Practices

Environment, Health and Safety

Environmental law – Band 1, Pravo300 2022

Environmental law – Top 10, Kommersant legal rating 2022

Over the past ten years, we have been actively developing our environmental law practice. Our team has accumulated rich practical experience in advising clients on issues of industrial safety, environmental management and protection. Issues of environmental law frequently come about during the due diligence phase when supporting M&A transactions, acquisitions and disposals of assets, as well as when protecting our clients’ rights and legitimate interests in proceedings on administrative offenses considered by supervisory authorities and judicial authorities.

Advising on environmental management and environmental impact reduction in businesses
Advising on various industrial safety and labor protection issues
Advising on measures aimed at reducing emissions and discharges into the environment
Representing our clients’ interests in disputes with state regulatory authorities, including the environmental prosecutor's office
Assisting with identifying sanitary zones affecting development projects
Advising on operating hazardous production facilities
Advising on environmental impact management
Providing support during inspections conducted by regulatory authorities at industrial facilities
Advising on the transfer of environmental risks in M&A transactions and real estate transactions
Supporting the renewal of permit documentation during M&A transactions, internal restructuring and real estate transactions
Advising on technical re-equipment and the reconstruction of facilities affecting the environment
Promoting compliance with civil defense and fire safety regulations

Selected experience

advising a chemical product manufacturer on obtaining an integrated environmental permit and implementing continuous emission monitoring systems
advising an international glass manufacturer on establishing sanitary protection zones, including a common sanitary protection zone with another production facility
advising an international glass manufacturer on reproducing fish resources and interacting with the Federal Agency for Fisheries at the federal and regional levels
advising a chemical product manufacturer on negative environmental impact payments, including offset payments and refunds
advising an international retailer on the purchase and use of secondary (recycled) raw materials in the production of goods in accordance with Russian legislation
advising an international industrial company on the destruction of extremely dangerous chemical substances formed during the operation of the client's plants
advising a leading manufacturer of industrial equipment on administrative liability for non-compliance with environmental legislation, including issues of the hazardous production facilities operation
advising a European forestry company on the implementation of forest projects and forest plantations in Russia as part of a strategy to reduce environmental impact and offset carbon emissions through forest plantations
assisting a European food manufacturer with drafting the project documentation for redeveloping a bakery in St Petersburg, including clarifications regarding environmental, sanitary, urban planning regulations, as well as assisting during public hearings
assisting an international industrial company in the COVID-19 pandemic period with drafting documentation justify to the regulatory authorities the need for a chemical plant’s continuous operation to ensure industrial safety requirements
advising a US multinational conglomerate during inspections conducted by Rosprirodnadzor on their plant’s activities during the COVID-19 pandemic period
representing a leading investment company in instituting administrative action against the land plot owner responsible for land pollution with hazardous waste
representing a leading investment company in challenging Rosreestr’s refusal to change the land plots’ configuration to remove the coastal strip from the land plots
representing an international confectionery manufacturer in a dispute over a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor's Office concerning the possible demolition of a factory for breach of water protection legislation
representing an international confectionery manufacturer in a dispute over a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor's Office to suspend the company's operations in connection with air pollutant emissions
representing an agricultural company in a dispute with a water services company (Vodokanal) in connection with blood discharge into wastewater where losing the dispute could oblige the client to pay RUB 10-15m a month to the water services company or could result in the termination of said activity. After negotiations, it was possible to conclude an amicable agreement with the water services company