Areas of Practice

■  Corporate Law

Formation of new companies, mergers and acquisitions, disposals, restructuring.

Timofeev, Vahrenwald & Partners provides companies with all legal advice required during their formation process, their external growth operations (mergers and acquisitions), disposals, spin-off, their commercial or financial ventures (joint-ventures, commercial agreements), their financing (venture capital, capital development, listing, private equity transactions), their investments, their restructuring.

TV&P also advises its clients on the subject of shareholder agreements and disputes, litigation relating to vendors' warranties, investor protection, all corporate criminal issues relating to business and corporate law.

We assist foreign firms in connection with their establishment in Russia, advise on the work permits, visas etc. required to conduct their professional activity in Russia, help negotiate employment contracts, contracts relating to their professional premises and to their commercial activity, taking into account the possible regulations which apply to the activity concerned.

■  Insolvency and Debt Recovery

Debt recovery, insolvency, restructuring, liability issues, acquisition of companies in bankruptcy.

TV&P specializes in debt recovery. We also provide advice to pre-bankruptcy companies on the creation and enforcement of security rights, corporate reorganisation and restructuring, and on staff redundancy procedures.

TV&P provides legal assistance to company managers in the case of fraud or civil liability.

We also assist clients who wish to acquire companies in receivership.

■  Real Estate and Construction

TV&P provides legal advice to constructors and planners in connection with their construction projects, and in the contentious and non-contentious issues arising therefrom. We assist them in their relations with the local authorities, insurers and experts.

TV&P also advises Russian and foreign property owners and investors on their acquisition of real property, the management of their rented-out property in particular when problems arise with their tenants.

TV&P assists its clients in negotiating and drafting their residential, professional and commercial leases, and defends their interests before Russian courts.

■  Tax Law

Tax planning, advice and litigation for individuals and corporations.

TV&P provides legal advice to its corporate clients in connection with their tax planning, their proposed commercial or corporate transactions (financial operations, restructuring), issues relating to groups of companies or to the tax status of company managers. TV&P also assists its private clients with their personal taxation issues.

TV&P assists and represents its clients before Russian courts for all tax litigation.

■  Contract Law & Law of Torts

TV&P provides its clients with legal advice in connection with the negotiation, drafting, performance and termination of their commercial contracts, and protects their interests before Russian courts.

We also advise companies and their managers on risk-prone transactions, and on criminal and civil liability issues.

We also advise companies on competition law in Russia, particularly on the subject of agreements distorting competition, and abuse of a dominant position.

■  Industrial Relations and Employment

TV&P provides legal advice to clients in the management of their human resources, particularly on the engagement of employees, including the preparation of service agreements and terms and conditions of employment; employer/employee individual or collective relations; staff representation and trade unions; employee profit-sharing; termination of employment, including claims for wrongful or unfair dismissal; senior executive appointments and terminations; economic redundancies and reorganisation; labour regulations.

TV&P also assists its foreign clients in obtaining work permits, visas and foreign trader's cards, and provides advice in connection with the conditions of performance of their professional activity in Russia. Timofeev & Partners also represents its clients before Russian courts.

■  Intellectual Property

Trademarks, patents, copyright and moral rights, TV and cinema.

TV&P provides legal advice on the acquisition, protection and exploitation of intellectual property: trademarks and patents (registration, licensing, transfers, passing-off, protection of goodwill), copyright and performers' rights, design rights.

Although piracy is a common offence in Russia, TV&P benefits from solid experience in the field of copyrights, Film/TV production and distribution.

■  Transport

TV&P provides its clients with legal advice on all contentious or non-contentious issues relating to road or air transport of persons or goods; the formation of road transport companies; the legal and regulatory aspects of transport companies and in particular of removal companies; transport contracts; the liability of manufacturers, suppliers, operators in case of an accident; employment law issues.

■  Public Law - Environmental Law - Energy

TV&P works for its clients in all fields of the Russian public law. We negotiate with public authorities and litigate against them where necessary. Environmental law has assumed considerable importance within the Russian Federation. Accordingly, we dedicate much attention to this legal field, and we represent our clients successfully.

Russian energy law developed into a comprehensive subject over recent years. Our lawyers are familiar with legal issues relating to the grant of concessions, the exploration of natural resources and their transport. But we deal also with legal problems concerning the transport and exploitation, or with the exploitation of energy through contracts between sellers and purchasers. We offer comprehensive legal advice and consultancy in this field.

■  International Law

All of TV&P's lawyers have profound experiences of foreign legal systems, and some of our lawyers are even admitted abroad. This means that our clients in the Russian Federation may benefit from our international legal expertise in cross-border law cases or cases involving non-Russian law.

Our attorneys cover comprehensively any legal issues of the international private and commercial law. We offer competent assistance in cross-border disputes, no matter whether this involved mediation, arbitration or litigation before courts.