EXPERIENCE

Alexei heads the Russian tax practice and specializes in advising clients on tax law issues and representing their interests at state commercial (arbitrazh) courts. In addition, Alexei has vast experience representing clients in complicated commercial disputes, including:

• Disputes with tax agencies on the results of field audits and refusals to return construction and export VAT
• Disputes with customs agencies regarding returned excess-paid VAT, audits on compliance with customs processing regulations, observation of the terms for conditionally issuing goods, and also the customs value of goods
• Disputes with antimonopoly agencies on competition cases
• Corporate disputes between company shareholders
• Disputes from international sale and purchase agreements of goods
• Disputes under construction agreements, lease agreements, and service agreements.

Alexei has managed the development of complete contractual documents for new companies, including, considering both tax issues and document flow.

In addition to these activities, Alexei has considerable practice in M&A transactions, including tax planning and structuring. He has also published articles in various Russian publications.

RECENT REFERENCES

• Successful representation of a major international investment holding company at the Supreme State Commercial (Arbitrazh) Court of the Russian Federation in a precedent-setting dispute on the procedure for calculating property tax during the construction of new real estate in the amount of EUR 500,000.
• Represented a Russian subsidiary of one the world’s leading companies in the elevator and escalator industry at the Supreme State Commercial (Arbitrazh) Court of the Russian Federation in a precedent-setting dispute on defining the term of a contract.
• Represented a Russian subsidiary of a Finnish manufacturing company in a dispute with the tax authorities. The dispute was settled during consideration of the disagreements, and the tax authorities withdrew their claim in the amount of RUB 12,000,000.
• Represented a Russian subsidiary of an international investment company in a dispute with tax authorities in Yekaterinburg. The dispute was settled during consideration of the company’s objections. The tax authorities withdrew their claim to pay additional taxes in the amount of RUB 40,000,000 during a field audit.
• Represented the Russian subsidiary of a Finnish manufacturing company in a dispute against a customs office in the Russian Federation. The case was successfully settled and the client was not required to make additional payments.
• Represented a Russian subsidiary of an international forest industry group in a commercial dispute with a New Zealand-based company in the amount of EUR 1,000,000.

MEMBERSHIPS AND POSITIONS OF TRUST

• Member of the Leningrad Oblast Bar Association

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

• Head of Tax, Hannes Snellman, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2010-present
• Senior Associate, Hannes Snellman, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2005-2010
• Head of Legal Department, RoS-Audit Audit Company, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2004–2005
• Senior Lawyer, Institute for Enterprise Issues Consulting Company, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2001–2004
• Programme Graduate of the Program on Accounting and the Economy for Lawyers, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2002
• PhD, Saint Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2001
• Law Degree, Saint Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1998