01 / SERVICE
Sanctions risk and compliance
One deal with a poorly vetted counterparty can freeze payments, derail deliveries and attract secondary sanctions.
PRACTICE
Foreign trade, sanctions and international law
We help companies work with foreign partners under sanctions and restrictions: assessing transaction risk, structuring contracts and payments, handling customs disputes and working on removal from sanctions lists.
- For whom
- For companies and entrepreneurs
- Format
- Moscow and remotely across Russia
SERVICES
Services in this practice
02 / SERVICE
Removal from sanctions lists
Designation cuts you off from banks, partners and assets, and the reasons often fit into a couple of lines.
03 / SERVICE
Cross-border contracts and payments
A contract with a foreign partner now has to withstand not only a commercial dispute but also a bank refusal, sanctions restrictions and currency control requirements.
04 / SERVICE
Customs disputes
Customs has adjusted the declared value, changed the tariff code, or assessed additional duties after release and opened an offence case.
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common risks in foreign trade deals now?
Returned and delayed payments, secondary sanctions against counterparties and banks, currency control requirements and customs value adjustments. So we assess the deal as a whole: the counterparty, the payment route, the logistics and the documents.
Do we need to screen a counterparty from a friendly country?
Yes. Companies from any country can fall under restrictions, and banks check the whole chain: owners, seller, carrier and end recipient. Screening before the deal is easier than rescuing a stuck payment.
What are the penalties for breaching currency control rules?
Fines under the Code of Administrative Offences, including fines calculated as a percentage of the transaction, and questions from the bank up to refusal of service. Many breaches relate to deadlines for settlement and contract documents, and they can be prevented.
Can we sue a foreign counterparty in Russia?
Yes, if the contract provides for it or a Russian court has jurisdiction by law, including in disputes involving sanctioned persons. Enforcing the judgment abroad is harder, so the jurisdiction clause is chosen when the contract is signed.
Do you help foreign companies operating in Russia?
Yes: contracts, currency and sanctions issues, representation in Russian courts. We also work with documents and correspondence in English.
NEXT STEP
Let us discuss your situation
The consultation is free of charge when an engagement agreement is signed: on it we say what has to be done and by when.