Phoenix Law Associates
We are international business lawyers with experience as leaders in developing and implementing legal precedents in Russia and the CIS.  * A team of international business lawyers specializing in the laws of Russia and the CIS.  * We are a full service law firm, whose lawyers have had extensive experience advising multinational Russian and foreign companies in all industry sectors and who have taken part in many of the major law reform projects in Russia.  * Our lawyers have been leaders in developing precedents used today in the securities market and in contracts in various industries as well as legal products for securing financing.  * Our firm is managed by Russian and American lawyers, bilingual with dual qualifications. Languages spoken by lawyers in addition to Russian and English include Italian, Vietnamese, Azeri, Georgian, Ukrainian, Japanese (intermediate).  * Our senior partners have been managing Russia/CIS legal practices since 1990.  * Most of our senior lawyers were trained at large international law firms.  * We have extensive long-term and recent experience advising and/or coordinating legal work in other CIS States (especially Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaidzhan, Ukraine, Georgia) as well as around Russia.  * The books on Russian and CIS laws written by our lawyers have been published by Cambridge and Oxford University Presses, Kluwer Law and Wildy.Our lawyers have advised on some of the most complex transactions in the CIS and have been instrumental not only in implementing new legal structures (e.g. the original broker-dealer and depositary structures, trust management of securities, investor protection organizations, pledges and other forms of investment protection in Russia), but have played key roles advising CIS member States on the required underlying legal framework for such structures, either as part of internationally funded reform projects or as independent advisers to the member CIS State.Our long connection with the CIS countries and participation in some of the largest financings and securitizations, corporate restructurings, securities offerings and legal reform projects in the CIS as well as their lead role in the first large-scale privatizations in Russia and Kazakhstan have provided an unparalleled opportunity throughout the past decade to establish invaluable contacts in the legal and business community in Russia and other CIS member States as well as local government contacts.Examples of recent experience include: legal opinions on asset-based securitizations and other new forms (for the CIS) of financing, including finance leasing and some of the largest project and trade financings throughout the last decade, assistance as expert witness, counsel or arbitrator in numerous international arbitrations and court cases affecting multinationals in various industry sectors, managing outside legal counsel for restructuring of two of the largest Russian companies, setting up CIS wide distribution networks in various industries (e.g. energy, consumer products, technology and media) and protection of related intellectual property and other rights of multinational companies, acting as lead legal adviser on founding (2000), and outside counsel to, the Committee for Protection of Investor Rights (headed by the former chairman of the Russian securities commission, Dmitri Vasiliev), acting as legal adviser on various open and closed-end funds investing in the CIS and Eastern Europe; advising on the regulation of nuclear utilities and the development of a structure for radioactive waste and spent fuel management in the CIS.Our contacts in the CIS community, both public and private, are very important to our practice and the uniqueness of what we offer. Through our association with other leading foreign, Russian and CIS law firms, government and university law faculties, we are able to draw on the expertise of many of the most distinguished foreign and CIS jurists and advisers, placing our law firm in a position to offer the highest expertise possible.Company and Commercial LawOur lawyers advise on all aspects of structuring and creation of companies and other investments in the CIS as well as all aspects of commercial transactions, from contract review to technical licensing issues and distribution networks in all industries.Operational IssuesWe provide practical advice on all aspects affecting operations, including intellectual property protection, licensing, labor law, currency law and other legislation affecting or regulating operations.EnergyOur lawyers include leading experts on CIS legislation regulating the oil and gas sector as well as the nuclear industry, including the utilities and the management of radioactive waste and spent fuel. We work closely with American and European lawyers who have vast experience advising on similar legislation in their jurisdictions.FinancingWe have broad experience in advising on complex financing structures, whether project or trade. We have advised on pledges, asset-based securitizations, leasing and finance leasing as well as other structures.SecuritiesWe advise on all aspects of the creation, purchase, sale, circulation, listing and distribution of securities, including derivatives. We represent both investors and other participants in the Russian securities, as well as Russian companies seeking to list their securities abroad and in various forms of international public offerings and private placements.Anti-MonopolyWe assist clients during restructurings and acquisitions to ensure compliance with anti-monopoly legislation.Dispute ResolutionOur lawyers can assist in dispute resolution through international mediation, international arbitration or judicial bodies in Russia or abroad. A significant portion of Professor Butler's practice is devoted to dispute resolution. In May 1995 he was elected to the Russian International Court of Arbitration and in 1998 to a newly-formed Black Sea arbitration commission. He has served as arbitrator in Stockholm, Moscow and London in numerous arbitrations and also as an expert witness with respect to all the legal systems of the CIS in English and United States Courts and international arbitrations.Intellectual Property; E-CommerceWe have experience advising on key issues relating to the creation and protection of intellectual property, including, for example, neighboring rights, suspected pirating, misleading use, "internet law", trademark and trade name protection.By IndustryWe have experience advising on legal issues affecting most industries, including licensing and regulation of such industries and structured/trade financing (lease financing and other forms of financing through pledge and non-recourse) related to those industries, for example, in the following industries:Banking and FinanceSecuritiesEnergy (oil & gas, nuclear utilities)MediaTelecommunicationsReal EstateTransport (Shipping, maritime and aircraft)Consumer ProductsInformation ServicesIn addition to resources publicly available to us in the CIS, our law firm works closely with firms specializing in gathering and analyzing information for clients on prospective and current CIS partners, target investments or persons otherwise affecting our clients' interests in the CIS. Such information is often essential for operating effectively in the complex, sometimes challenging, environment of the CIS. Not infrequently, legal conclusions are dependent on determining the correct factual circumstances surrounding a client's business activities. These circumstances may affect either the interpretation or implementation of relevant legislation or legal issues or they may involve other factual circumstances otherwise intimately connected with legal rights, opportunities and risks.

practice areas

General Practice

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