Andrey Shpak

About

Andrey specializes in providing tax and legal support to Russian and international companies and their owners in various sectors, including IT, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and retail, focusing on optimal transaction structuring and developing holding structures, as well as on ownership succession and inheritance strategies, including:

• deal tax structuring and tax optimization of intra-group restructurings, including design and implementation of ownership structures using closed-end investment funds (ZPIF), and optimal use of available tax benefits
• developing ownership structures aimed at asset protection, succession planning and supporting investments, including use of trusts and insurance solutions and personal investment companies in various jurisdictions: from the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus to the UAE, Hong Kong and Mauritius taking into account international and Russian regulatory restrictions, as well as legal vehicles available in Russia, such as closed investment funds and private foundations
• developing transaction settlement structures that optimize tax implications, currency regulations and other regulatory restrictions

While at Wealth Transformation Centre at the SKOLKOVO Business School, Andrey completed a number of prominent research studies on succession and inheritance strategy for Russian high-net-worth individuals. Also, in collaboration with a leading Russian investment group Andrey developed the Business Value Index aimed at identifying factors determining the valuation multiples of Russian companies in comparison with the 30 largest economies in the world.

Experience

• developing an inheritance strategy and preparing a complex will for the owner of a large business in Russia and the CIS with an annual turnover of over RUB 100bn
• amending the ownership holding structure for one of the leaders of the Russian online delivery market in preparation for its sale to a Russian strategic investor taking into account the applicable regulatory restrictions
• buying out a minority shareholder and redistributing shares between partners in a leading Russian manufacturer of IT equipment with a turnover of over RUB 50bn with a reduction of potential tax burden by RUB 500m
• developing a structure for investing in Russian oil and gas assets for a private Russian investor with a project value exceeding USD 1bn
• developing an ownership and corporate governance structure using a closed-end investment fund for the owner a leading Russian diversified IT conglomerate in compliance with the requirements of both Russian legislation and potential requirements of the legislation of other countries where the beneficiary was considering the possibility of obtaining alternative tax residency; the potential reduction in the tax burden in the new structure exceeded RUB 1bn
• developing a tax-efficient structure for the buyout of the share of a foreign investor in a leading Russian online retailer with a turnover of over RUB 150bn with the subsequent sale of the share to a strategic investor

Andrey's experience includes his projects before joining BIRCH LEGAL.

Education

Languages

• English
• Russian

Career