About our firm
Over seventy years, Jurinflot International Law Firm (Jurinflot) has developed into a leading Russian law firm specializing in business law. It provides legal advice and legal assistance in various aspects of commercial transactions, investment, banking, taxation and other areas with a particular specialization in matters relating to international business, private international law and international contacts in general.
The law firm has its origin in the former legal department of Sovfracht, an organization established in 1929 engaged in international shipping and trade. During the Soviet era that legal department was virtually the only body of lawyers in the country actually practicing commercial law. In 1991 the legal business of Sovfracht was set up as a limited liability company jointly owned by Sovfracht and two leading London-based international marine insurance associations. In 1994 its lawyer employees bought out the company’s business and the company was reorganized into a partnership of attorneys. The partnership remained a part of a worldwide network of official legal correspondents to marine insurance associations and of recommended law firms servicing the international shipping community. Jurinflot is a regular provider of legal services to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other financial institutions in maritime finance matters.
Starting from the firm ground of its rich experience in maritime commercial law, Jurinflot began developing its non-maritime commercial law business in the early 1990's. The firm has been involved in a large number of commercial and investment transactions, advice to companies, banks and governmental authorities on various issues, preparing commercial documents and forms of documents, litigation of commercial disputes, advising on acquisition of companies and shares, investment projects in areas such as formation of a regional and municipal investment structure, agriculture, port construction and shipping, and drafting law and other statutory acts. Much of the work has been done in cooperation with reputable foreign law firms. Services to Russian clients accordingly include protection of their interests in litigation and arbitration abroad and assistance in their business operations outside of Russia in general.
The firm operates at international standards; most lawyers and staff members receive training at British, French and German law firms. There are 9 partners, 17 lawyers and a total complement of 29. Some of the lawyers have advanced degrees in law, write legal books, give lectures and address law seminars, but practicing client business is always the first priority. All lawyers and supporting staff are English speakers, and other languages are spoken by lawyers. Jurinflot is a member of Terralex® and JCA associations of law firms, and regular co-operation with a substantial number of correspondent law firms in various countries is maintained.
The firm has a busy litigation practice in commercial courts and general jurisdiction courts in both in Moscow and in the Russian regions. Its experience is particularly rich in enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards, including foreign.
Jurinflot members have participated in drafting the new Merchant Shipping Code of 1999 and prepared a number of Federal regulations for the Russian Government. The firm has had direct experience of practicing law in subjects of the Russian Federation and of application of regional laws.
Sample cases and projects
In 1998 – 1999 a team of Jurinflot lawyers prepared an analysis of the legal and tax environment that exists in Russia and the Sakhalin Region in order to determine the proposed structure of the Sakhalin Development Agency (SDA) whose objectives were to arrange financing for and to operate regional and municipal infrastructure projects; the analysis included tax law, budgetary law, banking law, property right protection, licensing requirements, insurance, security interests, land ownership, registration, and mortgage laws, issues of conflict and coordination between federal, regional and municipal laws; recommendations for structuring and governance of SDA were prepared; recommendations on amendments to existing laws and regulations were also made; the work was done on instructions from an Alaska government agency and funded by USAID program; the work was performed and the ensuing report was prepared and presented to the beneficiary (the Administration and the Duma of the Sakhalin Region) jointly with William T. Robinson PLLC, Seattle, Washington (USA).
Since 1996 the firm has been advising a number of Western investors on acquisition of companies in Rostov Region, registration of shares and protecting the shareholders’ rights, managing the investment, structuring contractual arrangements and on all related issues of Russian commercial law, banking laws, licensing, taxation, privatization, litigation, legal relationships with regional authorities etc, advising the same clients and their Russian partners on the formation and organization of a Financial and Industrial Group (FIG) in southern Russia.
Members of Jurinflot co-authored federal government’s official draft of the new Russian Code of Merchant Shipping which entered into force on 1st May 1999, and the first Commentary to the Code.
In 1996 - 1997 Jurinflot developed and implemented a scheme and an international structure for an investment management company based in New York and Ireland for investment in Russian securities through a leading Moscow bank.
In 1996 the firm prepared a full set of standard agreements and forms for a leading bank in Moscow, advising the bank on a number of industrial investment projects.
In 1998 Jurinflot lawyers advised a Russian financial group on sale of majority shares in a major transport company and prepared the documentation on the transaction.
The firm drafted legal opinions on requests from law firms such as Norton Rose, Sinclair Roche and Temperley, Stephenson Harwood, Baker and McKenzie, Holman Fenwick and Willan, Denton Hall, Shaw and Croft, Ledingham Chalmers, Setterwalls and others.
Legal opinions were prepared for domestic and foreign banks such as EBRD, ING, SURZUR, Societe Generale, Cornelius Investment SA, Meespierson NV, Moscow Narodny Bank, Skandinavska Enskilda Banken AB (publ.).
Jurinflot advised on international joint ventures for Gazprom and Lukoil, a number of international joint ventures and bareboat charter (i.e. lease) arrangements in fishing industry, and international joint ventures in shipbuilding industry.
The firm drafted a trust agreement and related official documents for the management of the Russian nuclear ice-breaker fleet.
The firm has represented foreign creditors in bankruptcy proceedings of banks Imperial, Inkombank, Unexim, of shipping companies, fishing fleets etc.
A Jurinflot lawyer was a member of the State Expert Commissions on Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 oil projects.