Litigation

E L W I’s litigation practice is a cornerstone of the firm and is recognized as a market leader. The firm specializes in representing major Russian businesses in complex commercial disputes involving sanctions, cross-border elements, concurrent foreign proceedings, and international arbitration. A defining strength of our practice is the unique combination of our team’s expertise. We possess deep experience in representing clients before all levels of Russian courts, including the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, alongside in-house counsel qualified in English and French law. This integrated capability—which includes solicitors of the High Courts of England and Wales—is distinctive in the market and enables us to support clients across a broad spectrum of matters without the need to engage external advisers from other jurisdictions.

Furthermore, our team has particular expertise in providing legal support in asset tracing initiatives, both within Russia and internationally. We collaborate with leading international asset recovery firms and private investigative agencies, allowing us to operate effectively in complex, cross-border cases.

Key Areas of Practice:

Representation in the most significant commercial disputes in Russian courts.
Representation in the most intricate international disputes worldwide.
Advising on and managing parallel proceedings involving foreign parties in international courts and arbitration tribunals worldwide, including the selection of appropriate jurisdictions and strategies for handling concurrent proceedings, as well as landmark disputes concerning injunctions targeting Russian legal entities.
Representation in landmark cases involving the seizure and enforcement of claims against the assets of foreign companies in Russia, including asset identification both within Russia and abroad, analysis of complex corporate structures, determination of beneficial ownership, and establishing legal grounds for injunctive relief, enforcement of claims, and execution of court and arbitral awards.
Advising on and managing disputes related to sanctions, including significant cases under Article 248.1 of the Russian Federation’s Arbitration Procedure Code, as well as matters involving the application of Article 11 of EU Regulation No. 833/2014 in Russian judicial proceedings.
Representation in cases involving the recovery of debts and compensation for damages.
Providing legal support during the pre-trial phase.
Advising companies, shareholders, and management on internal investigations.
Supporting regulatory and compliance audits, including coordination with supervisory and law enforcement authorities.