Sectors

Consumer and Retail

Retail and trade, FMCG: advising retail and FMCG leaders – Band 1, Kommersant Legal Rating 2022

We advise a wide range of clients operating in different areas of the consumer sector. Our clients include companies specialized in producing and/or selling common consumer goods as well as specialty goods geared towards a narrow range of specialized companies which provide banking, financial and telecommunication services, and manufacturers of hi-tech products and related services.

We provide clients with multifaceted legal support on any issues related to their activity which requires knowledge and experience in various branches of law: corporate, labor, tax, antitrust, advertising and commercial law, as well as in intellectual property and personal data protection.

We have a firm grasp on the specifics and challenges commonly faced by retail businesses which allows us to effectively support clients with whatever legal issues they may encounter. Several of our retail clients have been working with us for over 12 years.

Selected experience

advising a US toy manufacturer on various issues of doing business in Russia, including reviewing, editing and commenting on contracts of various types, including supply, contracting and services agreements, as well as developing model contract forms, including contracts related to their specific business needs
developing a model for commercial concession agreements for the purpose of opening stores in Russia based on a franchise model for a leading outerwear manufacturer
advising a Swiss watch manufacturer on a wide range of corporate and commercial issues, including developing a network of contractual relations with subcontractors in Russia and drafting their standard consumer contracts
advising a French luxury goods manufacturer on the use of video surveillance in stores and offices and developing personal data processing and privacy policies
bringing the internal documentation of an international food manufacturer in the field of personal data processing into compliance with the requirements of the latest edition of Law No. 152-FZ (as amended in July 2022)
representing one of the world's largest furniture and household goods retailers in a dispute over the unlawful actions of the Russian Federal Customs Service regarding the inclusion of license fees under franchise agreements in the customs price of all imported goods over the previous 3 years
representing Prosveschenie Publishing House in a copyright infringement case under a claim of the unauthorized use of a Soviet sculpture’s image in a history textbook
successfully protecting the interests of one of the world's largest retailers of furniture and household goods in a complex dispute related to a trademark registration and trademark infringement dispute which was successfully resolved by signing a settlement agreement
advising the flagship store of a Swedish clothing, footwear and accessories brand on lease agreements, including current corporate matters
advising Kesko on the acquisition of more than ten land plots for the purpose of building hypermarkets
advising one of the world's largest furniture and home goods retail chains on the acquisition of multiple land plots for the construction of shopping centers and conducting due diligence on those plots
advising a French retailer of clothing, goods and home accessories on issues related to the registration of a trademark in Russia and the resolution of a legal dispute over a rival company's claim
providing legal support on large-scale investment projects, as well as conducting due diligence of several hundred land plots in various Russian regions and the real estate located on them, assessing the suitability of said land plots for the construction of DIY hypermarkets, consulting on changing the type of permitted use of said land plots, drafting amendments to the land use and development rules and the master plan for the largest French retailer of goods for construction and repairs
advising Globus, a German hypermarket chain, on its expansion in the Russian market, specifically on acquiring a land plot and properties in northeast Moscow for a new hypermarket
representing 12 STOREEZ and the founders of the Russian apparel brand in a private equity deal with Baring Vostok Capital Partners Fund (BVCP)
advising Sberbank of Russia on its investment project to acquire 25%+1 share in Detskiy Mir - Centre, the largest children's goods retail chain in Russia (2010)
conducting comprehensive due diligence on real estate objects as part of an M&A transaction for the acquisition of over 160 supermarkets by a major Russian retailer