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Doing business in Russia 2020
  1. Introduction
    1. Political and administrative structure
    2. Legal environment
  2. Common forms of business structures for foreign investors
    1. Main types of structure
    2. Registration, liquidation and reorganisation of business structures
    3. Shareholders’ and participants’ agreements
    4. Strategic industries
  3. Anti-monopoly issues
    1. General legal and regulatory framework
    2. Scope of application of the Competition Law
    3. Anti-competitive practices and restriction of competition
    4. Liability
  4. Tax system
    1. General approach
    2. Corporate taxation
    3. Incentives
    4. Special tax regimes
    5. Taxation of individuals
    6. Double taxation treaties
  5. Customs regulations
    1. General approach
    2. Trade between EEU and non-EEU countries
    3. Mutual trade between the EEU members
  6. Currency control
    1. Foreign currency transactions
    2. Consequences of breach/Penalties
  7. Lending in Russia
    1. Lending documents and governing law
    2. Jurisdiction
    3. International finance transactions and repatriation requirements
    4. Security interests
    5. Recognition of security trusts
    6. Syndicated loans
    7. Enforcement
    8. Suretyships and guarantees
    9. Bankruptcy considerations
    10. Other lending related issues
  8. Employment and migration
    1. Formalising the employment relationship
    2. Managing employment relationships
    3. Terminating an employment agreement
    4. Specifics of employing foreign nationals
  9. Personal data protection
    1. General approach
    2. Scope of the Data Protection Law
    3. Liability
    4. Right to be forgotten
  10. Intellectual property
    1. General approach
    2. Contractual aspects of intellectual property rights
    3. Rights over the results of intellectual activity
    4. Company names, trade names, trademarks and appellations of origin
    5. Intellectual property rights infringements
    6. IP Court
  11. Advertising issues
    1. General approach
    2. Scope of application of the Advertising Law
    3. Violations of the Advertising Law
    4. Liability
  12. Anti-corruption and compliance
    1. General approach
    2. Legal framework
    3. Compliance requirements for companies
    4. Concept of corruption in Russian law
    5. Possible targets of bribery
    6. Liability and penalties for corruption
    7. Example of sector-specific anti-corruption measures
  13. Real estate and construction
    1. Rights to real estate
    2. Real estate transactions
    3. Resolution of real estate disputes
    4. Planning and construction issues
  14. Corporate bankruptcy
    1. Insolvency criteria
    2. Stages of bankruptcy proceedings
  15. Import substitution and production localisation in Russia
    1. Measures affecting goods importation and current import substitution legislation
    2. Localisation incentives
    3. Sector-specific impact of import restrictions and localisation requirements
  16. Banking sector
    1. Legislative and regulatory framework
    2. Licensing and operations
    3. Deposit insurance
    4. The anti-money laundering law
    5. Bank secrecy
    6. FATCA and CRS
  17. Environment, energy efficiency and renewables
    1. Environment
    2. Energy efficiency
    3. Renewables
  18. Infrastructure and public private partnerships
    1. General approach
    2. Key PPP legislation
    3. Russian PPP environment
    4. Financing
    5. Legal issues
    6. Prospects for infrastructure projects
  19. Oil & gas
    1. Legislative framework
    2. Ownership and licensing
    3. Restrictions on foreign investors
    4. Licences
    5. PSAs

Common forms of business structures for foreign investors

General approach

Russian legislation provides for several types of business structure, of which the most commonly used are limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, representative offices and branches. A basic description of each of these is set out in Part I of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (the “Civil Code”). Some other specialised structures also exist but are not commonly used by foreign investors. An individual is also entitled to conduct commercial activities in Russia, provided that he/she has the legal status of an individual entrepreneur. Foreign nationals can only register as individual entrepreneurs when they hold a temporary or permanent residence permit. The legal framework for individual entrepreneurs is also set out in the Civil Code.

Main types of structure
Registration, liquidation and reorganisation of business structures
Shareholders’ and participants’ agreements
Strategic industries

Key contacts

Contact
Artashes Oganov
Artashes Oganov
Partner
Head of Corporate / M&A | Head of Real Estate
T +7 495 786 40 86

Expertise

Corporate / M&A

Shareholders’ and participants’ agreements

The Civil Code provides for a definition of “corporate agreement” that covers both shareholders’ and participants’ agreements.

These corporate agreements can be governed by non-Russian law (e.g. English law) if one of the parties to such agreement is a foreign person. This does not mean that the mere choice of foreign law will exclude the relevance of Russian law (its mandatory rules cannot be overcome). Also, the foreign law precedent commonly used in international joint ventures will still need some adaptation for a Russian company but importantly, more general provisions of such agreements and boiler plate clauses can now be retained.

A corporate agreement can be entered into by all the shareholders or some of them. The company itself still cannot be a party to the corporate agreement. The shareholders must notify the company upon the conclusion of a corporate agreement. 

A corporate agreement can be entered into with a person who is not a shareholder to the company provided that such person has a legitimate interest in respect of the company (e.g. a creditor, a potential investor).

The corporate agreement survives the exit from the company of one of the participants/shareholders unless otherwise is provided in such agreement.

Private corporations (LLCs and private JSCs) are not obliged to disclose the content of corporate agreements. Public corporations must disclose the content of any corporate agreement within the limits provided by the JSC Law.

Key contacts

Artashes Oganov
Artashes Oganov
Partner
Head of Corporate / M&A | Head of Real Estate
T +7 495 786 40 86

Expertise

Corporate / M&A