Disputes Abroad

The attorneys in the Dispute Resolution Practice at Nordic Star Law Offices boast many years of experience in successfully coordinating international litigation and having foreign judgments and awards recognized and enforced in Russia and elsewhere. Our support also includes preparing expert opinions for foreign courts with respect to Russian law, obtaining legal opinions from foreign lawyers and acting as experts in Russian law before foreign courts.

Areas of Expertise

• Making a preliminary assessment of the prospects and drawing up a strategy for judicial defence in foreign courts
• Setting up multi-jurisdictional project teams and coordinating international litigation
• Devising a global strategy for recovering assets, including searching for such assets and seeking injunctive relief
• International commercial arbitration under the rules of widely recognized arbitration institutions (SCC, ICC, LCIA, and others), as well as ad hoc arbitration
• Having judgments and awards recognized and enforced depending on the location of assets
• Having foreign court orders enforced in Russia and having Russian court orders enforced abroad
• Preparing statements of Russian witnesses for foreign courts and for arbitral proceedings conducted abroad
• Acting as experts in Russian law before foreign courts

Recent Cases

• Represented the largest ship operator in Sweden in a dispute against a Russian state-owned shipbuilding enterprise. The client sought to have the judgment enforced of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) in a dispute over shipbuilding contracts that had been breached. The Russian Supreme Commercial Court enforced the judgment, awarding $20 million to our client
• Represented an international transport company from Norway in court in connection with the enforcement of an international arbitration award of the SCC in Russia. Over €50 million was recovered in favour of our client, including losses under shipbuilding contracts and court costs
• Represented a foreign commercial bank seeking to have a judgment of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) recognized and enforced in the UK and the British Virgin Islands. The engagement included our searching for assets of the debtor and its ultimate beneficial owner, who was a Russian businessman and a founder of a large development company, as well as having injunctive relief awarded and execution levied on the assets identified
• Managed litigation in the LCIA in the interests of a Cypriot company under a claim against a surety to have debt recovered under an agreement for the sale and purchase of companies’ shares; advised English and Cypriot lawyer on, among other things, how a Russian court grants provisional remedies with respect to a surety’s property in Russia
• Represented a client in the SCC in a dispute over a breach of a licensing agreement by a Chinese counterparty and coordinated the efforts of Chinese lawyers seeking to have the SCC’s award recognized and enforced in China (international commercial arbitration)
• Represented Dutch companies headed by an interim administrator who was appointed by the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeals in a corporate conflict. The work on the project required us to conduct and coordinate arbitration proceedings in Russia, along with a corporate investigation which was initiated by the Enterprise Chamber. We also interacted with the interim administrator and advised on Russian and Dutch legislation
• Advised a client on strategy in a dispute with its former investment partner in several construction projects. The main difficulty of the project was three bankruptcy procedures, including with respect to the client’s ultimate beneficial owner, initiated by the client’s former investment partner who previously occupied a very senior post in the public service. The strategy we drew up implied that procedural actions were to be undertaken against the opponent in several jurisdictions, including in Austria and Latvia
• Represented a Russian private client in divorce proceedings which were simultaneously initiated in Russia and in Florida. Claims were filed with courts of both jurisdictions to have the marriage dissolved, property divided (both in Russia and in the US), alimony settled and the residence of the child identified. In addition to coordinating proceedings in the Russian and US courts, we also represented our client in a corporate dispute seeking to challenge the dilution of client’s share in the family business and to contest transactions that dissipated the assets. (Representation in general jurisdiction and commercial courts, litigation in foreign courts)

Rankings

Chambers Europe

• Dispute resolution (2013 – 2021)

Chambers Europe | 2021

One impressed source remarks: “They are focused on the interests of their clients and their results.”

Another source notes that the team is “business-focused, flexible and can react really fast,” and adds: “The team gives me confidence that everything is under control.”

Chambers Europe | 2020

Sources note the firm’s client-centric approach: “They have an attentive attitude to the client and always try to find the best solution.”

Chambers Europe | 2019

“They have a constructive and forward-thinking understanding of our case. Clients like how they react and the steps they suggest.”
“The lawyers have a deep understanding of the Russian market and always give us straightforward and clear advice.”

The Legal 500

• Dispute Resolution, Litigation (Tier 5: 2013 – 2019)
• Dispute Resolution: Litigation (Tier 6: 2021)

The Legal 500 | 2021

‘Experts in disputes relating to the former Soviet Union; they bring a huge amount of experience and technical skill in matters requiring foreign lawyers and multi-jurisdictional disputes. They are a pleasure to deal with.’

‘The team led by Andrei Gusev is technically very knowledgeable and follows a strong service culture being very responsive and prompt. They combine the above with very strong English language skills and with familiarity, earned on the field, with how European law firms work. Their collegiality is refreshing.’

‘The team is truly exceptional in putting together a multi-disciplinary team to get the best result for their client. They have contacts in multiple jurisdictions and choose the right people to deliver the best service for their clients whilst always overseeing the strategic direction of the case.’

Pravo – 300

• Disputes Abroad, Federal ranking (Group 2: 2020, Group 3: 2021, 2023)

The Best Lawyers

• Arbitration and Mediation: Anna Zabrotskaya (2019 – 2022), Lyubov Erigo (2019 – 2022, Lawyer of the year 2021), Irina Selezneva (Lawyer of the year 2022), Andrei Gusev (2010 – 2022, Lawyer of the year 2017),  Andrew Bezhan (2022)
• International Arbitration: Anna Zabrotskaya (2021-2022), Lyubov Erigo (2021-2022, Lawyer of the Year 2022), Irina Selezneva (2020), Andrei Gusev (2022)
• Litigation: Anna Zabrotskaya (2021 – 2022, Irina Selezneva (2013 – 2022, Lawyer of the year 2020, 2022), Lyubov Erigo (2012 – 2022), Andrei Gusev (2010 – 2022), Artem Zhavoronkov (2010 – 2022),  Andrew Bezhan (2020 – 2022)
• Criminal Defense: Lyubov Erigo (2022)

Kommersant

• International litigations. Federal ranking (2022)
• International commercial arbitration. Federal ranking: Andrei Gusev (2022)
• Banking & Finance. Resolution of key disputes in the sector of banking, investment and insurance services. Federal ranking (Band 2: 2022)
• International commercial arbitration. Federal ranking (Band 1: 2023)
• International litigation. Federal ranking (Band 2: 2023)
• Production and industry. Resolution of key disputes in the industry. Federal ranking (Band 2: 2023)
• Retail and trade, FMCG. Resolution of key disputes in the industry. Federal ranking (Band 1: 2023)
• Agriculture. Resolution of key disputes in the industry. Federal ranking (Band 1: 2023)
• Transport and logistics. Resolution of key disputes in the industry. Federal ranking (Band 2: 2023)

Additional information