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Maxim Boulba

Partner
Head of Competition & Public Procurement | Head of TMT

Portrait of Maxim Boulba

Maxim Boulba

Partner
Head of Competition & Public Procurement | Head of TMT

Contact
SEAMLESS Legal
Naberezhnaya Tower 10C
123112 Moscow
Russia
Languages English, French, Russian
Competition & EU

Maxim Boulba is a partner and Head of the Antitrust & Competition, Public Procurement and TMT teams.

For over 20 years he has specialised in antitrust and competition law issues, including: antitrust analysis of commercial agreements and transactions; market analysis; advising on issues related to prohibitions and restrictions provided for by the antitrust legislation; antitrust regulation of distribution, antitrust aspects related to the regulation of trading activities and other aspects of competition law. 

Maxim also coordinates merger clearances with antimonopoly authorities. He has also successfully represented corporate clients in administrative proceedings before the competition authorities and worked on projects related to antitrust compliance and inspections by the antitrust authorities. He has also represented the client with their applications and claims against the competition authority. 

Maxim’s TMT expertise covers the following areas: obtaining telecom regulatory and editorial licenses; regulation of frequency spectrum (broadcasting, telephone network, satellites, etc.); regulation of mass-media (including restrictions applicable to foreign investors); regulation of telecom services providers; regulation of activities of MVNOs; interaction with Roskomnadzor and Ministry of Communication; obtaining necessary authorisations and commissioning of communication infrastructure to the state authorities; certification and customs clearance of telecom equipment, SORM and other related regulatory matters. 

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Relevant experience

  • Bell Equipment – secured merger clearance from the FAS to purchase the shares in Bell Equipment from John Deere. 
  • Boehringer Ingeilheim – advising on various competition-related matters linked with distribution and public procurement, updating internal commercial policies in compliance with the Russian competition laws; assisted with preparation of data requested by the FAS in relation to a market analysis conducted by the regulator. 
  • Continental: 
    • Advising on internal antitrust investigations. 
    • Advising on various competition law issues related to distribution of products in the Russian market and review of internal documents from the competition law perspective. 
  • Hasbro Russia: 
    • Successfully winning the appeal before the Presidium of the Russian competition authority (FAS) that cancelled a decision of a regional unit of FAS that was rendered against the client 
    • Making a specific competition law related training: mock dawn raid Ion Beam Applications – represented the client before the FAS in relation to a market analysis conducted by the FAS and advised the client on submission of information to the FAS. 
  • Ion Beam Applications – represented the client before the FAS in relation to a market analysis conducted by the FAS and advised the client on submission of information to the FAS. 
  • Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and NYK – obtaining merger clearance from the Russian competition authority with respect to the JV project between Japanese shipping line lines to merge as ONE (Ocean Network Express). 
  • Maersk – advising on various competition law issues related to the client’s projects in Russia. 
  • NWCC – support during the antimonopoly investigation in connection with tariffs regulation (being within the scope of FAS competence) and successfully represented the company in the FAS: the case was dismissed by the FAS and no infringements of the legislation have been established. 
  • OMV – obtaining strategic investment clearance and foreign investment clearance from the Foreign Investment Committee at the Russian Government under the Strategic Investment Law and the Law on Foreign Investments and also the merger clearance under the Russian Competition Law in relation to OMV’s acquisition of shares from Uniper in OJSC Severneftegazprom and JSC Gazprom YRGM Development. 
  • RWS Holdings plc (RWS) - advising on the recommended all-share combination between RWS and SDL plc (SDL). Transaction volume: USD 1.066bn.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Association of Competition Law Experts in Russia
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Awards & Rankings

  • Chambers Europe 2021, Competition & Antitrust 
  • Legal 500 2021, Competition & Antitrust 
  • Best Lawyers 2022, Intellectual Property Law
  • Best Lawyers 2022, Competition / Antitrust 
  • Best Lawyers 2022, Media Law 
  • Global Competition Review 100 2021 
  • Client Choice Awards 2020, Antitrust 
  • Leaders Leaguer 2021, Antitrust, Highly recommended, TMT 
  • Pravo.ru-300 2022, Antitrust, TMT 
  • “Practice head Maxim Boulba is our key contact. Maxim has been a pleasure to work with and was highly efficient in solving an unexpected issue that emerged in the context of our M&A deal.” Legal 500 2020 
  • “The competition law practice at the firm is excellent overall. We only recently started using the team’s services, but were positively surprised with the outcome and the process. Team members are highly knowledgeable in their field and deliver well-reasoned responses.” Legal 500 2020 
  • Clients value the group's responsiveness, with a client noting that the team provides "comprehensive advice, always meets pre-agreed deadlines and is always available." Chambers Europe 2020 
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Publications

  • Doing business in Russia
  • The Cartels and Leniency Review, Chapter (Russia), Law Business Research Ltd
  • The Dominance and Monopolies Review, Chapter (Russia), Law Business Research Ltd 
  • The Merger Control Review, Chapter (Russia), Law Business Research Ltd 
  • The Intellectual Property and Antitrust Review, Chapter (Russia), Law Business Research Ltd 
  • The Technology, Media and Telecommunications Review. Chapter (Russia), Law Business Research Ltd 
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Education

  • 2017, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (LL.M. in EU and International Business Law)
  • 2013, King's College London (Postgraduate diploma in EU Competition Law) 
  • 2001, Moscow State University (Degree in Law) 
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TMT – Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Maxim’s TMT expertise covers the following areas: obtaining telecom regulatory and editorial (for mass-media) licenses; regulation of frequency spectrum (broadcasting, telephone network, satellites, etc.); regulation of mass-media (including restrictions applicable to foreign investors); regulation of telecom services providers (telematic services, data and voice transfer); regulation of activities of MVNOs; interaction with Roskomnadzor and Ministry of Communication; obtaining necessary authorisations and commissioning of communication infrastructure to the State authorities; certification and customs clearance of telecom equipment, LIM (legal intercept monitoring (SORM)) and other related regulatory matters.

In addition he practices the competition law and heads the competition practice.

Maxim is the author of numerous publications, including “The Technology, Media and Telecommunications Review” for Russia by Law Business Research.

Maxim was chosen by his peers as one of the leading practitioners in Competition / Antitrust and TMT spheres according to Best Lawyers International rating and has been ranked by Chambers & Partners legal directory since 2012.

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He does an excellent job of seeing the whole picture, takes a strategic view, and is very good at guiding the whole thing

Chambers Europe

He understands the strategic requirements of an international corporation and how to effectively conduct business

Chambers Europe

He does an excellent job of seeing the whole picture, takes a strategic view, and is very good at guiding the whole thing

Chambers Europe

He understands the strategic requirements of an international corporation and how to effectively conduct business

Chambers Europe

Memberships & Roles

  • Association Of Competition Law Experts in Russia
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Education

  • 2017, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (LL.M. in EU and International Business Law)
  • 2013, King's College London (Postgraduate diploma in EU Competition Law) 
  • 2001, Moscow State University (Degree in Law) 
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Expertise

12/05/2022
10 key as­pects of the re­vised EU com­pet­i­tion law in the field of dis­tri­bu­tion...
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