EDITORIAL: BANKING & FINANCE IN THE CIS

Who’s Who Legal
Jan 15 2010

We identify 57 of the leading banking and finance lawyers in nine
jurisdictions in the following chapter, with Russia, Belarus and
Ukraine the best-represented nations.

In Russia, which provides 16 names for our list, a number of
international firms stood out. Herbert Smith LLP, which has "a great
reputation in financial work in the CIS", has four listings. Edward
Baring is well thought of and Artjom Buligin, Robin Wittering and
Alexei Roudiak are also listed. The firm’s clients include Citigroup,
Lehman Brothers Holding and ING Bank.

Allen & Overy LLP also has four listings in Russia. Anthony Humphrey,
head of the Russia practice group, is "very experienced in all
financial matters". Elena Tchoubykina, Dmitry Shiryaev and Edwin Tham,
who heads the Moscow corporate practice, complete the firm’s contingent
in this chapter.

Baker & McKenzie LLP has three listings – Serhiy Chorny and James
Hitch in Ukraine and Daniel Matthews in Azerbaijan. Chorny leads the
Kiev banking and finance and capital markets practice while Hitch is
the co-managing partner of the firm’s CIS operations. Daniel Matthews
is the managing partner of the Baku office and has advised clients
such as ING Bank, Unibank and Commerzbank.

Clifford Chance CIS Limited fields two lawyers in this chapter. Logan
Wright is head of the Moscow banking and finance practice and our
sources call him "outstanding for cross border work." Consultant
William Knowles is "a trusted advisor" who "knows the ins and outs
of the Russian legal system."

Andrei Danilov and Matthew Roazen from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
LLP are included. Danilov "has a great reputation in transactions
and financings in Russia" and Roazen is "highly esteemed," has acted
for major Russian banks and was previously general counsel for the
Russian Alfa Bank.

A number of individual Russia-based lawyers also recognised in
this chapter. Michael Bott at Linklaters CIS is "very good" and one
interviewee said, "I have worked with him many times over the years
and he is a great practitioner." Robert Lang-Anderson at Freshfields
Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is "reliable and a banking specialist," Hogan &
Hartson LLP’s Sergey Komolov is "distinguished" and Scott Senecal at
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is "a respected player who has
profound experience of the Russian market."

Two Belarusian firms stood out in our research. Vlasova Mikhel &
Partners achieves two inclusions and is "very well recognised." Alexey
Anischenko and Tatiana Emelianova are both highly nominated and the
practice group has clients such as Deutsche Structured Finance and
JSC Sombelbank. Maksim Salahub, Kiryl Apanasevich and Toomas Prangli
are listed from Sorainen. Salahub and Prangli co-manage the Minsk
office and the firm is considered "an important player in the Belarus
legal market". Alexander Botian at Borovtsov & Salei is "experienced
in advising international financial institutions." Igor Verkhovodko
from the Businessconsult firm and Eugene Lazarenkov of Law Firm TRUST
achieve further listings in this chapter.

Ukrainian firm Sayenko Kharenko has three inclusions and is the
most prominent firm from this country in our research. Vladimir
Sayenko, Michael Kharenko and Denis Serdyuk are all "well-regarded"
and the firm’s clients include the likes of BNP Paribas, HSBC and
UBS. Gide Loyrette Nouel’s Kiev office has a particular focus on
banking and finance law, and earns two listings in the following
pages. Karl Hepp de Sevelinges manages the office and Yaroslav
Gregirchak is also included. Asters’ head of banking and finance,
Armen Khachaturyan, who advises clients such as Morgan Stanley,
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and UBS Investment Bank is recognised
and Nickolay Atanasov of Grischenko & Partners is "first rate." CMS
Cameron McKenna has one listing in this chapter – Oleksiy Levenets is
head of the banking and finance team in Kiev. Alexander Zavadetsky
at Arzinger "has extensive experience with international financial
institutions." Iryna Marushko is head of Lavrynovich & Partners’
banking and finance practice and Spencer & Kauffman’s managing partner,
Valentin Zagariya, is also appears.

Magisters’ Olga Khoroshylova in Ukraine is head of the Kiev capital
markets, banking and finance practice and is "highly respected"
by peers. Anna Rusetskaya is head of the corporate and M&A practice
in Minsk and our sources called her "one of the leading financial
lawyers in Belarus."

Moldovan financial boutique Turcan & Turcan achieves two listings.

Alexander Turcan is a "well known" and "absolutely first class
practitioner" while Octavian Cazac is thought to be "a top-drawer
banking lawyer." Victor Burac is "a familiar figure" and listed from
Individual Law Office Victor Burac. Roger Gladei at Gladei & Partners
"has very good experience" and Levintsa & Associates’ Victor Levintsa
and George Teodorescu of Vernon David Law Firm are also recognised.

In Azerbaijan, Elchin Mammadov, co-director of MGB Law Offices is
"prominent" while Roman Alloyarov at Omni Law Firm is "hard-working
and very skilled."

Three Armenian lawyers gain listings. Karen Bablyan and David Sargsyan
at Ameria Legal Practice are "top of the class" and Edward Mouradian
from International Legal Consulting is also highly nominated.

Rashid Gaissin in Kazakhstan is the head of the banking and finance
department of Grata Law Firm as well as its managing partner. Yuriy
Maltsev is listed from White & Case Kazakhstan LLP and Abai Shaikenov
of Salans is also included.

Sofiya Shakhraziyeva in Uzbekistan is highly nominated in our research
and called "an outstanding lawyer."

In Tajikistan, Shavkat Akhmedov at Akhmedov Azizov & Abdulhamidov,
Attorneys is "talented and responsive."

Kalikova & Associates gains the only listing in Kyrgyzstan. Ulan
Tilenbaev is "a reliable legal advisor for financial matters."

nalysis/article/19717/editorial-banking-finance-ci s/
From: Baghdasarian