BLP in the News

HSBC customer loses damages case  - Financial Times - 16 May 2012
Daren Allen, litigation and dispute resolution partner at BLP, who acted for HSBC in the case, said: "The court decision would be welcomed by firms who feared they may be liable for damages for simply complying with their legal obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act."

Failed model forces Clinton Cards farewell - Financial Times - 9 May 2012
Barry Gross, real estate partner, said: “It could be that the debt was bought on a loan-to-own basis ... it would effectively be an M&A deal using the real estate.”

Newer entrants into Indonesia's mining sector face stiffer rules - Channel News Asia - 8 May 2012
Alistair Duffield, head of BLP's Singapore office and project finance partner, said: "There's an export ban on unprocessed raw ore, that was intended to take effect in 2014. It's now been announced that that will take effect on the 6th of May, so that was quite a surprise."

Analysis: Will the Seldon case bring back forced retirement? - The Telegraph - 25 April 2012
Rob Eldridge, employment partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "The Supreme Court has thrown a lifeline to those businesses that see their staffing arrangements to be better supported by the retention – or even reintroduction – of a mandatory retirement age."

Tribunal highlights UBS woes - Financial Times - 22 April 2012
Nathan Willmott, litigation and dispute resolution partner at BLP, said: “Following the financial crisis, the FSA described the approach of senior management to risk management at certain institutions as ‘cavalier’.”

Russia’s 200 wealthiest worth some half trillion dollars - Russia Today - 19 April 2012
David Irving, tax director at BLP, said: "Its not necessarily that they are worth less or more than last year. It may be that they have found ways to protect their assets which are not being shown publically."

The Gulf Ripe for consolidation - Financial Times - 16 April 2012
Mohammed Kamal, real estate partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: “Dubai has more developers [than Abu Dhabi], both public and private. There’s more opportunity there for mergers.”

High earners tax figures - BBC News - 16 April 2012
Neil Todd, tax partner at BLP, said: "What my clients are telling me is they want certainty in the tax code."

Glencore, Xstrata Delay Shareholder Documents - The Wall Street Journal Europe - 15 April 2012
David Anderson, corporate partner at BLP’s Brussels office, said: "If the Commission has to go to a more in-depth 'second phase' investigation, even assuming a filing next week, obtaining EU clearance in time for a third quarter close could be very difficult."

New planning laws: a lawyers' paradise? - The Times - 5 April 2012
Ian Trehearne, planning & environment consultant at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "Sustainability is a very elastic concet - there's a real problem in how to define it."

Last orders sound for troublemakers - The Sunday Times - 1 April 2012
Fraser Younson, corporate partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "Businesses recruit because they have a job that needs doing - they don't consider dismissal at that point. You do not need two years to see that things are not working out."

Hands Off Our Land: Changes mean 'litigation galore' for lawyers - Daily Telegraph - 28 March 2012
Ian Trehearne, planning & environment consultant at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: “Developers and those promoting schemes can expect to have their developments held up by the courts because of the way the NPPF is drafted."

Planning laws signal end of road for out-of-town shopping centres - The Guardian - 27 March 2012
Ian Trehearne, planning & environment consultant at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "When they are all set together in the context of the overall decision-making process... the decision-maker is being urged to think of the thing in the round, and is not allowed to come to the conclusion 'here's an absolute constraint' [on development]. Immediately you are into a balance, which you didn't have before.”

Is UK economy adapting to tough 'new normal? - The Times - 27 March 2012
Chris de Pury, real estate partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "There are people who are working out that, if they can lend to relatively benign risks on origination at 400 basis points plus, why not do it?"

UK sees surge in number of patents filed - City A.M. - 27 March 2012
BLP head of intellectual property Simon Clark said: “People have been tightening their belts and are no longer filing speculative applications in the hope some will be granted, so the quality of applications has probably increased.”

Older staff can be made redundant to avoid pension charges, judges rule - The Telegraph - 23 March 2012
Lisa Mayhew, corporate partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: “Public sector organisations are under pressure to slash their budgets in line with the Government's public sector cuts."

One Hyde Park hit by stamp duty clampdown - Daily Telegraph - 22 march 2012
Michael Wistow, head of tax at BLP, said: "It has been a bedrock of the UK's tax system that CGT is not applied to foreigners but by changing the rules for those who own properties in corporate vehicles, it will raise serious concerns that this fundamental bedrock will be undermined further in the future."

Warning on rule to stop tax dodgers - The Herald (Glasglow) - 22 March 2012
Michael Wistow, head of tax at BLP, said: "The Government cannot win on GAAR. Either it catches only a minority of the most egregious schemes ... not the headline-grabbing attack on avoidance Mr Osborne has predicted or it throws a major spanner in the works of the UK tax system in terms of certainty, which is crucial to business."

Tax appeals likely after bonus rulings - Financial Times - 18 March 2012
Liesl Finchardt, tax partner at BLP, said: "Nearly 300 trusts set up by banks, hedge funds and corporates are being investigated by HMRC. The trusts under investigation varied in their complexity and involved different features, including sub trusts, loans to employees and provision of accommodation."

EU Steps Up Glencore-Xstrata Scrutiny - Wall Street Journal - 21 March 2012
David Anderson, competition partner at BLP's Bussels office, said: "If the EU finds significant concentration concerns in the initial phase of its investigation, Glencore will face a choice: quickly resolve the case with the EU by selling zinc mines, or try to fight it out with the commission in an extended investigation."

Property rules come with warning - Financial Times - 21 March 2012
Michael Wistow, head of tax at BLP, said: “With the proposal to levy a 15 per cent charge on residential property acquired in corporate vehicles, the chancellor is slamming the door in the face of foreign investors coming to the UK before they even book their air ticket.”

UAE merger plan boosts property sector - Finanacial Times - 12 March 2012
Mohammed Kamal, commercial real estate partner at BLP’s Abu Dhabi office, said: “We all know that the two entities, along with everybody else, had difficulties, this move would not have been initiated if the end result wasn’t going to be a better product.”

Premiership rights may spark bid war - City A.M. - 12 March 2012
Graham Shear, head of BLP’s sports group and litigation and dispute resolution partner, said: “Al Jazeera could well exploit the situation in a timely manner.”

Forget the skirt quota: let women reach the top on merit - The Sunday Times - 11 March 2012
Lisa Mayhew, corporate partner at BLP, said: “Anti-discrimination laws in the UK prohibit positive discrimination on any ground, apart from the limited exception of the tie-breaker rule.”

Authorities risk own goal in tax fight with footballers, bankers - Reuters - 28 February 2012
Damian Bloom, tax partner at BLP, said: "There's no point having a relief then telling everybody it's immoral to take advantage of it. It's completely counter-productive. You can't have those two tests, moral and legal, running alongside each other."

Aviation firms help find funds to seal deals - The Straits Times - 18 February 2012
David Brotherton, asset finance partner at BLP's Singapore office, said: “There is less money going around the world. Companies need to be more novel about getting the funds to buy enough aircraft to meet their operational needs.”

City waits anxiously on Rangers’ tax result - Financial Times - 17 February 2012
Neal Todd, tax partner at BLP, said: “There is deep anxiety that EBTs are now being challenged by the Revenue in a retrospective way. The amounts at stake are potentially sizeable [as] this was a widely used way to remunerate staff in a tax-efficient manner for many years.”

Banks and hedge funds face Rangers' tax penalty - Daily Telegraph - 17 February 2012
Neal Todd, tax partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "The Glasgow Rangers case is a very high profile example of HMRC's aggressive pursuit of high earners. Across the City, tax inspectors are using their new powers of investigation to crawl through structures, such as Employee Benefit Trusts, which were set up years ago and accepted at the time as legitimate tax planning."

Airlines seek swift end to row over EU CO2 scheme - Reuters - 8 February 2012
Andrew Waite, real estate partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said: "A political solution is essential and it has to come within the next 12 months in order to avoid a real crisis". 

Resource Boom Spurs Big Deal - The Wall Street Journal - 3 February 2012
Dave Anderson, competition, EU & trade partner at BLP, commented on Glencore-Xstrata merger. He said: "These guys know each other, and have been talking for years, so they'll have assessed the antitrust issues already."

Ministers accused of 'negligence' for ruling out third Heathrow runway - The Guardian - 1 February 2012
Peter Robinson, chairman of BLP and chair of London First commission said: "Significant improvement is needed in London's connectivity to emerging international markets as well as to the rest of the UK - but this can be achieved if government grasps the severity of the problem. Government must prioritise investment in transport that contributes most to economic growth."

Occupy London Squat at UBS Puts Empty Buildings in Spotlight - Bloomberg - 27 January 2012
Akhil Markanday, real estate senior associate at BLP, said: “I doubt this is the end of the saga. We are cautioning vigilance at this time and encourage landowners to review their property portfolios for those which may be at risk, such as those that are vacant or attached to open spaces.”

Intellectual Property: Weapon for Attack and Defense in Competitive Disputes - Moscow Times - 25 January 2012
Elena Trusova, IP partner at Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of BLP, said:"The main function of a company's intellectual property is to individualize products and the company as well. Yet, as recent legal practice and the practice of antitrust authorities show, intellectual property can also be used as a weapon in legal battles against competitors."

State Corporations Resist Putin Order - The Moscow Times - 16 Janaury 2012
Andrey Goltsblat, managing partner of Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of BLP, said, "Forced disclosure of beneficiaries may also contradict antitrust legislation, since private companies will, in essence, be obligated to disclose their ownership structures to take advantage of the services of the monopolies."

Draft law outlines insolvency reform for the UAE - The National - 11 January 2012
Bachir Nawar, legal director at BLP’s Abu Dhabi office said, "Sometimes you end up with decent CEOs and managers behind bars, simply because of the default of their company."

Wait for WTO Membership Is Over - The Moscow Times - 19 December 2011
Elena Trusova, litigation and dispute resolution partner at Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of BLP, said "The reason for the prosperity of piracy is that pirated goods are still much cheaper than original products. If the price gap between original and pirated goods was 10 percent to 15 percent, these pirate stands would die by themselves."

BBC World News - BBC News - 16 December 2011
Andrey Goltsblat, managing partner of Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of BLP, said "The accession to the WTO brings long term benefits to the country. We need to distinguish the different parties which will be impacted by the accession of Russia to WTO. There is the state, the Russian Federation, the people of the Russian Federation and the different businesses, Russian and international businesses."

Aviation: Asia takes to the skies - ALB - December 2011
David Brotherton, asset finance partner at BLP's Singapore office notes that "Demand is still high for aircraft, and we're still seeing huge order books. The order book is significant in Asia Pacific, and increasingly so. On the whole, there's a relatively buoyant outlook to the aviation industry at the moment, particularly in Asia. There's just a question of how this demand is going to be funded. I think that's the question on everyone's lips at the moment."

The Growth of Singapore in the Global Wealth Management Field - Orient Magazine - Issue 34
Simon Michaels, private client partner at BLP’s Singapore office notes that "Asia- Pacific has one of the fastest growing high net worth population. In serving the sophisticated and diverse international needs of wealthy Asians; local culture and family, are of key importance."

Eurozone Bust-up? - BBC Business Daily
Oliver Glynn-Jones, litigation and dispute resolution partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner notes that "When the eurozone was created the European Council legislated to ensure it was a smooth transition into the euro, but no one has ever contemplated the possibility of states existing the eurozone. So the reality is that no one really knows how its going to work." To listen to the show, click here

Flagship tax change costs rise by £100m - Financial Times - 6 December 2011
Kevin Cummings, tax partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner notes that “There is still a feeling among banks that the limited availability of the partial exemption potentially flouts competition law.”

Hope for rail jobs as taxpayers offer train makers £80m lifeline - Daily Express - 6 December 2011
Russell Clifford, finance partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner said “It is time to change the course of UK rail and for the Government to commit to a long-term planning agenda that looks beyond electoral terms or manifestos."

Offshore: The rise of Singapore - Asian Legal Business - November 2011
Simon Michaels, private client partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner in Singapore commented about how increasing private wealth and a more hospitable regulatory environment has seen a number of offshore firms set up shop in Singapore in recent times. He said "There is certainly a lot of work for a private client lawyer. It smells of momentum."

Europe's rich move assets amid euro fears - Reuters - 5 December 2011
Damian Bloom, tax partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner specialising in the tax affairs of super wealthy clients worth tens of millions, observed that some clients were starting to worry about bank solvency. He said "We haven't seen a knee-jerk reaction. The general feedback is we don't see the euro failing... But people are worrying more about the banks than they were six months ago."

Bankruptcy law reform may boost economy - The National - 2 December 2011
Bachir Nawar, the legal director of Abu Dhabi office at BLP comment on capital costs often having a premium in the UAE compared with other countries because of a high concentration of family-owned businesses. He said "That in itself imposes a personal relationship beyond the corporate structure. That's why banks will continue to ask for guarantees, separate from the insolvency regime."

Finally WTO - Russia Today - 28 November 2011
Andrey Goltsblat, managing partner at Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of BLP, noted that if the Russian government is accused of dumping prices by the European commission, "the WTO commission accession will allow the Russian businesses to fully use the international means of defending them globally on trade disputes."

Autumn statement: instant reaction - Financial Times - 29 November 2011
Michael Wistow, tax partner at BLP says that “It is a sign of the times that the government is trying to unlock new forms of finance, eg from the pension funds and life companies for the major infrastructure projects that the UK needs to drive growth and jobs. At a time when the banks are facing a crisis within the eurozone this may well help unlock much-needed capital, however they are not done deals with the pension funds nor a magic bullet to solving our economic woes. The government must not turn its back on the banks, they need certainty and stability including a clear response to the Vickers report, not more hikes to the bank levy.”

In euro zone crisis, companies plan for the unthinkable - Reuters - 29 November 2011
Jamie Wiseman-Clarke, finance a senior associate at BLP notes that "From the late 1990s onwards, commercial contracts were written to include express provisions to deal with the transition to the euro but I am not aware of any being written so far that contemplate any country exiting the euro. The euro was assumed to be stable."

New Russian Public Health Laws and the Pharmaceutical and Medical Market - The Moscow Times - 22 November 2011
Nina Belozertseva, corporate senior associate at Golsblat BLP notes that "new Russian public health laws that will begin coming into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, reflect an unprecedented surge in interest, following the first proposals to amend Russia's core legislation on public health protection, just over a year ago."

Hacking: Analysis at Leveson Inquiry - Sky News - 21 November 2011
Graham Shear, commercial dispute resolution partner at BLP, who represents sports stars, actors and politicians, and had his phone hacked by tabloid journalists hunting for stories on his clients. He told Lord Justice Leveson it was his belief that newspapers assess the financial risks before publishing stories which breach the privacy of the subject. He noted that "the highest payout for a breach of privacy was just £60,000 and tabloid newspapers would view that as nothing more than a light parking fine."

U.K. Phone-Hacking Inquiry Could End System of Self-Regulation - Bloomberg - 14 November 2011
Graham Shear, commercial dispute resolution partner at BLP, notes that the watchdog “is a ‘soft regulator’ pretending to be a real one; it isn’t fit for its purpose...You can’t have current editors doing the regulation.”

EU General Court ruling threatens in-house counsel - Commercial Dispute Resolution Magazine - November 2011
David Anderson, EU, Competition & Trade partner at BLP’s Brussels office, said: "If upheld by the ECJ, this case (T-226/10, Prezes Urzedu Komunikacji Electronicznej), in combination with Akzo, seriously limits the ability of EU in-house counsel to effectively advise and represent their internal clients." He continues "the General Court has in Prezes effectively extended the Akzo position by stopping in-house lawyers from representing their companies in court."

UK’s grip on M&A market loosens - Financial Times - 30 October 2011
Adam Bogdanor, corporate finance partner at BLP, said: “The really interesting question is whether the new rules will deter bids from being made in the first place which would protect target boards but not necessarily target shareholders. Bidders will certainly need to come off the fence earlier and be prepared to engage directly with target shareholders quickly after an announcement if the target board is not receptive to their approach.”

Whatever happened to the Digital Economy Act? - BBC - 21 October 2011
Simon Clark, head of intellectual property at BLP, warned copyright holders to "tread carefully" if they wanted to bring legal proceedings following the UK Digital Economy Act.

A More Predictable Antitrust Legal Environment - The Moscow Times - 12 October 2011
Nikolay Voznesenskiy, Head of Competition & Antitrust, and associate Andrey Neminuschiy, both at Goltsblat BLP discuss the Second Anti-Monopoly Package which came into force on 23 August 2009. They note that "The Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) embarked on developing further amendments to the Russian antitrust law. The general idea imparted by this is that the second package was originally imperfect, owing to the tight time frame assigned for its adoption."

‘Pub landlady’ case could hit music and film - Financial Times - 4 October 2011
Toby Headdon, IP senior associate at BLP, said: “This is a clear statement from Europe that intellectual property rights cannot be relied upon to fragment the market and charge different prices in different European Union countries for the same content.” 

Court challenges loom over planning rules - The Times - 29 September 2011
Tim Hellier, real estate partner at BLP, said: “The gestation period of a major plan could be three years and then you add in the determination period, possible call-ins and maybe a judicial review and you are talking about a very long time...So if you are a developer with half a billion to spend well, you might decide to go and invest it elsewhere.”

4 steps a CEO should take concerning the new Transfer Pricing Rules - Moscow Times - 28 September 2011
Andrey Shpak, tax partner at Goltsblat BLP, said: "The new law on transfer pricing adopted in July and coming into effect from Jan. 1, 2012, will affect most large and midsized businesses operating in Russia, whether Russian or multinational."

Cyprus gas push rattles Turkish energy hub plans - Thomson Reuters - 22 September 2011
Adam Dann, finance partner at BLP, said: "Tensions between Turkey and Cyprus over gas deposits were close to boiling point this week as Cyprus went ahead with drilling at the Aphrodite offshore gas field. Turkey is getting sidelined in terms of offshore oil and gas development because they are at such an early stage in the development of their offshore industry." 

Urban Regeneration as new driver of Public-Private Partnerships in Russia - Moscow Times - 14 September 2011
Simon Allan, head of banking & finance at Goltsblat BLP, said: "In the current volatile economic environment of inflationary concerns, capital markets turmoil and iresurgence of interest in gold as an investment vehicle, investments in urban regeneration can be presented as an alternative investment opportunity."

Music industry claims victory as EU extends copyright laws - City AM - 8 September 2011
Ian De Freitas, intellectual property partner at BLP, said:“This is the end of a long campaign for change by the music industry. It is another victory for IP rights holders in what has been a very good year for them coming on the back of court decisions requiring internet service providers to block access to websites distributing infringing content and the failure of the challenge to the Digital Economy Act.”

TPA slams HMRC on lost revenue - FT Adviser - 1 September 2011
Liesl Fichardt, tax partner at BLP, said: "By simplifying the tax regime the government will make significant strides to achieve this and at the same time deal with related issues such as narrowing the tax gap and facilitating better administration of tax collection. In addition the scope for costly tax-related litigation will narrow and greater certainty will exist, which makes for a healthy fiscal regime." 

Fathoming the legal maneuvering around TNK-BP - Russia Today - 17 August 2011
Andrey Goltsblat, managing partner of Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of BLP, said: “That is obviously very hard to say whether TNK-BP would be entitled to get $10 billion, but I am sure that in such cases they would have to build quite a serious case proving that if TNK-BP was offered that deal, then they would be benefiting from such an amount of money, there should be time taken into consideration, the investment taken into consideration, the prices of oil or gas – whatever they are going to explore – that is quite a complicated methodology to confirm the loss." 

The Lawyer UK 200 preview - The Lawyer - 15 August 2011
Neville Eisenberg, managing partner at BLP, said: "The majority of the firm’s increased revenue is due to improving its standing with existing clients so they give the firm more work across a more diverse range of sectors, which in turn boosts the bottom line." 

Prizing Open the Lid on Public Procurement - The Moscow Times - 10 August 2011
Alexander Smirnov, Head of Commercial Practice at Goltsblat BLP, said: "Public procurements are often a hotly debated topic in the media, with the public often wanting explanations for why ordinary public officials drive very expensive cars, why the government pays double or even triple the worth of goods and services, and why tender winners are known well in advance." 

Newzbin2 verdict: industry reactions - The Guardian - 4 August 2011
Ian De Freitas, LDR partner at BLP, said: "Intermediaries like BT are being forced to accept that policing the internet for IP rights infringements is as much their responsibility as the rights holders. The judgment suggests there may not be a flood of similar claims launched. This misses the point. Now that this test case establishes that an injunction can be granted, intermediaries are likely to adopt a notice-and-takedown approach which has operated for many years in relation to defamation claims. Once notified of claimed IP infringements by rights-holders, intermediaries are unlikely to want to test the position in expensive court proceedings."

Chelsea Defender Ashley Cole Sues News Corp., Alleging Telephone Hacking - Bloomberg - 26 July 2011
Graham Shear, LDR partner at BLP, said “We were always suspicious about the extent to which people were under surveillance.”

China unlikely to yield on rare earths despite WTO - Reuters - 12 July 2011
Vasiliki Avgoustidi an associate director at BLP comments on a recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling impacting trade law. She said: "You cannot ignore previous panel or Appellate Body rulings. The WTO's dispute settlement system overall and the Appellate Body in particular aims at ensuring consistency in its case law. They are not operating in a vacuum." 

Brussels attacks barriers to capital flows - Financial Times & FT.Com - 23 May 2011
Gary Richards a specialist tax expert at BLP comments on a recent EU Comission ruling. He said: “HMRC is already in the process of reforming CFC legislation. But this new challenge, implicitly criticising UK law for focusing too narrowly on the value of work done overseas, suggests its new proposals may need to be revised before they have even become law.”

Twitter fuels debate over super injunctions - FT.Com - 10 May 2011
The super-injunction debate took a twist after a user of Twitter named celebrities who have allegedly taken out secret gagging orders. Graham Shear, LDR partner at BLP, said “the controversy went to the heart of whether the laws in relation to the rights of individuals were effective or not.” 

Rise in number of tribunals curbs hiring - Financial Times - Money supplement - 9 May 2011
The Financial Times reported that one fifth of employers have been threatened with an employment tribunal.  Marian Bloodworth, employment partner at BLP said "new paternity rights could cause women to bring claims of sexism.”

Budget 'killed' VCT investment in solar - Financial Times - 28 March 2011
Damien Bloom, tax partner at BLP, said “There were concerns that the existing rules could tighten, which had been holding investors back from putting money into the market, but now we will start to see inflows and therefore more liquidity in the market.” 

 Who are the winners and losers in Osborne's Budget for growth - Independent on Sunday- 27 March 2011
Neal Todd, a tax partner at BLP, which has the largest tax practice in the City, said: "Any distinction based on territorial principles is inherently discriminatory." 

Reactions from the experts - Financial Times - 24 March 2011
Michael Wistow, head of tax at BLP comments on income tax and national insurance: “Non-doms will be pleased that there will be no more changes to their tax position in current parliament and encouraged they are not going to be penalised for bringing in funds to the UK if they are invested in British business."

Budget levy disadvantages UK banks -BBA - Reuters - 23 March 2011
“The City will be disappointed that banks have been singled out for higher taxes at a time when the other industries are benefiting from reductions in their tax rates," said Michael Wistow, head of tax at Berwin Leighton Paisner.

Want a job? Let's get putting first - Sunday Times 13 March 2011
BLP employment partner Lisa Mayhew says “Unusual assessment arrangements shouldn't detract from the importance of basing decisions about whether to recruit somebody for a business role solely on job-related criteria and not, for example, on grounds of race, age, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion or nationality."

Why London has become hot property - The Times - 3 March 2011 
BLP partner Chris de Pury says that securing finance outside of London is very hard, “What we need is someone who can step in to replace the role played by the Scottish and Irish Banks."

NYSE Deal Bears Big Breakup Fee - Wall Street Journal - 17 February 2011
“The markets are complex, rapidly changing, and the parties have overlapping activities" BLP partner Dave Anderson speaking about the tie up between NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Borse AG. 

Courting Change - Legal Week - 26 January
Goltsblat BLP's Maxim Kulkov argues local courts need reform to keep up with Russia's development “With almost double the cases as two years ago, Russia's court system needs to undergo a reformation to improve the quality of its judgment. A series of laws are currently being drafted in Russia with a view to establishing a set of specific courts for certain types of disputes, including financial services, intellectual property (IP) rights or tax. The creation of the IP court - which is likely to be the first one established, since the draft law has been already submitted to the Parliament by Russia's Supreme Court - caused some controversy in the country. It is also likely to have a significant impact for the international community if it goes ahead as planned, paving the way for a new finance court."