Litigation attorneys of EPAM have again defended Northern Capital Gateway Consortium, the Pulkovo Airport operator in St. Petersburg, in a landmark environmental dispute in North-Western Russia.

Rosprirodnadzor Department for the North-West Federal District filed a claim against the client seeking to recover over RUB 162 m in compensation for the damage done to the water body within the Novy Kanal in St. Petersburg due to the allegedly identified discharge of pollutants by the client.

In the court of first instance, attorneys of the Firm proved that the client’s actions suggested no violations or that they had caused damage to the water body. The opponent disagreed with the court and challenged the decision in the appellate court.

In the Thirteenth Arbitrazh Appellate Court, attorneys of the Firm proved that the forensic examination had rightly identified violations committed by Rosprirodnadzor when taking samples from the Novy Kanal,  and that the damage calculation method had not been properly followed, wherefore the claims cannot be satisfied.

The client was represented by Counsel Evgeny Gurchenko, Senior Associate Artem Magunov, Associates Alexander Svashenko and Maya Chokoraya, supervised by Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg Office Ivan Smirnov.