution and Russia & CIS teams.

Languages:

Russian, Lithuanian, Spanish

Partner, Attorney-at-law "Ivanovy & Partners" Law Firm (since 1999)


Advocacy experience since 1999. Member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Certified Mediator, Member of the Expert Council in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation to assist victims of international child abduction.

Ksenia Ivanova combined her legal and teaching activities at the Law Institute in Saint-Petersburg and the Saint-Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (former FINEC). She has made more than 10 scientific publications and has been involved as an expert on Russian law in the courts of Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. Ksenia's legal opinions formed the basis for delivery and reversal of foreign court judgements. She is a surrogacy expert, has experience in creating organizations that deal with surrogacy from scratch, as well as representing genetic parents and surrogacy companies in court.

• 2017-2021 - Ksenia Ivanova was included in the best lawyers rating according to Best Lawyers
• 2016-2019 - practices headed by Ksenia Ivanova were in the top of "Pravo.ru-300" rating in the groups "Family/Inheritance Law" and "Dispute Resolution in Courts of General Jurisdiction".
• 2017- Ksenia Ivanova was recognized as the Lawyer of the Season according to the rating of "Delovoy Peterburg" Business Paper.
• 2015 - St. Petersburg Bar Council "Ivanovy & Partners" was granted "Triumph" National Award in the field of advocacy and legal practice

Areas of practice:
Family and inheritance law, complex litigation with participation of foreign citizens, protecting the property of citizens staying abroad, drafting legal opinions on Russian law for foreign courts, drafting marriage contracts and other family law agreements, business protection from family legal risk, mediation (out-of-court dispute resolution, conciliation), debates about the return of children under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980, legal support of surrogacy.

Associate «Ivanyan and Partner»

Anastasia specialises in investment treaty arbitration, commercial arbitration, and public international law. She has acted as counsel for investors and States in several investment treaty disputes and in commercial arbitration cases under the ICSID, ICC, LCIA, and UNCITRAL rules. Prior to joining Ivanyan and Partners Anastasia spent two years with EY Paris working alongside damages experts. At EY, she has assisted with the assessment of damages in arbitration, post-acquisition disputes and corruption investigations.


She also codirects the Advanced Program in investment Arbitration at the Paris Bar School where she has been teaching on investment treaty arbitration and coaching the students in Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot) since 2018.

Anastasia is a French qualified lawyer (2017). She is also currently undertaking the QLTS examinations to become qualified and admitted to the roll in England & Wales.

Specialisation:

• international arbitration
• public international law
• forensic accounting & fraud investigations

Experience as counsel:

• Represented the Russian Federation in several investment treaty arbitrations brought by Ukrainian individuals and companies over the alleged expropriation of their assets in Crimea (2020-2021)
• Represented the Russian Federation in a dispute relating to the alleged governmental expropriation of investments in a Russian oil and gas company (2017-2018)
• Represented a European investor in a dispute against Hungary following the enactment of legislation granting the government a monopoly over the prepaid corporate vouchers industry (2017)
• Represented the Czech Republic in a $40-m+ dispute against an investor in the gaming industry (2016)

As forensic accountant:

• Advised a Spanish investor in a construction dispute against an African State over the construction of a stadium worth $56 m+ (2018-2019)
• Advised a Spanish investor in a construction dispute against an African State over the construction of a road worth $35 m+ (2018-2019)
• Advised on a financial fraud investigation and asset tracing of an international French group in Thailand $190 m+ (2018-2019)

Mikhail Ivannikov is an advocate with 15 years of professional legal experience, ranked by Best Lawyers. Mikhail is a member of the Moscow Bar Chamber.

His practice mostly focuses on litigation, arbitration and mediation related to Russia and CIS.

He worked for major Russian and international law firms.

Mikhail has represented U.S., European, Asian and Russian companies in complex high-value disputes in Russian courts, international arbitrations and enforcement proceedings in various jurisdictions.

He has also advised clients in connection with criminal and regulatory proceedings, White Collar, investigations, compliance matters, sanctions and other various legal issues and potential legal risks.

Counsel, Head of International Desk INTELLECT Law Firm | Litigators and business lawyers all over Russia

Practice areas

• Multi-jurisdictional cross-border disputes at national courts and international commercial arbitration.
•  International legal project management.

Education

• 2000 - Ural State Law Academy diploma with distinction
• 2002 - LLM in International Business Law degree with merits from Central European University
• 2002 - Study at Washington College of Law American University (2002)
• 2006 - International mediator certificate

Professional activity
Philipp Koverchenko is a Russian lawyer based in London, running independent practice since 2013; specialising in running cross-border disputes and legal project management (particularly, focusing on matters related to Russia and Eastern Europe). He has many years of legal experience working as in-house lawyer and external consultant both in Russia and the United Kingdom.

Before moving to independent practice in 2013 he was for several years a senior associate with London office of US law firm Bryan Cave and represented major Russian clients, such as Basic Element, RUSAL, TNK-BP, Rosatom group in complex international disputes and non contentious matters. Prior to his relocation to London Philipp Koverchenko had been deputy head of legal of a major Russian investment holding company Basic Element where for five years he ran international arbitrations and litigations of the group companies in Switzerland, Sweden, USA, UK, Cyprus, Russia and other jurisdictions.


In 2012-2014 Philipp has been recommended by Chambers and Partners Global individual rankings in the following categories: Russia: Dispute resolution (experts based abroad), United Kingdom: dispute resolution (foreign experts).


Philipp Koverchenko was one of co-founders of INTELLECT in 2000. In 2002 he ceased active involvement with the firm as his career took a different path. Beginning from 2018, Philipp and INTELLECT have joined forces once again to set up the International Desk of INTELLECT.

Dr Davydenko is an associate professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), Department of Private International and Civil Law, and Higher School of Economics. He is the Director and a co-editor of the CIS Arbitration Forum.


Dmitry Davydenko has experience as an arbitrator in the ICC and other arbitral proceedings and is listed as a recommended arbitrator of the International Commercial Arbitration Court, Maritime Arbitration Commission at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other reputed arbitral institutions. Board member of the Mediation Center at Russian Lawyers Association.

Executive Secretary of the Expert Council under the ICC Russia Commission on Arbitration. Included in the list of best practitioners in arbitration in Russia as of the years 2017 – 2021 by Who’s Who Legal and Global Arbitration Review (GAR). Global leader for 2022. Lexology 2021 Client Choice Award Winner “Arbitration and ADR”. He also acts as a Russian law expert on various matters related to international commerce.

Managing Partner of the Law Office «Grata Saint-Petersburg».

Vladimir Komarov specializes in the corporate, сommercial law and tax law, as well as accompanies russian and foreign customers who carry out their activities in construction, energy, and financial sector.

Vladimir has the experience of consulting in transactions of mergers and acquisitions, launch of new joint ventures, opening of representative offices and subsidiaries of foreign companies, including issues of Corporate Law, Commercial Law, advising on tax aspects of business and legal support of tax control measures.


As the head of the office he is engaged in the development of the practice of Administrative Law, White-collor crime and the development of a legaltech project - web platform for class actioins.


In 2002 –  graduated from the Kaliningrad State University with a degree in law.
In 2010-2013 –  studied in graduate school of St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance.
Carries out professional activities since 1999.
In 2012 - founded the law firm «Legal Studio» and heads it since then.
Since 2018 – has been a recommended arbiter on internal disputes in the St. Petersburg Branch of the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.
Since 2019 – has headed Law office «Grata International St. Petersburg».
Social activity:
Since 2015 – has been the Mentor of the Future Leaders Foundation.
In 2018 – founded and appointed the head of the educational center of practical jurisprudence at the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg State University of St. Petersburg.
Marked national and international ratings: Pravo 300, Chambers, Legal 500, Best Lawyers.
In 2021 he was awarded by the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation «For providing assistance in the formation of the legal state and the development of civil society», as well as by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation «For assisting in the implementation of the tasks assigned to the Ministry of Science».

Alexey is a Chief Legal Counsel at Biocad, a Saint Petersburg-based pharmaceutical company.


Alexey’s practice focuses on international dispute resolution, conflict management and foreign trade-based Russian regulatory matters. He is also experienced at designing and implementing legal operations and value-based risk management processes that maximize the value of engaging in disputes – and avoid unnecessary costs.


He has participated in arbitrations under the rules of major arbitral institutions seated in Russia, England and Singapore, and has years of experience in Russian commercial litigation involving foreign entities. Alexey also helps navigate regulatory and administrative investigations arising from foreign trade-related regulation, including customs, import/export, and currency controls investigations.


Alexey also has transactional experience with engineering, drafting and negotiating complex contracts governed by Russian and common law.


Prior to moving in-house, Alexey was in private practice and spent time in a boutique maritime law firm focused on litigation.

Egor has been with KPMG since 2000, having begun his professional career as an auditor, what helped him to obtain extensive knowledge of accounting issues under different accounting standards. Having experienced a wide range of audit engagements in 2014 Egor joined KPMG Forensic practice to embark on new challenges. Since then he has gained wide-ranging experience in forensic projects, including fraud investigations, dispute advisory projects, and antibribery and corruption matters.

Egor is a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a Russian licensed auditor. He has worked across a number of industries, including banking, real estate and construction, manufacturing, transportation, retail, power and utilities, agriculture, and mining. His clients have included large international and Russian companies with turnovers of more than USD 14 billion and comprising over 200 legal entities.

Since 2016 Egor has specifically focused on dispute advisory work and now as a partner leads the KPMG Dispute Advisory practice in Russia and CIS. He regularly acts as an expert witness in cases involving accounting issues, forensic matters, valuations, and quantifications of damages. He has also been invited as a panel speaker and expert witness to numerous local and international legal seminars and conferences.
Egor has worked under the rules of various local and international courts, such as the London High Court, LCIA, SCC, ICSID, and Courts of Cyprus and has also given expert witness testimony.