BGP Litigation Strengthens its White Collar Crime Defence Practice Serving Businesses

The Competition Law team at BGP Litigation provided pro bono legal assistance to the State Historical Museum, offering counselling on complex issues related to the advertising legislation.

The lawyers prepared a comprehensive report on the regulation of online advertising, including hidden and sponsored advertisements. They also provided practical recommendations on advertisement placement, particularly regarding classification as advertising of sponsor information on the Museum's website and in video materials.

“We conducted this project on a pro bono basis and are pleased to have supported one of Russia’s most significant museums. Our assistance helped the Museum navigate the evolving legislation and avoid potential legal issues”, said Irina Akimova, Partner at BGP Litigation and Member of the Association of Antimonopoly Experts.

The Competition Law team at BGP Litigation provided comprehensive legal support to a major international medical device manufacturer. In collaboration with the antimonopoly authority, they presented a legal position highlighting the claimant’s unfair actions while demonstrating absence of any violations by the client company.

Additionally, the lawyers conducted an in-depth analysis of the opponent’s activities, identifying circumstances indicative of potential breaches of the antimonopoly legislation.

As a result of successful implementation of the devised strategy, BGP Litigation’s Competition Law team effectively safeguarded their client’s business interests.

The Family Law and Inheritance Planning team at BGP Litigation successfully resolved a complex cross-border family dispute involving international abduction of three minor children by a parent from Canada to Russia.

The dispute was resolved in the interests of the client - the parent (mother) left behind in Canada - despite a number of factors complicating her defence: Canada being on the list of unfriendly countries, the absence of international legal assistance agreements between Russia and Canada, including the 1980 Hague Convention governing the legal aspects of international child abduction, a negative case law trend towards refusing to return children abroad, even to countries with which the Convention is in force.

Within two months, the Canadian court issued its first ruling: interim measures recognising Canada as the children's habitual residence and granting custody to the mother.

BGP Litigation lawyers successfully represented a Russian company in an international arbitration under LCIA rules against a Saudi Arabian company.

Following submission of the claim to the LCIA and exchange of legal positions, the parties reached a settlement agreement under which the debtor repaid the outstanding amount in full, as well as the arbitration costs.

BGP Litigation lawyers successfully represented their client in an international arbitration under the SCC Rules in Stockholm against a European equipment manufacturer. The dispute arose from a complex project involving supply of high-tech equipment by the European company.

Following the arbitration proceedings and hearings in Stockholm, the arbitral tribunal ruled in favour of the client and ordered the respondent to return the advance payments made.

The Compliance and Sanctions Law Practice at BGP Litigation successfully obtained a licence from the Belgian Treasury to unblock client funds of over USD 1.5 mln.

The client, who holds residence in the EU, was granted permission to withdraw proceeds from a non-sanctioned broker account. These proceeds derived from redemption of securities previously purchased by the client, which had been held in blocked accounts at a Russian depository.

“The licence was obtained in relatively quickly— in just 3,5 months from the submission date. This demonstrates that European regulators can process applications faster when their requirements are met fully and completely”, commented Sergey Glandin, Partner at BGP Litigation.

The Intellectual Property and Technology Practice at BGP Litigation successfully defended the interests of PharmVILAR, a leading contract manufacturer and renowned distributor of pharmaceutical products in Russia and the CIS, in a patent dispute before the Praesidium of the Intellectual Property Court (IPC).

In 2020, one of the holding’s companies PharmVILAR  challenged a competitor's patent for a group of inventions  in Rospatent. Yet, the IPC and, subsequently, its Praesidium overturned the decision and instructed Rospatent to reconsider the opposition.  Upon reconsideration, Rospatent once again declared the patent invalid.

PharmVILAR successfully demonstrated that the claims of the group of inventions included features not disclosed in the original application materials. It was also shown that the substance “lappaconitine” mentioned in the claims was not identical to “lappaconitine hydrobromide” referenced in the application materials.

The Customs Law and International Trade team at BGP Litigation successfully defended the Russian branch of a marine engine manufacturing company in the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Previously, the Union’s supranational executive body, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), had used its authority to require marine engines to be imported under a Harmonised Customs Code classification with a higher customs duty. BGP Litigation lawyers filed a claim against the EEC, demanding annulment of the regulation, which negatively impacted on marine engine import conditions. These demands were also supported by other industry participants.

The BGP Litigation team convinced the judges, representing all member states of the Union, of the legality and fairness of their claims. On 13 June, the EAEU Court declared the EEC regulation non-compliant with Union law.

BGP Litigation lawyers are assisting Alrosa in providing investments to an oil refinery for development of oil and gas fields.

Alrosa is the biggest diamond-mining company in the world, a global leader in diamond extraction and reserves. 

The company plans to develop the Ulugur and Ergedei oil and gas licence areas in Yakutia in partnership with Sakhatransneftegaz, on the basis of a joint venture.

The General Director of Alrosa and the Head of the Republic of Sakha signed a cooperation agreement at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2024. An investment decision on developing the fields will be made following the exploration phase and registration of the reserves on the state balance sheet.

BGP Litigation lawyers were successful in having overturned a decision by the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to suspend the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) within the organisation. The relevant decision was issued on 11 May 2023 by the IPC Appeals Tribunal.

The decision to suspend the RPC’s membership in the IPC was made on 16 November 2022 at an extraordinary session of the IPC General Assembly at the request of the IPC Executive Committee. The decision was based on a claim that the RPC had violated its membership obligations as outlined in the IPC Constitution.

As a result of the decision, all the RPC’s rights as an IPC member were suspended, including that to nominate Russian Paralympic athletes to participate in competitions organised by the IPC, among them the Paralympic Games.