Administrative Law - PRACTICE AREAS

The practice

The Administrative Law Practice specialises in advising clients on development, passing and adoption of regulatory legal acts both on legislative and departmental levels. The practice also specialises in issues related to the exercise of supervisory powers and provision of public services by the state authorities.

In response to the changing economic environment we created a team, specialized in Digital Economy regulation. The team includes experts with more than ten years of experience each in legislation, IT, automation and digital markets regulation. Our experts participate in all key working groups that deal with digital markets’ legal regulation and law enforcement, take part in drafting the bills that determine the digital economy further development and deal with artificial intelligence and blockchain.

The practice has brought together experts who have experience of conceptual development of draft legislative resolutions, execution of legislative act texts, follow-up of draft regulatory acts at the stage of submission for approval by the agencies and the departments concerned (the “zero reading”), as well as experience of participation in the State Duma activities at various legislative stages.

Regulatory act support projects normally comprise not only expert activities involving the country's leading scientific centres, but also the use of professional legislative techniques making it possible to ensure a document is ready for the legislative and law enforcement officials. The knowledge of internal regulations that drive the state authorities' activities and decision-making mechanisms makes it possible to achieve results even in situations where political and economic interests clash.

The practice team includes experts in anti-corruption examination of regulatory acts certified by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

The Firm initiated the creation of the Non-Profit Partnership for Advancement of Corporate Law which has contributed to the Russian Civil Code reform. The 2012 research carried out by the Firm regarding the extent of and the causes for extensive use of foreign law for governing major transactions in Russia drew public attention.

Services

Our services:

development of concepts and drafts of regulatory legal acts (laws and subordinate legislation), representing clients at all legislative stages;
legal support of amendments to draft legal acts submitted to the Russian State Duma and legislative bodies of Russia's federal subjects;
advising on issues related to non-judicial repeal or amendment of subordinate legislation (edicts, decrees, orders etc.);
advising on issues related to challenging regulatory and non-regulatory legal acts, unlawful decisions and actions (failure to act) of the state authorities, local government authorities and officials (including establishment of the legal position and representation in courts);
advising on licensing and authorization process issues;
advising public institutions and other budget funds recipients on budget process issues;
representing clients during inspections by the state authorities;
representing clients in judicial and non-judicial proceedings on administrative offences;
legislation drafting, guidelines development, monitoring and international regulatory practices analysis in the sphere of the digital economy regulation;
assisting in creation of a Legal Tech company, including independent legal expertise of bot algorithms, including: development of smart contracts, drafting of legal documents, due diligence of counterparties and documents submitted by them;
advising on civil, tax and criminal law matters, as related to the use, storage and transfer of intellectual property, personal data, and data encryption.

Projects

With regard to administrative law, the Firm's employees have experience of the procedures state authorities use to provide services (licensing and granting permits) and carry out inspections (health and safety, government and defence procurement, use of public funds). They also have an in-depth understanding of our clients’ sector profiles (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, oil and gas, mining, operation of hazardous facilities, jewellery making, trade, construction, media, transport, certification, education, etc.)

The team members in this practice area have extensive experience of working with the state civil service in the departments responsible for state monitoring, representation of the state’s interests in administrative disputes, drafting of departmental documents, and legal support for the day-to-day operations of executive bodies.

Examples of the team's successful work include the draft federal law "On Business Ombudsmen in the Russian Federation" passed at the first reading, making a number of amendments to the draft federal law “On Amendments to Parts I, II, III, IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation“, adoption of regulatory acts on the financial system stabilisation in 2008-2009, and subordinate legislation on bankruptcy.

It also contributed to the drafting of laws on deoffshorisation and capital amnesty, as well as a number of many other significant laws.

Reputation

The Firm won the Korporativny Yurist (Corporate Lawyer) magazine prize for active contribution to legislative activities.

Its recent work on the draft law “On Business Ombudsmen” has been commended by the Minister of Russian Economy.