Maxim Kulkov

We represented the Dutch architect, Erick van Egeraat, in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) in a claim for the recovery from a customer (LLC Capital Group) of debt arising out of an agreement for the performance of architectural design work and losses resulting from a copyright infringement in connection with the construction of the Federation Tower in Moscow City.

We also represented Erick van Egeraat in three arbitration cases at the ICAC and the SCC relating to disputes over debt collection and compensation for the infringement of copyright to the City of Capitals architectural project in Moscow City, the Barvikha Hills cottage estate in the Moscow Oblast, and a business centre in St Petersburg, as well as in the London Court of International Arbitration in a dispute with a Russian businessmen arising out of agreements for the development of project documentation for, and architectural supervision of, a whole range of facilities, including apartments and rooms in Mercury City Tower in Moscow City and a luxury yacht. The architect’s claims were satisfied in full.

We used creative solutions to prove infringement of the client’s copyright during the arbitration. We prepared and filed separate lawsuits with courts of general jurisdiction under which requests for collection of evidence were issued and then used in international arbitration.

We represented Caterpillar Financial, a finance company and subsidiary of the US specialist machine manufacturer, Cat, in eight court cases arising out of lease agreements at the Commercial Court of the City of Moscow.

The first series of cases involved two claims by lessees against Caterpillar Financial for the recovery of the repurchase price of self-propelled vehicles amounting to US$10 million in connection with the termination of the lease purchase agreements.

The second series of cases involved six Caterpillar Financial claims against companies in the Mechel group on the recovery of lease payments amounting to US$8 million, the termination of lease agreements and the return of leased assets.

We represent the interests of Public Joint Stock Company MDM Bank, JSC Rost Bank, and LLC Politeks as lenders with claims totalling RUB 4.7 billion in insolvency proceedings in the Commercial Court of the City of Moscow and the Commercial Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast against 33 debtors incorporated into four separate electronic supplier company groups.

The case includes a whole range of measures for the out of court settlement of debt, parallel investigations under criminal cases against several debtors and measures to trace and attach the debtors’ assets

We represented Brunswick Rail, a company which leases freight railcars on the Russian market, in three instances of Moscow Region commercial courts in connection with the recovery of US$7 million from the rolling stock manufacturer, OJSC Armavir Heavy Engineering Plant, comprising an advance payment, penalties and interest under the agreement for the supply of 80 railcars.

The case was complicated by the fact that the advance payment was in Russian roubles while the amount subject to recovery was in US dollars and a sharp change in exchange rates had occurred. It was necessary to counter the respondent’s argument that the armed hostilities in Ukraine amounted to force majeure circumstances (releasing it from liability) in order to prove that Brunswick Rail was entitled to recover penalties, and to obtain interim relief.

We advised a German state investor regarding its Russian subsidiary and employees on matters of antitrust, administrative, environmental and criminal law in connection with the construction and operation of waste processing plants in Russia at a cost of US$350 million.

Among other things, we consulted the Moscow Government on the validity of the investment agreements and successfully represented the client in an investigation triggered by accusations of environmental damage and breaches of rules regarding waste incineration.

We have represented OJSC Togliattiazot in dozens of cases, including in relation to shareholders’ claims challenging general meetings of shareholders, decisions of the board of directors, information disclosure, and administrative liability for breaching corporate legislation.

For example, we successfully represented OJSC Togliattiazot in the Povolzhsky Region commercial courts in relation to a claim by minority shareholders for the recovery of damages allegedly caused to the company by the management company as a result of a lowering of sales prices on foreign markets.

We also represented OJSC Togliattiazot in a commercial court case challenging the actions of the Krasnodar Region administration which increased the lease rates for land plots more than 50 fold. This case became the basis for the dismissal of subsequent claims by the same administration to increase lease rates.

We represented a Russian state company in international arbitrations (at the Vienna International Arbitral Centre and the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation) in three separate proceedings against Austrian and Kenyan contractors regarding the recovery of damages and fines amounting to US$97 million and arising out of agreements for the preparation of documents in connection with the construction of a 550 km high-speed railway line in Libya.

The construction was suspended due to the civil war. The proceedings were complicated by the fact that most of the circumstances relating to the case took place before the war and many documents were destroyed, which made collection of evidence extremely difficult. The said disputes involved issues of Libyan, Turkish, Austrian and Russian law, so we coordinated the work of several foreign law advisers simultaneously. All the claims against our client were rejected.

We represented Brunswick Rail, a company which leases freight railcars on the Russian market, in an ICAC arbitration regarding the recovery of US$2.5 million arising out of an agreement for the lease of 225 railcars. The said amount included lease payments for use of the railcars, penalties and fines for unilateral termination, and damages. The case was complicated by the fact that the client wished to recover a significant penalty, while the Russian arbitral tribunal’s approach in such a case is to reduce a penalty if it is disproportionately high when compared to the principal debt. The case was settled on the agreed terms.

We also represented Brunswick Rail in three ICAC arbitrations in connection with the recovery of lease payments, penalties and lost profits arising out of agreements for the lease of 1,500 railcars amounting to RUB 320 million and US$2.5 million. The proceedings were terminated in 2015 due to bankruptcy proceedings being initiated in relation to the respondent. We are currently advising and representing the client in connection with the matter of inclusion in the register of creditors’ claims.

In addition, we represented Brunswick Rail at the ICAC in a dispute regarding the recovery of RUB 750 million and US$10 million from a railcar lessee and guarantor arising out of a lease agreement, comprising penalties for termination of the lease agreement due to the lessee’s fault, and interest and fines under the lease agreement and suretyship agreement.

We represented the Dutch architect, Erick van Egeraat, in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) in a claim for the recovery from a customer (LLC Capital Group) of debt arising out of an agreement for the performance of architectural design work and losses resulting from a copyright infringement in connection with the construction of the Federation Tower in Moscow City.

We also represented Erick van Egeraat in three arbitration cases at the ICAC and the SCC relating to disputes over debt collection and compensation for the infringement of copyright to the City of Capitals architectural project in Moscow City, the Barvikha Hills cottage estate in the Moscow Oblast, and a business centre in St Petersburg, as well as in the London Court of International Arbitration in a dispute with a Russian businessmen arising out of agreements for the development of project documentation for, and architectural supervision of, a whole range of facilities, including apartments and rooms in Mercury City Tower in Moscow City and a luxury yacht. The architect’s claims were satisfied in full.

We used creative solutions to prove infringement of the client’s copyright during the arbitration. We prepared and filed separate lawsuits with courts of general jurisdiction under which requests for collection of evidence were issued and then used in international arbitration.

We advised a construction company on the development of a strategy to terminate a 50-year franchise agreement relating to a hotel in central Moscow with a major hotel operator without any penalties for early termination.

Moreover, we advised the client on entry into a franchise agreement with another international hotel operator and several security transactions with the parent company. All the transactions were governed by English law.

We advised Interstate Bank, a financial institution established with the participation of CIS countries, regarding its legal status and the possibility of it accessing the Russian stock market as a professional participant.

Moreover, we drafted the bank’s constitutional documents taking into account the experience of other international organisations and international law rules, and we prepared draft amendments to Russian legislation and a draft Russian law explanatory note.

Maxim Kulkov appeared as a Russian law expert in the divorce proceedings of a Russian billionaire in a US court. Our lawyers prepared an opinion and Maxim testified before the US court regarding the application of US procedural law to relationships governed by Russian employment and corporate law. The task at hand was to explain to the court whether a company’s senior executive was entitled to and capable of obtaining and providing documents belonging to the company in order to comply with an obligation assigned by a US court.

Maxim Kulkov served as a Russian law expert in relation to corporate and procedural law matters in a BVI court for a claimant who is a shareholder in one of Russia’s largest energy companies. The proceedings concerned the recovery of damages from the company’s senior executives who, through several complex transactions, withdrew substantial sums from the company, thereby causing significant damages.

We advised an independent compliance monitor of a financial services company (a world leader in currency transfers by individuals) on measures to counter fraud and money laundering.

The compliance monitor was appointed subject to an agreement between the Company and the US Department of Justice, pursuant to which the company, in order to avoid criminal prosecution, had to pay a fine of US$100 million and improve its compliance control system.

The project involved reviewing US, EU and Russian regulations of the said matters, carrying out monitoring in England, Romania, Russia and several other countries, and preparation of a report which was submitted to the Department of Justice.

Maxim Kulkov participated as an arbitrator in a dispute over a claim filed by an Italian producer of cooling tower equipment against a Russian customer for the recovery of in excess of EUR 2.6 million (10% of the supply contract price plus penalties and idle-time damages) as well as a claim for the termination of the contract.

The respondent objected to claims on the grounds that the conditions required for the payment of 10% under the contract had not been met and proceeded to file claims for the recovery of penalties for improper performance by the claimant of its obligations under the contract and for damages suffered by the it. The dispute concerned issues of equipment quality, and the installation and adjustment of cooling tower equipment designed for a state regional power plant.

We successfully settled a dispute for a Scandinavian logistics company. The dispute related to an accident which took place at the company’s warehouse in St Petersburg, as a result of which the products of a lubricant manufacturer were damaged. We conducted several negotiations with the owners of the damaged goods and the insurance company, as a result of which our client avoided being taken to court by the said entities.

After lengthy negotiations, we managed to settle a dispute between a Russian railway operator and an Israeli IT firm regarding the installation of software for ‘smart cameras’, which, it was claimed, were supposed, among other things to spot forgotten items in railcars, and monitor and regulate the traffic passing through turnstiles. Following installation of the software, the product did not work as was claimed and the Israeli supplier denied that the equipment was supposed to be able to perform such tasks.

We advised the famous Dutch architect, Erick van Egeraat, in a dispute with a Russian bank arising out of a contract for the development of design documentation for the construction of a building complex for the bank’s corporate university. The bank refused to pay our client EUR 8.5 million for additional areas designed by the client due to the alleged absence of a written agreement between the parties. The areas were constructed and operated by the bank. Following lengthy negotiations, we managed to reach an amicable settlement.

We advised a hardware supplier (one of the largest IT companies in the world) regarding an internal investigation in connection with a contract for the development and implementation of an automated system under a project funded by the World Bank. We helped the company’s lawyers interview employees about whom there was information regarding their disclosure of confidential information to competitors.

Великобритания

Представление крупного российского банка по вопросам принятия обеспечительных мер английским судом. Получение правовых заключений для российских судов. Получение распоряжений судов в отношении отчуждения акций российской компании. Подготовка свидетельских показаний по российскому праву для английского суда.

Консультирование крупной госкомпании по вопросу регулирования ответственности за клевету согласно английскому праву. Представление российского транспортного предприятия в международном коммерческом арбитраже по правилам LCIA. Поиск имущества должников в Великобритании.

США

Консультирование американской технологической компании при проведении аудита по соблюдению US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) её дочерними российскими компания после закрытия сделки по приобретению акций в указанных компаниях.

Консультирование крупной госкомпании по вопросам ответственности за клевету.

Представление интересов независимого комплайнс-наблюдателя финансовой компании, мирового лидера в области денежных переводов физических лиц, по вопросам противодействия мошенничеству и отмыванию доходов, полученных преступным путем.

Германия

Консультирование клиента по вопросам признания и приведения в исполнение на территории Германии решения российского третейского суда и соответствующих обеспечительных мер.

Консультирование клиента по вопросам противодействия коррупции, уголовному и уголовно–процессуальному праву.

Консультирование крупной госкомпании в отношении ответственности за клевету по немецкому праву.

Консультирование российской транспортной компании по вопросам, связанным с банковской гарантией, выпущенной немецким банком.

Консультирование строительной компании по обеспечительным мерам, принятым немецким судом.

Консультирование российского подрядчика в отношении имплементации санкций ООН в Германии.

Австрия

Консультирование российского генерального подрядчика в отношении разбирательства в Международном Арбитражном Суде Федеральной палаты экономики Австрии (VIAC).

Консультирование крупной госкомпании по вопросу ответственности за клевету по австрийскому праву. Представление интересов российской строительной компании по вопросу обеспечительных мер, принятых австрийским судом.

Консультирование российского генерального подрядчика в отношении имплементации в Австрии санкций ООН.

Италия

Представление клиентов в делах в судах в отношении договора перевозки и обеспечительных мер, принятых итальянским судом.

Консультирование крупной госкомпании по вопросу ответственности за клевету по итальянскому праву.

Консультирование российского генерального подрядчика по вопросу банковской гарантии, выпущенной итальянским банком.

Консультирование клиента касательно приведения в исполнение иностранного арбитражного решения в Италии.

Арбитражные суды Московского округа и высшие суды

Представление назначенных английским судом временных управляющих в нескольких десятках судебных процессов в государственных арбитражных судах в отношении незаконно выведенных российских активов, контролируемых казахским олигархом Мухтаром Аблязовым, на общую сумму около 5 млрд долларов США.

Представление российского производителя технического газа в споре о взыскании задолженности в размере 120 млн долларов США по кабальному агентскому договору, заключенному предыдущим менеджментом компании.

Представление интересов ПАО «МДМ Банк», АО «Рост Банк» и ООО «Политекс» (группа «БИНБАНК») в качестве кредиторов с общей суммой требований более 6 млрд руб. в делах о несостоятельности 21 должника в составе четырех независимых групп компаний-поставщиков электроники. Проект включает комплекс мероприятий по урегулированию задолженности во внесудебном порядке, параллельное расследование в рамках уголовных дел в отношении ряда должников и действия по поиску и аресту активов должников.

Представление австро–немецкого инвестора по вопросам антимонопольного, административного, экологического и уголовного права в связи со строительством и эксплуатацией мусороперерабатывающих заводов в России на общую сумму 350 млн долларов США.

Многие другие дела (основной регион практики).

Арбитражные суды Северо-Западного округа

Представление российского производителя химической продукции в корпоративном споре, где был наложен арест на акции, а юрисдикция суда базировалась на основании поддельных документов.

Представление интересов ПАО «МДМ Банк», АО «Рост Банк» и ООО «Политекс» (группа «БИНБАНК») в качестве мажоритарных кредиторов с общей суммой требований более 4 млрд руб. в делах о несостоятельности 2 должников, расположенных в Санкт-Петербурге. Проект включает целый комплекс мероприятий по урегулированию задолженности во внесудебном порядке, параллельное расследование в рамках уголовных дел в отношении ряда должников и действия по поиску и аресту активов должников.

Представление кредитора при обжаловании решений арбитражных судов о взыскании с должника в пользу иных кредиторов более 1,5 млрд руб. на основе предположительно фиктивных поставок товара.

Представление клиента в связи с оспариванием включения в реестр кредиторов должника требований недобросовестных кредиторов на основании доводов о подложности договоров уступки и злоупотребления правом при их заключении.

Арбитражные суды Поволжского и Волго-Вятского округов

Представление крупного производителя химической продукции в нескольких десятках судебных разбирательств в отношении комплексного корпоративного спора (признание недействительными сделок по приватизации, заключенных в 1990–х гг., виндикация акций, иски о корпоративном шантаже, споры с административными органами, связанные с такими исками, взаимодействие и разбирательства с судебными приставами, пытавшимися наложить арест на акции, и т.д.).

Представление управляющих, назначенных английским судом, в разбирательстве в отношении взыскания на заложенное недвижимое имущество.

Представление российского эмитента в корпоративном споре в отношении «бесхозных» акций (все еще принадлежащих юридическому лицу, которое было ликвидировано).

Представление крупного производителя химической продукции в комплексном корпоративном споре в отношении признания недействительными сделок по приватизации, заключенных в 1990–х гг. Дело было передано на рассмотрение в АС Саратовской области на третье рассмотрение после того, как суд кассационной инстанции дважды отменил решения нижестоящих судов.

Арбитражные суды Уральского и Западно-Сибирского округов

Представление немецкой компании в серии судебных разбирательств, направленных на предотвращение приведения в исполнение арбитражного решения.

Представление российской инвестиционной компании в судебном разбирательстве в отношении 25% акций российского оператора мобильной связи.

Представление кредитора при обжаловании решений арбитражных судов о взыскании с должника в пользу иных кредиторов более 1,5 млрд руб. на основе предположительно фиктивных поставок товара.

Представление российского оператора трубопровода в серии судебных разбирательств с судебными приставами, пытающимися наложить арест на акции.

Арбитражные суды Северо-Кавказского округа

Представление владельца порта в серии судебных разбирательств в отношении размера арендных платежей за земельный участок, находящийся в государственной собственности.

Представление клиента в деле о банкротстве по вопросу о субсидиарной ответственности акционера компании–должника по ее долгам.

Представление лизинговой ж/д компании как кредитора в деле о банкротстве завода-изготовителя ж/д вагонов, осложненное резким изменением курса валюты обязательства и применением схем вывода активов должника.

Commercial Courts of the Moscow District and Higher Courts

Representing English court-appointed receivers Russian litigation proceedings related to the recovery of dissipated Russian assets worth US$5bn controlled by the Kazakh oligarch Mukhtar Ablyasov.

Representing a Russian industrial gas producer in litigation proceedings for the recovery of a US$120m debt under an onerous agency agreement entered into by the company’s previous management.

Representing the interests of JSC MDM Bank, JSC Rost Bank and LLC Politeks (BINBANK Group) as creditors with claims totalling RUB 6 billion in insolvency proceedings against 21 debtors incorporated into four separate electronic supplier company groups. The case includes a whole range of measures for the out of court settlement of debt, parallel investigations under criminal cases against several debtors and measures to trace and attach the debtors’ assets.

Representing Austrian and German state-owned investors, their subsidiaries and their employees in connection with antitrust, administrative, environmental and criminal issues related to the US$350m construction and operation of waste incineration plants in Russia.

Other cases (the main area of practice)

Commercial Courts of the North-West District

Representing a Russian chemical producer in a corporate dispute in which shares where attached and the court’s jurisdiction was based on forged documents.

Representing the interests of JSC MDM Bank, JSC Rost Bank and LLC Politeks (BINBANK Group) as creditors with claims totalling RUB 6 billion in insolvency proceedings against two debtors located in Saint-Petersburg. The case includes a whole range of measures for the out of court settlement of debt, parallel investigations under criminal cases against several debtors and measures to trace and attach the debtors’ assets.

Representing a lender in an appeal against commercial court decisions to recover RUB 1.5 billion from a debtor in favour of other lenders on the basis of allegedly fictitious deliveries of goods.

Representing a client in connection with objections against inclusion, in the debtor’s register of lenders, of claims by lenders acting in bad faith, alleging that assignment agreements were fake and that there was an abuse of rights at the time of their conclusion.

Commercial Courts of the Volga and Volga-Vyatka Districts

Representing a major chemical producer in several dozen litigations concerning a complex corporate dispute (invalidation of privatisation transactions dating back to the mid-1990s, return of shares, greenmail claims, disputes with administrative bodies relating to such greenmail claims, liaising and communicating with court bailiffs trying to seize the shares etc.).

Representing English court–appointed receivers in mortgage foreclosure proceedings.

Representing a Russian issuer in a corporate dispute in connection with orphan shares (still owned by a legal entity which had been liquidated).

Representing a major chemical producer in a complex corporate dispute in connection with the invalidation of privatisation transactions entered into in the 1990s. The case was referred to the Saratov Oblast to be considered for the third time after the court of the cassation instance twice overturned the decisions of lower courts.

Commercial Courts of the Ural and West Siberian districts

Representing a German company in a series of litigations aimed at preventing the enforcement of an arbitral award.

Representing a Russian investment company in a dispute in relation to a 25 per cent share in a Russian mobile operator.

Representing a lender in an appeal against commercial court decisions to recover RUB 1.5 billion from a debtor in favour of other lenders on the basis of allegedly fictitious deliveries of goods.

Representing a Russian pipeline operator in a series of court proceedings against court bailiffs trying to attach shares.

Commercial Courts of the North Caucasian District

Representing a port owner in a series of litigations concerning the amount of lease fees for lease of land from the state.

Representing the client in bankruptcy proceedings in relation to the responsibility of the debtor’s shareholder for its debts.

Representing a railway leasing company acting as lender in bankruptcy case against a rolling stock manufacturer, which was complicated by a sharp change in currency rate of the obligations and the debtor’s attempts to syphon assets.

Защита интересов одной из крупнейших в мире аудиторско-консалтинговой компании в споре с заказчиком консультационных услуг.

Спор возник из договора оказания консультационных услуг в рамках проверки эффективности реализации инвестиционного проекта в отношении крупного строительного объекта.

Согласно указанному договору, наш клиент провел аудит стоимости строительных работ, а заказчик уклонился от приемки результатов оказанных услуг и впоследствии на этом основании решил взыскать с нашего клиента сумму перечисленного аванса.

В ходе слушаний в Арбитражном суде г. Москвы нам удалось доказать, что результаты услуг были фактически использованы заказчиком. На этом основании суд отказал в удовлетворении иска к нашему клиенту и удовлетворил встречный иск к заказчику аудита о взыскании задолженности по договору за оказанные услуги.

При активном участии команды «Кульков, Колотилов и партнеры» в урегулировании спора, в конце концов, стороны пришли к соглашению и разрешили спор мирным путем.

Defending one of the world’s largest auditing and consulting companies in a dispute with an advisory services customer.

The dispute arose in relation to a consulting services agreement for analysis of the effectiveness of the implementation of an investment project relating to a major construction project.

Pursuant to the services agreement, our client audited the cost of the construction work. The customer declined to accept the results of the services rendered, and subsequently decided to collect the transferred advance from our client.

During the hearings in the Moscow Arbitration Court, we managed to prove that the results of the services were actually used by the customer. On this ground, the court dismissed the claim against our client and satisfied our client’s counterclaim against the customer for the recovery of debts for the services provided under the services agreement.

Thanks to the active participation of the KK&P team in the settlement of the dispute the parties eventually reached an amicable settlement.

Maxim Kulkov

Projects: