Alexandra Smorodina

Representing:

• a private client in a large-scale criminal investigation in an EU Member State regarding alleged money laundering, where the authorities ultimately declined to bring charges, confirmed the absence of any criminal offence, and closed the case with prejudice
• a private client in proceedings concerning alleged violations of foreign trade regulations in an EU Member State, including challenges to extensive searches aimed at identifying and seizing blocked assets initiated by the national sanctions enforcement authority
• a private client in a mutual agreement procedure (MAP) under a double tax treaty between Russia and an EU Member State regarding tax claims amounting to hundreds of millions of euros
• a major Russian oil company in High Court litigation in England concerning claims exceeding USD 300 million, including applications for a worldwide freezing order against four well-known businessmen and Norwich Pharmacal disclosure orders, in connection with allegations of a sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional fraud. The case resulted, among other things, in a judgment by the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal that was unprecedented in terms of the scope of review undertaken

Representing:

• a major Greek bank in bankruptcy proceedings against Russian subsidiaries of a Greek development conglomerate arising from non-performance of EUR 40 million worth of obligations under a loan agreement governed by Greek law
• a German real estate development group in a series of disputes in Russia against a prominent Saint Petersburg businessman concerning the bankruptcy of a Russian subsidiary allegedly caused by a sham loan arrangement, including efforts to impose secondary liability on the parent companies for the debtor’s obligations

Representing:

• a private client in a series of judicial and pre-trial proceedings in EU jurisdictions regarding the protection of the client’s honour, dignity, and business reputation in the face of past and current defamatory publications
• the PR department of a major Russian investment group in Russian and foreign proceedings concerning media relations, including claims for responses and corrections, pre-action work, and representation in court (arising from past and current defamatory publications)
• a private client in a series of judicial and pre-trial proceedings in EU jurisdictions regarding the protection of the client’s honour, dignity, and business reputation in the face of past and current defamatory publications

Developing:

• a comprehensive strategy to counteract the creation of a negative public image of a major private clientin designing a comprehensive strategy to counter persistent negative portrayals, including litigation to protect the honour, dignity, and business reputation of our client and the affiliates; this resulted in injunctions, written undertakings to cease dissemination of defamatory statements, corrections of publications, and the publication of retractions
• a comprehensive strategy for a well-known Russian entrepreneur and related entitiesin developing a comprehensive strategy to combat defamatory publications, including pre-litigation and litigation mechanisms for the protection of the client’s honour, dignity and business reputation in several EU Member States and other jurisdictions

Representing:

• a major Russian energy company in a dispute concerning the imposition of secondary liability on a former Russian minister and several other individuals for the debts of a large engineering group in bankruptcy, including winning a number of parallel proceedings in courts of multiple jurisdictions
• a prominent Russian businessman in a dispute concerning the freezing of assets in pursuit of secondary liability against the former management of a major Russian bank