Sergey Chapaev has nearly 20 years of experience and prior to joining E L W I held key positions at international law firms Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Latham & Watkins.

Sergey's expertise includes advising on corporate, M&A and capital markets matters, with substantial experience in corporate disputes and related arbitration proceedings, as well as sanctions and regulatory compliance matters.

Mr Chapaev has represented CIS and major international clients in a variety of sectors, including information technology, telecommunications, finance, real estate, oil and gas, mining, heavy industry, as well as retail and logistics.

Sergey's experience includes more than 120 significant projects, and the total value of these projects exceeds several hundred billion US dollars.

Sergey's Private Equity practice has been recognized by Chambers & Partners.

Education, qualification

Russian Academy for Foreign Trade, International law faculty.

Experience

• Advising the following major international corporations in connection with their exits from the Russian market:
• Unilever PLC on the sale of its Russian business to Arnest Group;
• International Paper on the sale of its 50% stake in Ilim SA, the holding company of Ilim Group JSC, and its outstanding shares in Ilim Group JSC to its joint venture partners for US$508 million;
• Citigroup, Inc. on AO Citibank’s sale of a portfolio of ruble-denominated personal installment loans and consumer credit card balances to Uralsib Bank;
• Ball Corporation on the US$530 million sale of its beverage packaging business in Russia to Arnest Group;
• Renault Group on the sale of Renault Russia to the city of Moscow and the disposal of its 67.69% interest in AvtoVaz to NAMI, the Russian state-owned automotive design institution.
• Advising Kismet Acquisition One, a special purpose acquisition company, in its $1.9 billion initial merger with Nexters Global Limited, the first-ever de-SPAC transaction involving a Russian business. As a result of the merger, Nexters has become a NASDAQ listed company;
• Advising Horus Real Estate Fund I in its acquisition of the Morton Group, the largest residential real estate developer in Russia and subsequent sale of the Morton Group to PIK Group;
• Advising Fortiana Holdings Limited in connection with its US$1.5 billion acquisition of Highland Gold Mining Limited, an AIM-quoted gold producer, comprising an initial US$585 million acquisition of a 40% interest, the U.K.'s first-ever preconditional mandatory bid (containing the first-ever condition permitted by the UK Takeover Panel relating to the consent of the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service) for the remaining stake, delisting and compulsory squeeze-out of minority shareholders;
• Advising Horvik Limited in connection with its acquisition of Trans-Siberian Gold Limited, an AIM-quoted gold producer, comprising an initial private acquisition of shares followed by a preconditional mandatory bid compliance with the UK Code on Takeovers and Mergers;
• Advising a major international financial group in connection with its multi-billion dollar proposed acquisition of a Russian industry leader;
• Advising Alltech Holding Limited on its sale of Sibanthracite PLC, a major anthracite and coal producer, to Siban Holding LLC;
• Advising Renault in connection with a significant restructuring of its joint venture arrangements in Russia;
• Advising Renault on a long-term recapitalization program of AvtoVAZ with a total value exceeding RUB 110 billion, including public and private share offerings of AvtoVAZ, as well as a mandatory tender offer and subsequent squeeze-out of minority shareholders;
• Advising JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium mining company, and Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna (as selling shareholder) on Kazatomprom's US$449 million initial public offering of GDRs and shares. Shares and GDRs are listed on the Astana International Exchange, or the AIX, recently launched by the Astana International Financial Centre and marked the first listing of securities on the AIX. The GDRs are listed and admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange;
• Advising Tele2 Russia in its merger with the mobile operations unit of Rostelecom valued at approximately US$7 billion;
• Advising a major private equity fund in connection with bankruptcy proceedings, including the issuance of an order under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code with respect to the management of a Russian company.