UCL Launches New Practice Areas and Strengthens its Moscow Office Team
- Launch of the Restructuring and Bankruptcy Practice
Stanislav Petrov has been appointed Head of the Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice. He is an attorney admitted to the Moscow Bar Association and a recognized expert in the field of insolvency. Prior to joining UCL, Stanislav headed the restructuring and bankruptcy practice at one of Russia’s leading law firms for more than 10 years.
Stanislav Petrov’s experience includes advising on cross-border insolvency matters, representing clients in foreign courts, as well as cases involving the imposition of subsidiary liability on shareholders and top management. He is regularly recommended by leading international (Best Lawyers, The Legal 500) and Russian (PRAVO-300, Kommersant, Rossiyskaya Gazeta) rankings. His projects include precedent-setting disputes involving tens of billions of rubles, including cases before courts in the Republic of Cyprus and the United States, as well as insolvency matters relating to companies involved in the construction of venues for the Sochi Olympic Games.
Stanislav Petrov is a member of the Subcommittee on Crisis Management of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Committee on Business Security, a member of the Working Group of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, and an accredited representative at the Astana International Financial Centre (Kazakhstan). He is also actively engaged in academic and teaching activities as an author of publications and a lecturer.
“It is a great honor for me to become part of the UCL team, whose international level and expertise are undeniable. Together with my colleagues, my task will be to develop key areas in bankruptcy, restructuring and management liability. I am confident that our team will be able to deliver projects in the Russian and international markets that will set a new quality standard in the industry. Major challenges and great victories lie ahead!”
— Stanislav Petrov comments on joining the team.
Alexander Sorokopud, who joined the firm as Counsel in the Restructuring and Bankruptcy Practice, has specialized for more than 10 years in representing clients in bankruptcy proceedings, corporate disputes and other commercial disputes. Since 2019, he has held attorney status with the Moscow Bar Association.
He graduated with honors from the Specialist program and also completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University, holding a PhD in Law (Candidate of Legal Sciences). He combines legal practice with teaching at the Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL).
Over the years, he has been involved in significant market-shaping bankruptcy projects worth tens of billions of rubles, including disputes on holding controlling persons liable on a subsidiary basis, protecting the interests of bank top management in disputes against the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA), and commercial and corporate litigation.
Alexander is recommended by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta ranking of lawyers and their firms — 2024 in the categories “Arbitration Proceedings” and “Dispute Resolution (Courts of General Jurisdiction).”
- Launch of the Real Estate and Construction Practice
UCL has also announced the launch of a new Real Estate and Construction Practice, to be headed by Ekaterina Kalinina — a lawyer and mediator with more than 20 years of experience, especially in protecting the interests of international corporations and high-net-worth individuals. Her expertise includes advising on real estate and other asset transactions, build-to-suit projects, dispute resolution in construction, international supply and lease matters.
Ekaterina’s experience includes advising major international companies in the automotive industry, logistics, medical devices manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, FMCG, energy, mechanical engineering and other sectors. For more than 10 years, her practice has consistently received top rankings and awards from international directories such as Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, and Best Lawyers, as well as from Russian publications Pravo.ru and Kommersant.
Ekaterina Kalinina graduated with honors from the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University, obtained a Master’s degree in European Law from the University of Munich, and for many years held leadership roles at the international law firms Noerr and Schneider Group, as well as at one of Russia’s leading law firms.
Ekaterina’s joining will significantly strengthen UCL’s expertise and expand the team’s capabilities in handling complex transactions and development projects, as well as reinforce its competencies in regulatory matters and dispute resolution.
“I am delighted to join UCL’s experienced international team of professionals. The launch of our practice is a logical step to combine deep industry knowledge with an integrated approach, so that we can offer clients solutions that protect their investments and business at every stage.”
— Ekaterina Kalinina comments on joining the team.
The Managing Partner of UCL’s Moscow office, Namru Bakaev, also comments on the launch of the firm’s new practices and the strengthening of the team:
“UCL continues to expand its practices and strengthen its team. We are very pleased to welcome Stanislav, Ekaterina and Alexander, whose high level of expertise will be valuable for all market participants. UCL’s Moscow office, which began operating only a few months ago, has set a course for dynamic growth. We strive to open up new opportunities for our clients and continuously expand our competencies.”