WESTSIDE LAW FIRM - Your Guide in Russian Law

Westside has accumulated exceptional experience in the sphere of legal support for merger and acquisition transactions (purchase/sale of businesses) including structures in several jurisdictions. With the aid of our colleagues from The Law Firm Network we have the ability to form a team of professionals for each project who will work as a unit and be able to provide a service which is of a high international standard. The firm’s partners have represented their clients’ interests in commercial negotiations with contracting parties for sale or acquisition of businesses, achieving the best possible price and payment arrangements for a transaction. Services offered: Carrying out legal due diligence for assets to be sold or acquired; Highlighting transaction legal risks and proposing suggestions for their mitigation; Legal structuring for M&A transactions; Drafting of M&A transaction documents including: letters of intent, exclusivity and confidentiality agreements, agreements

The resolution of disputes between commercial organizations is one of our firm’s priority areas of practice. Westside offers effective methods of commercial dispute resolution to its clients both in and out of court. The firm's lawyers have vast experience of successful support of legal proceedings in state arbitration courts, including Supreme Arbitration Court and Supreme Court of Russian Federation, Constitutional Court of Russian Federation, in general jurisdiction courts, arbitral tribunals. Services offered: Dispute resolution in Russian Federation Elaboration of legal position, perspective analysis, recommendations regarding legal strategy at pre-court stages; Legal support at pre-court stages, participation in negotiations, drafting claims, collecting evidence; Representation of client interests in state arbitration courts and general jurisdiction courts in Russia; Defence of constitutional civil rights of individuals and organisations in accordance with constitutional...

Westside has wide experience in the field of commercial real estate. The firm’s lawyers have gained advanced knowledge of legal support of projects concerning office, commerce, warehouse and industrial real estate as well as experience at all stages of capital construction and development. As a result we are able to help our clients to make good investments in real estate and prevent them from financial losses. The firm also has vast litigation experience relating to the defence and protection of property rights and other proprietary rights including vindication, negatory action and action concerning the recognition and acknowledgement of rights in relation to real estate assets. Services offered: Legal due diligence for real estate assets; Highlighting and assessment of risks in relation to commercial real estate title; Structuring and support for real estate and land transactions (purchase and sale, lease, mortgage and others); Legal support for capital construction and...

Westside provides services for complex support of bankruptcy proceedings on all stages. The firm’s lawyers have taken part in bankruptcy proceedings’ support on the part of creditors and debtors as well as arbitration managers. The firm’s specialists have supported bankruptcy proceedings in various state entities of the Russian Federation assisting creditors in discharging their claims to the greatest possible extent and helping debtors to protect themselves from unfair creditors’ claims. Services offered: Legal evaluation of the grounds for applying to court to declare a counterpart/debtor bankrupt; Legal support of bankruptcy proceedings, in particular, in respect of particular categories of debtors: real estate developers, agricultural organizations, credit institutions, debtors being in the process of winding up; Preparation and filing creditors’ claims as well as objections against such claims; Challenging the debtor’s suspicious transactions; Recovering of illegally...

The problem of “consumer extremism” is a quite relevant issue at the moment. “Consumer extremism” can be determined as abusing of Federal Consumer Right Protection Law for the purposes of unjust enrichment of unfair consumers by way of collecting of fines and penalties from sellers, producers and importers of consumer goods. Such actions are sometimes accompanied by filing of fabricated expert examination acts and other abuses. Westside law firm has been representing the interests of clients – major producers and importers of household appliances, vehicles and other consumer goods – in courts on the whole territory of Russia for years. During these years the firm’s lawyers have studied all methods used by abusers and gained vast experience of combating such abuses. The firm’s lawyers have protected the clients’ interests equaling more then RUB 1 Billion. Services offered: Consulting on all issues of consumer protection legislation Protection of producers in courts in consumer...

The importance of intellectual property in running a successful business constantly grows. Correct and timely registration of IP rights has a direct influence on a company’s capitalisation and gives significant advantages in competitive struggles as well as allowing defence of the company from unfair competition on the part of the «free riders». Westside offers services to protect its clients’ IP rights. Services offered: Trademark registration; Patenting of inventions, utility models and commercial prototypes; Development and public registration of contracts for the transfer and use of intellectual property asset rights (licensing agreements, agreements on the transfer and ownership of intellectual property rights); Development and registration of franchising agreements; Contracts on the transfer of know-how; Conducting of patent searches and research; Conducting and evaluation of searches for identical trademarks; Legal protection of intellectual property including:...

Apart from legal services Westside offers the clients services in the scope of finance consulting, in particular, services on determination of the business real value and financial modeling. In the present section we offer the list of services provided by the firm within the financial consulting of the client. Services offered: Elaboration of a business plan for the most effective business development possible (At the same time a business plan is the main document provided to a credit institution for the purposes of financing); Services for search and selection of investors for the financing of project for business creation/development according to a business plan; Services for business valuation; Estimation of business acquisition proposals. Proposal of a fair price for business acquisition; Determination of a real price of business when selling the business; Estimation of risks included into the business acquisition price; Participation in negotiations in the capacity of...

Westside offers legal services in the area of Russian antitrust legislation. The firm’s lawyers are ready to provide legal support in all areas of antitrust legislation. We have a vast experience of representing the clients’ interests in their relationships with the antitrust authorities of the Russian Federation. The firm’s lawyers represent the clients’ interests in courts resolving disputes which arising from breach of antitrust legislation. Services offered: Analysis of contracts for their compliance with antitrust legislation; Obtaining of clearance of the antitrust body or submission of a subsequent notification with the antitrust body concerning the transactions falling within the scope of the Russian law on competition; Obtaining approvals with the antitrust body regarding corporate groups; Risk analysis of possible liability of a company in case of infringement of the requirements of Russian competition legislation; Representing clients’ interests in disputes involving...

Westside can advise its clients on all aspects of business activities. This practice is an integral part of the corporate practice of the law firm. We are convinced that receiving a professional legal advice prior to start of any commercial project is a guarantee of its successful realization. In future it also helps to minimize risks connected with interrelations between business partners and state authorities. Services offered: Preparation of legal opinions; Elaboration and analysis of commercial agreements of the companies, conducting negotiations with client’s business partners on approval and signing such agreements; Legal due diligence of existing contractual base of companies; Preparation of legal opinions regarding various aspects of business activities of legal entities, in particular in the following scopes: investments and construction; stock market; financial lease; logistics and infrastructure business; chemical industry; oil products transportation; power...

Westside provides its clients with legal advice on various issues in the area of labor and migration law. Well-formed personnel structure, labor and organizational relationships have direct influence on business stability and efficiency. The firm’s lawyers provide legal advice on all aspects of labor and migration law, helping clients to settle issues connected with relationships between a company and its employees as well as state authorities. Services offered: Carrying out of HR audit of companies and elaboration of recommendations for mitigation of risks; Drafting labor agreements and internal documentation of companies regulating labor relationships; Elaborating of recommendations for termination of labor relationships at minimum risk for the client; Legal support for obtaining of approvals for foreign employees of the companies and their relatives, including: work permits, in particular for highly qualified specialists; permits for engagement foreign employees; work...