The Russia - Team

In addition to the other practice groups established to work with other international markets Wikborg Rein has a dedicated Russia Team. All the lawyers in this team have extensive experience in representing both Russian and Norwegian clients.

 Norwegian and International Clients in Russia

When working with Norwegian and International clients in Russia Wikborg Rein is able to provide valuable assistance based on our knowledge of the practice within the relevant industry, i.e. shipping & offshore or energy & natural resources, and our experience of structuring cross-border transactions and investment in Russia.

In this work we have established a close cooperation with highly regarded law firms in the largest cities of Russia. We choose our partners on the basis of our clients’ requirements and the problems we face in a particular project.

Fields of Activity
• Due Diligence with regards to acquisitions of shares and assets;
• Negotiation and drafting of contracts for the sale and delivery of industrial equipment and services to Russia;
• Negotiation and drafting of ‘turnkey’ and construction contracts with the place of construction as Russia;
• Sale of vessels and the conclusion and registration of bareboat charter agreements with Russian companies;
• Leasing of facilities and equipment to Russian companies;
• Establishment of legal entities and joint ventures in Russia, i.e. the form of the legal entity and its organisational structure, the use of holding companies and co-investment agreements for joint ventures, the financing of various projects and relevant tax considerations;
• Sale and purchase of real estate for industrial and agricultural projects, as well as the financing of development projects;
• Obtaining various permits and licenses from the state authorities; and,
• Assisting Russian counsel in both the arbitration and litigation of disputes in Russia.
Russian Clients in Norway
We open access to the Norwegian market for Russian clients, giving them an opportunity to communicate in their native language with Norwegian-qualified lawyers.

Field of Activity
• Representing Russian parties in both the arbitration and litigation of disputes in Norway.
In addition, many of the agreements with which we have worked in Russian projects are typically governed by English law, i.e. bareboat charter agreements for vessels; agreements for the construction of vessels and facilities; agreements for the sale and delivery of goods and equipment; co-investment agreements and; finance documentation.
Wikborg Rein is able to offer a comprehensive assistance in such projects, qualified English solicitors working in our Oslo and Singapore offices specialising in commercial, shipping and finance law.

Lawyers of the Russia Team

Dag Mjaaland (leader of the Russia Team)
Head of Russia Team; Partner; with long-term experience assisting both Norwegian and Russian clients. Mr. Mjaaland has extensive experience from the diplomatic service, most recently as deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' legal department. At Wikborg Rein, Mjaaland has for several years assisted Norwegian and international companies within the energy- and petroleum sector, as well as within the fishing industry. Further, Mjaaland has considerable experience from working with EU/EEA-related issues.

Aadne Haga
Senior lawyer; works extensively with long-term gas sales agreements. In particular, he has assisted gas buyers in negotiations and legal disputes concerning price review under such agreements.

Erik Leganger
Senior Associate; assisting clients within various business sectors, mainly restructuring, buying and selling of companies, stock-exchange listing and due diligence. Experienced within dispute resolution as a lawyer and deputy judge.

Esenia Steckmest
Associate; works with international energy projects, i.a. renewable energy and cross-border project financing. Assisting clients in Eastern European - related cases, particularly related to Romania and Russia.

Contacts us

Oslo:
E-mail: dmj@wr.no
Tel. (+47) 22 82 75 00
Fax. (+47) 22 82 75 01 / 02
Address: Kronprinsesse Märthas pl. 1, 0160 Oslo
Post address: P.O. Box 1513 Vika, 0117 Oslo

Russia Relevant Publications

The legal regime for petroleum activity in Russia

• ‘Gosudarstvo Kak Storona Dogovora: Ogranicheniie Reguliativnykh Funktsii Pri Nedropolzovanii Ha Usloviiakh Litsenzionnogo Soglasheniia I Soglasheniia O Pazdele Produktsii’
L. Skyner and V. Kokin, NeftGazPravo vol. 5 December 2004
• ‘A Subsoil Use Right as the Object of Civil Law Turnover’
L. Skyner, RusEnergyLaw Journal vol. 6 December 2005


The legal regime for investments in water supply industry in Russia

• ‘A Framework for Private Investment in the Utility Sector: an Analysis of the 2005 law On Concession Agreements of the Russian Federation’
L. Skyner, Review of Central and East European Law vol. 31 No. 3 September 2006

The legal regime for petroleum activity in Norway

• ‘The Legal Regime for Petroleum Activity in Norway’
L.O. Askheim, J.A. Stubberud, V.N. Kokin NeftGazPravo Kazakhstana No.2/2004
• ‘The Norwegian Energy Sector – Facts and Governing Law’
L.O. Askheim, J.A. Stubberud, V.N. Kokin, Energetitsheskoye Pravo No. 1, 2005
• “The Norwegian Experience in Managing of Petroleum Activity”
L.O. Askheim, J.A. Stubberud, V.N. Kokin NeftGazPravo No.1/2005