The Legal 500

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has been able to leverage off its strategically positioned network and key clients to exploit the current rise in transaction levels in the Russian energy sector. Richard Wilkie’s team recently represented Surgutneftegaz, one of the participants of the National Petroleum Consortium, in its $20bn hydrocarbon exploration and production project on Junin-6 block in Venezuela. Natalia Baratiants, Douglas Glass and Alexey Kondratchik are all highly respected practititioners.

Baker Botts L.L.P.’s Steve Wardlaw heads a team that includes the talents of Maxim Levinson, Elena Stepanenko, Sergei Stepanov and now John Sheedy from Orrick (CIS) LLC. The firm is project counsel to Novatek on the Yamal LNG project on the Yamal peninsula, and continues to represent Gazprom Sakhalin Holdings BV on matters relating to the operation of the Sakhalin II LNG development.

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP is another key player in the Russian energy market. Both Chevron and Gazprom are new additions to the firm’s already impressive client list that includes ArcelorMittal; BP; CNPC and its affiliates; ExxonMobil; Lukoil Overseas; Maersk Oil, and TNK-BP. Jon Hines leads a team that recently assisted Statoil on its $10bn Shtokman field mega-project with Gazprom and Total. The firm also represented Ekibastuz GRES-2 power station on a $770m secured financing. Vasilisa Strizh and Brian Zimbler are both highly regarded.

Herbert Smith CIS LLP’s Alexander Currie heads up the projects and project financing side of the firm’s energy practice, while Oleg Konnov leads the corporate side. The firm advised BP, Gazprom Neft, Gazflot and ONEXIM Group on their M&A and joint-venture deals and other corporate matters. The firm also advised on two out of five jumbo energy finance deals in 2009 (for Rosneft and TNK-BP) and a major one in 2010 (Gazprom Neft), on innovative project financing, trade finance and restructuring in the energy sector.

Linklaters CIS is ‘highly competitive’, provides ‘good value for money’, and is ‘strong for professional advice and its worldwide team’. In 2010 Daniel Tyrer relocated to London, allowing Matthew Keats, an experienced energy partner formerly based in London, to take his place as head of the Russian energy team. The firm is advising Total and GdF on their proposed acquisition of a 25% stake in the Khvalynskoye Field in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea from Kazmunaigaz. Counsel Julia Voskoboinikova, Denis Uvarov and Grigory Gadzhiev are well-known energy experts.

At White & Case LLC, Igor Ostapets leads the energy and utilities group, while Jennifer Josefson heads up the oil & gas team. The firm recently advised TNK-BP on the $1.8bn acquisition of BP’s assets in Venezuala and Vietnam. It has recently strengthened its position in the market with the hire of Maria Oleinik from Clifford Chance, an M&A and financing expert who specialises in oil and gas, mining and heavy industries, and the promotion of Adam Smith to counsel.

At Allen & Overy Legal Services, ‘the level of service is excellent, and although expensive, it is worth the money’. The firm has recently advised Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Atomstroyexport, INTER RAO UES, Atomredmetzoloto and Mechel on M&A transactions in the energy and natural resources sectors. Tony Humphrey and Tim Shilling have vast experience in this sector, while, according to one client, ‘ Edwin Tham is by far the best lawyer I have ever worked with’.

Carol Patterson’s energy group at Baker & McKenzie – CIS, Limited advised Exillon Energy Plc on its initial public offering and listing on the London Stock Exchange and is currently representing Heerema Marine Contractors Nederland BV on matters related to the design, transportation and installation of deepwater facilities on the Russian continental shelf. Alexey Frolov is also recommended.

At CMS Russia, energy practice leader Natalia Kozyrenko is ‘an excellent lawyer, very knowledgeable and responsive’. Known particularly for its expertise in oil and gas, the firm continues to act for BP on Sakhalin V and Sakhalin IV and Rosneft on Sakhalin III. The firm is also advising Technip on the Shtockman project. John Hammond and Dominique Tissot are highly regarded.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was hit by the departure of former energy group leader Jacky Baudon. Senior associate Sergei Diyachenko now leads the group, which recently advised ConocoPhillips on its $3.44bn sale of a 7.6% interest in Lukoil back to Lukoil, and on its disposal programme in respect of its remaining 12.4% interest in Lukoil, valued at approximately $5.5bn.

Clifford Chance felt the departures of Nick Dingemans to Norton Rose (Central Europe) LLP and Maria Oleinik to White & Case LLC. Global head of oil and gas Bleddyn Phillips and energy expert David Griston remain, ably supported by the firm’s banking and finance partners, and continue to advise clients such as Gazprom, Integra, Rosatom and Polymetal.

DLA Piper is acting for Gazprom in its dispute with NAK Naftogaz of Ukraine concerning natural gas transit and supplies and acted for Lukoil in relation to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s (CPC) estimated $4.5bn expansion project to increase CPC’s pipeline throughput capacity to 67 MMTA. Jonathan Socolow is highly regarded but Brian Konradi has left the firm. Sadly, Pavel Bakoulev died in January 2011.

At Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Dmitri Nikiforov leads the oil and gas practice while Alan Kartashkin heads the metals and mining group. The firm recently represented RusHydro in its acquisition of a 100% stake in the capital of CJSC Malaya Dmitrovka from Ferro-Story.

Dechert Russia LLC’s Laura Brank leads a talented team that includes ‘exceptional’ Shane DeBeer. ‘His thinking is very proactive and imaginative’ and ‘he is readily available when engaged on a project, and his responses in such situations are very dynamic.’

Macleod Dixon ELP’s ‘industry specific knowledge of mining law (navigating the laws and procedures for licenses) in Russia is excellent’. ‘The firm represented TNK-BP on the sale of emission reduction units under the Joint Implementation Project, part of the Kyoto Protocol. Managing partner Anatoly Andriash, Levon Kocharyan and Aydin Jebrailov are highly recommended.

Valentina Gluhovskaya’s ‘highly professional’ team at Norton Rose (Central Europe) LLP recently advised on the subsea section of the Dzhubga-Lazreskoe-Sochi pipeline, and assisted Gazprom Marketing and Trade Limited on its proposed emissions reduction purchase agreements. Nick Dingemans joined the firm from Clifford Chance.

SNR Denton is currently advising a syndicate of lenders, including Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG as mandated lead arranger, in a loan to AO Mosenergo to finance the upgrade of its electricity distribution infrastructure in Moscow. Head of the Moscow office Doren Doeh and Alexander Barmin have extensive experience in this sector.

Salans’ energy and natural resources practice is led by Jane Tarassova. Her team is currently representing Gazprom Pererabotka in several disputes with a foreign purchaser of gas condensate and advising Setra Lubricants on a dispute over cargo seized and retained by a freight forwarder and two warehouse keepers. Alexander Skoblo is also recommended.

At Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (Moscow) LLC, Ivan Trifonov, Sergey Treshchev and David Wack are all energy and natural resources experts. The firm is currenty representing SBS Steel in a greenfield project-financed construction of a $400m iron ore nugget plant in Kazakhstan using proprietary ITmK3 technology.

Chadbourne & Parke LLP’s energy team provides ‘excellent value for money, in-depth analysis and high professional standards and ethics’. The firm recently welcomed Ivan Kozhemiakov, a specialist in the upstream and midstream sectors and formerly at Simmons & Simmons’ now abandoned Moscow office. Konstantin Konstantinov is also highly recommended.

New entrant Korelskiy Ischuk Astafiev and Partners, Attorneys at Law may be a young firm, founded by former members of Vegas Lex, but its partners are well known in the market. Ilya Ischuk ‘is clever, knowledgeable and pleasingly analytical, with a good understanding of the industry and able to quickly grasp the most complex issues’.

Ilja Ratschkov’s energy team at Noerr recently advised East West Investments on a joint venture with RGE Energy AG on the construction of one of the world’s largest solar energy plants in Köthen, Saxony-Anhalt. The solar installation had an investment value of €133m.

According to clients, Ost Legal ‘provides a very high-quality service’ and ‘is the best adviser on the electric power industry in Russia’. Vladimir Lipavsky is singled out for praise for his ‘good knowledge of the industry and ability to provide a service at an international level’.

At Vegas Lex, Alexander Sitnikov leads the energy team that has recently handled a number of disputes on behalf of clients such as Mosenergosbyt, JSC Gazprom Neft and OJSC Marienergosbyt. Ilya Ischuk recently left the firm to set up Korelskiy Ischuk Astafiev and Partners, Attorneys at Law. Nana Suladze has also left the firm to work in-house.

Although still involved in the firm’s Russian practice, Rob Patterson has relocated to Beijing, leaving Natalya Morozova to run Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.’s Moscow office single-handedly. The firm recently advised OAO Novatek on the acquisition by Total SA of France of a 49% shareholding in its client’s subsidiary, Terneftegaz.

At Yakovlev & Partners, Andrey Yakovlev’s team’s ‘professionalism and ability to find alternative solutions and develop approaches to execution of the task are among their strengths and qualities’.