Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
11 rue Galilée - 75116 Paris
T. : +33(0)1 45 05 80 08
E. : info@jeantet.org
David Lasfargue heads the Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus desk from Paris, having previously led the firm’s Moscow office until 2022, and is supported by a team of experienced lawyers working within an autonomous structure in Moscow
The main activities are as follows:
- Corporate and M&A: sales, restructurings, and oversight of European companies’ shareholdings in Russia;
- Advice and assistance with regulatory obligations in Russia (government commission and competition authority) and in France (Direction Générale du Trésor, within the framework of the European sanctions regime against Russia);
- Advice in the context of EU sanctions regime against Russia;
- Advice on governance of European companies’ subsidiaries in Russia;
- Advice on the activities of European companies in Russia.
David Lasfargue works regularly, alongside a longstanding network of correspondents, on projects in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Armenia.
Moreover, David Lasfargue acts as an adviser to French groups on analyzing and preventing international risks, particularly drawing on his experience in adapting corporate governance for groups with subsidiaries in Russia since the first waves of sanctions in 2014.
Our expertise
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
We assist you in your M&A transactions, our ability to innovate and anticipate has been at the heart of our transactional activity for over fifty years.
Our research and studies on market developments and on numerous sectors of activity allow us to accurately apprehend any strategic operations you may need in order to provide you with effective support that goes beyond simple legal advice.
Our practice, in France and abroad, covers various economic sectors (finance, health, services, industry, energy, media, etc.) and all types of strategic operations of external growth or reorganization of groups and companies.
- Main fields of activity:
- Strategic external growth cases ;
- Mainly mid-cap and large-cap transactions.
- Key areas of expertise:
- Acquisition and disposal of shares and businesses ;
- Carve-out, including cross-border ;
- Joint ventures and partnerships ;
- Corporate governance ;
- Acquisitions and disposals of participating interests ;
- Mergers, demergers, restructurings ;
- Shareholders’ agreements ;
- Due Diligence.
- A recognized cross-border expertise:
- More than 50% of our M&A transactions involve an international party ;
- Jeantet advises companies involving French and foreign targets.
- Support of a full service firm:
- Employment and tax law, environment, real estate, litigation ;
- Commercial, Compliance ;
- Notifications, merger control in France and abroad ;
- Foreign investments.
Tailor-made and innovative advice: Development of an offensive strategy designed for you and your company. Jeantet is strongly involved in compliance and anti-corruption issues (Sapin II law).
A partner at the heart of its clients’ realities: Regular speakers at conferences, our lawyers are regularly consulted on major reform projects. Jeantet is therefore very involved in compliance and anti-corruption issues (loi Sapin II).
LITIGATION / ARBITRATION
Our teams are regularly involved in the following areas :
- Sports litigation ;
- Construction litigation ;
- Commercial litigation ;
- Shareholder disputes.
REAL ESTATE - CONSTRUCTION
Our teams master the specificities of Moroccan real estate law and intervene in the following operations :
- Sale of assets (audit, structuring, setting up of investment structures, drafting of contractual documentation) ;
- Commercial leases (audit, negotiation, transfer) ;
- VEFA contracts ;
- Hotel management contracts ;
- Construction contracts.
TAX LAW
- Structuring of mergers & acquisitions ("inbound" and "outbound") for industrial, financial and real estate groups;
- Tax structuring of Swiss and European investment funds;
- "Management packages for French and Swiss groups, particularly in an international context;
- Wealth tax for HNWI and UHNWI clients and key family shareholders;
- Tax residency issues for companies and individuals (including lump sum taxation);
- Assistance in tax audits or litigation.
Legal Alert – Russian Counter-Measures
Recently the Russian competent authorities have adopted new counter measures. In particular, such measures concern trade regulation, conduct of business, as well as the activities of the Government Commission and others. To find out more, download the Newsletter or click here. For more information on sanctions and Russian counter measures, please refer to our previous “Legal Alerts“.
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Sanctions Against Russia. Recent Developments
On 23 February 2024 European Union and the United States introduced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia. The 13th package of European sanctions provides for new individual sanctions, sectoral sanctions, export restrictions. Additionally, EU added the United Kingdom to the list of partner countries for the iron and steel import restrictions. American sanctions include […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Russian Counter Measures. Recent Developments
On 23 August, the Russian Ministry of Finance partially lifted a ban for the payment of dividends to foreign shareholders in case such shareholders have invested in the Russian economy. On 8 August, the Russian President suspended certain provisions of double tax treaties. Suspended provisions include tax regime for dividends, real estate, business profit, etc […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Sanctions Against Russia. Recent Developments
On 23 June 2023, the EU introduced 11th package of sanctions. It primarily focuses on measures that would prevent circumvention of sanctions. It also includes new import and export restrictions and individual designations. Switzerland has joined European Union in sanctions targeting entities and individuals and may join other sanctions within the 11th package in August. […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Russian Counter Measures
On 25 April 2023 Russian President issued a decree establishing cases authorizing him to introduce the regime of external management of certain assets owned by foreign residents. Namely, under the decree, the President may establish the regime of external management, if Russia, or its entities and individuals become deprived or risk of being deprived of […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Russian counter measures and measures aimed at business support. Recent developments
Special regime for transactions involving securities On 3 March 2023 Russian President issued Decree No. 138 establishing additional measures involving securities. Namely, the new Decree establishes a specific procedure for transactions / operations involving: shares of Russian joint-stock companies, sovereign bonds, bonds of a Russian issuer, held in collective safe custody of a Russian depository, […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Sanctions against Russia. Recent developments (2 march 2023 update)
By the end of February, the EU, US and UK announced new rounds of sanctions, all of them including restrictions targeting prominent Russian financial institutions The EU package includes individual listings of Russian entities and individuals and additional exports restrictions. The US sanctions provide for sectoral sanctions targeting Russian mining and metals sector, as well […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Russian counter measures. Recent developments ( 12 january 2023 update)
Governmental Commission on Foreign Investments revised rules on the sale of assets and the payment of dividends On 30 December 2022, Russian Governmental Subcommission of the Commission of the Ministry of Finance on Foreign Investments (the – Commission) published revised rules and criteria for authorization of the sale of assets in Russian companies involving persons […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Sanctions against Russia. Recent Developments (21 December 2022 update)
This December, the EU introduced a series of restrictive measures targeting Russia. Council of the EU approved the ninth package of sanctions. Additionally, the European Commission proposed framework that would amend the Lisbon Treaty and harmonize criminalization of violation of sanctions at the level of the Union. Finally, the EU introduced a price cap for […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Russian counter measures. Recent developments (21 December 2022 update)
Russia has adopted a series of new measures. Namely, the President introduced new restrictions concerning certain transactions involving credit organizations and joint-stock companies that are not credit organizations. The Russian Central Bank issued decision expanding the scope of application of type C accounts. Moreover, the Ministry of Finance issued clarifications on the scope of transactions […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Russian counter measures. Recent developments (29 september 2022 update)
Procedure for the Approval of Transactions with Shares in a Russian LLC Adopted On 19 September 2022 Russian Government introduced amendments establishing a procedure for approval of transactions involving shares in Russian limited liability companies. Such transactions are considered as controlled operations and are to be approved by the Governmental Commission for the Control of […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus
Sanctions against russia. Recent revelopments (13 september update)
CONTROL OF TRANSACTIONS WITH SHARES IN AN LLC On 8 September 2022, Russian President issued Decree No. 618 “On Special Procedure for Execution of Certain Transactions (Operations)” (the “Decree”). The decree provides for new rules, specifically for transactions involving transfer of shares in Russian LLCs as well as transactions involving Russian banks under sanctions. We […]
Desk Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus