The Legal 500

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is one of the leading oil and gas and natural resources firms in Russia, acting for clients such as Lukoil, Mechel and Norilsk Nickel. The team recently advised Surgutneftegas as part of National Petroleum Consortium on its involvement in a $20bn Venezuelan hydrocarbon exploration and production project. Natalia Baratiants, Alexey Kondratchik and Douglas Glass and practice head Richard Wilkie are recommended.

Baker Botts L.L.P. regularly advises on high-value, complex matters. For example, it continues to advise Novatek OJSC on all matters relating to the LNG project on the Yamal Peninsula. It also advised Rosneft on a reorganisation of its power assets and portfolio of electricity purchase contracts. Practice head Steven Wardlaw and Maxim Levinson are highly regarded. LNG expert Jason Bennett recently relocated from Dallas to Moscow.

Jon Hines leads Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP’s ‘outstanding’ team, which has impressive strength in depth – ‘some associates as well as partners deeply specialise in the industry’. Clients include Chevron, Gazprom, ArcelorMittal, BP, ExxonMobil, and TNK-BP. The group shows ‘commonsense in distinguishing the most important matters from the simple formalities’. Roman Dashko is ‘always able to come up with alternative options that are acceptable to all parties’.

Herbert Smith CIS LLP’s energy and natural resources practice has ‘broad experience and fields of expertise’, and can provide ‘all-round support’ for ‘very ambitious projects’. Recent work includes advising Yamal Development on the purchase of a 51% interest in OOO SeverEnergia. Finance partner Alexander Currie and corporate partner Danila Logofet drive the practice, and are recommended along with John Balsdon, Artjom Buligin and Olga Davydava. Senior associate Tomasz Wozniak joined from Clifford Chance.

Linklaters CIS covers major energy transactions in project finance, corporate, banking and finance, and capital markets. Matthew Keats’ team advised Total on its $4.1bn acquisition of a stake in Russia’s largest independent gas producer Novatek, as well as its investment in a stake in the Yamal LNG project. Grigory Gadzhiev is recommended.

‘One of the best’, White & Case LLC’s recent work includes advising TNK-BP on a series of transactions to acquire BP’s upstream and pipeline assets in Vietnam and Venezuela; its acquisition of a gas processing facility with joint venture partner Sibur; and its establishment of a gas-to-power joint venture with OGK-1. Practice head Igor Ostapets is ably supported by Evgenia Laurson in mining; Maria Oleinik in oil and gas; and Marc Polonsky in projects and infrastructure.

Allen & Overy Legal Services provides ‘a very high level of service’, and has ‘strong negotiating skills’. It is particularly strong in energy-related corporate and M&A transactions, and recent highlights include advising Rosneft on the $1.6bn acquisition of a 50% interest in Ruhr Oel GmbH, as well as on an upstream gas project in the UAE. The ‘impressive’ Tim Shilling leads the team, which includes a very able group of associates. Edwin Tham and Anton Konnov are also recommended.

Carol Patterson heads Baker & McKenzie – CIS, Limited’s energy group, which is advising Centerra Gold on various exploration joint ventures in Russia. Other work includes acting for Exillon Energy plc, an independent oil company with upstream operations in Russia, regarding its $280m secondary public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

Although traditionally focused on the offshore and upstream markets, CMS Russia’s practice is now developing experience in downstream deals and inward investment. Recent work includes advising a regional power generation company on a joint venture with a Chinese partner for the construction of a 450MW gas power station in north-western Russia. Dominique Tissot has ‘very good knowledge of the political and commercial environment’ and also specialises in energy efficiency issues. Practice head Natalia Kozyrenko is also recommended.

David Griston at Clifford Chance is ‘a great professional who understands the core of a client’s demands and can tailor a great team of professionals’. Notable energy work for the team includes advising Shtokman Development on the Shtokman Field in the Barents Sea. It also advises banks on project financing and capital markets transactions, and represents certain state-owned energy companies in contentious matters. The team also has an extremely busy mining and natural resources practice.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s clients appreciate the team’s ‘flexibility and creativity’, ‘responsiveness’ and ‘reliability’. Recent work includes advising Rosneft on a $1bn oil and gas exploration agreement with ExxonMobil. The ‘particularly impressive’ Sergei Diyachenko leads the team of ‘talented young lawyers’ including Alexey Tokovinin, Dmitry Kazhaev and Evgeny Glukhov2.

DLA Piper has a long history in Russia’s energy sector. Recent work includes acting for Lukoil regarding the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s estimated $4.5bn pipeline expansion project. Feruz Fidaev has ‘the requisite depth of knowledge and understanding of application’.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is particularly prominent in mining transactions, and recent work for a joint London and Moscow team includes acting for KazakhGold Group Limited on its $11bn combination with OJSC Polyus Gold. Dmitri Nikiforov is the name to note.

Dechert Russia LLC is advising on numerous significant acquisitions in the energy and natural resources sectors, including acting for Kinross Gold on two gold mining acquisitions as well as a $200m acquisition financing. Shane DeBeer and practice head Laura Brank are recommended. Ivan Marisin supports the team in litigation.

FBK Legal ‘truly cares about the quality of service’ and demonstrates a ‘deep understanding’ of the specific needs of clients in the energy sector. It advised Gazprom Dobycha Shelf on various issues including the extraction of natural resources from the shelf plate, and the development of oil and gas condensate fields. Other work included advising Severalmaz JSC and Irelyakhneft JSC on complex licensing issues. Nadezhda Orlova and Tatyana Matveicheva are highly regarded.

Norton Rose (Central Europe) LLP provides broad support for a number of leading companies in mining, oil and gas. Highlights included acting for Inter Rao UES regarding possible external investments for the construction of a Baltic nuclear power plant. Nick Dingemans heads the team, which was able to bolt on lawyers from Macleod Dixon ELP following the merger in January 2012. This group has a ‘first-class’ reputation in the mining sector: Aydin Jebrailov is ‘very business-oriented; his legal analysis is strong and his commonsense approach is refreshing.’

SNR Denton advised a private investor on a potential share acquisition in the Russian electric energy retail market, and a large Asian company on purchasing a Russian oil company. Doren Doeh leads the team, which recently hired Igor Krivoshekov from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.

Salans recently acted on a number of pioneering transactions in the energy sector. It acted for Noble Carbon on its purchase of carbon emission reduction units, and advised GDF Suez on its energy savings and efficiencies joint venture with a Gazprom subsidiary. Jane Tarassova heads the practice.

Squire, Sanders (Moscow) LLC’s track record includes having advised RAO-Unified Energy Systems on a series of transactions which were the final steps in liberalising Russia’s electricity sector. Ivan Trifanov is the key contact.

Chadbourne & Parke LLP represents lenders, sponsors and borrowers in transactions in the energy, oil and gas sectors. It advised the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on a $60m loan.

Korelskiy Ischuk Astafiev and Partners, Attorneys at Law advised Rockwool, the world’s leading producer of non-inflammable insulation materials, on a potential conflict with a regional energy company. Other clients include Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan Ltd. Ilya Ischuk is recommended.

Muranov, Chernyakov & Partners focuses on the oil and gas sector. Alexander Muranov advises international clients in Russia, including regarding arbitration and litigation issues, and Dmitry Chernyakov focuses on domestic clients. Clients include Samaraneftegaz and Rosneft.

Noerr advised System Operator of the Unified Energy System of Russia, the holding company controlling up to 70% of Russia’s installed electric capacity, on a major project for the construction of a power plant in Yamalo-Nenetsky. Ilia Rachkov leads the team.

Ost Legal is advising on power plant projects for a TNK-BP and OGK-1 joint venture, and Vladimir Lipavsky is advising E.ON New Build and Technology GmbH on construction of an 800MW power plant.

PricewaterhouseCoopers CIS Law Offices BV’s team head Yana Zoloeva specialises in energy, oil and gas deals and infrastructure projects. Senior associate Vladimir Sokolov brings valuable insight to the team due to previous positions at Gazprom and Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources.

Vegas Lex successfully represented Mosenergosbyt, one of Russia’s largest energy distributors, following a RUB700m fine imposed for the alleged misuse of its dominant market position.

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.’s Natalya Morozova has extensive experience in complex M&A, private equity investments, securities, corporate and project development transactions in the energy and natural resources sector.

Yakovlev & Partners successfully represented clients before the Ninth Arbitrazh Appellate court in a substantial claim for unjust enrichment. Andrey Yakovlev is experienced in acting for nuclear power companies.