Professional notice
Russia
ALRUD ranks among Russia’s largest competition practices, with five partners and 15 associates working in close cooperation with the dispute resolution, corporate/M&A and commercial groups on a host of antitrust issues. Partner and practice head Vassily Rudomino is also the head of the Commonwealth of Independent States Competition Support Association, and has been recognised for his contributions to the development of competition legislation. Alrud boasts an impressive client roster, which in addition to Bayer, LG, Praxair, Maersk, NYK Line and Shire includes several companies that have newly retained its services in the past couple of years: Uber Technologies, Siemens and Michael Kors, among others. Alrud remains one of the go-to references for international law firms without a significant Russian presence, such as Slaughter and May, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Gleiss Lutz and Sullivan & Cromwell.
The firm’s workload has been impressive in recent years. It counselled Bayer through its $66 billion merger with Monsanto, Shire through its $32 billion acquisition of Baxalta and Praxair in its merger with Linde – a deal that would create a company with a market value of more than $75 billion. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) demanded significant commitments from Bayer/Monsanto that were not agreed until April 2018, but cleared the Praxair/Linde deal unconditionally in October 2017. Alrud also counselled Uber in its joint venture with Yandex, a technology conglomerate that includes Russia’s largest online taxi booking service. The firm also represents Siemens in its merger with Alstom, a deal that will create a major company in the transportation industry.
Alrud’s success in mergers is complemented by strong representation of clients on the behavioural side. This past year, the firm represented LG Electronics during an unscheduled FAS inspection and subsequent examination of potential coordination among smartphone resellers. In past years, Alrud was the antitrust counsel for Maersk Line against FAS allegations that the shipping company violated the country’s anti-monopoly laws. The firm secured a settlement in that case, under which Maersk did not admit guilt.
ALRUD is one of the leading Russian independent law firms with a highly ranked Antitrust practice which offers a full range of legal services in the field of Russian and Custom Union Competition Law.
ALRUD Antitrust team, being one of the largest in the Russian market, comprises highly qualified experts advising clients on implementation of both multi-jurisdictional and domestic projects.
In the past year ALRUD Antitrust team participated in several ground breaking projects continuing to follow new trends in the antitrust policy. ALRUD represented PACIFIC ANDES, one of Asia's foremost vertically integrated seafood companies, in the first international cartel case initiated by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (the FAS). ALRUD recently advised Vimpelcom OJSC during investigation and antimonopoly case involving accusation of concerted practices, as well as of cartel. This case against telecom companies has become a precedent case, the decision on which was issued after coming into effect of amendments to the Competition Law. The team has also been involved in merger control projects with such clients as Grohe, Thermo Fisher, Schneider Electric, S.C. Johnson, AGC, OTTO Group and others.
One of ALRUD’s strongest benefits is a good communication with the FAS and CIS competition authorities within the framework of Non-commercial Partnership “Competition Support Association in the CIS Countries”. Vassily Rudomino is a Chairman of the Council of this Partnership. ALRUD is also actively involved in the legislative process, interpretation of legislation by the FAS and organization of workshops in Russia and CIS.
Website: www.alrud.com