Alexander Zharskiy

Partner, Advocate, PhD in Law

Phone

Chambers Europe

He’s a very competent lawyer in both English and Russian law. It’s not enough to have the technical knowledge, you need to be able to see the commercial picture of the negotiations and to weigh the client’s interests against the risks, and he’s one of the best at this.

Biography

Recent work

Publications and Insights

Rankings and awards

Alexander Zharskiy is an ALRUD Partner, he heads Corporate and M&A Practice as well as Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry Group. Alexander leads the firm's corporate, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity work. He has more than 20-years experience in in-bound and cross-border transaction in a variety of sectors, including agribusiness, retail, financial sector, telecommunication, media and technology, pharmaceuticals, natural resources and real estate.

Alexander is an officer of the IBA “Corporate and M&A Law” committee, he regularly speaks on corporate /M&A topics at Russian and international conferences.

Alexander holds a J.D. degree as well as an LLM degree from University of Manchester. Alexander started his legal career in 1998, joined ALRUD in 2004 and has been a partner since 2007. He is constantly recommended as a leading legal advisor on Corporate and M&A matters by Chambers Europe and Global, Legal 500, IFLR 1000, Who's Who Legal, Best Lawyers.

Clients praise Alexander for his professionalism, business focus and the ability to defend clients' best interests in complex matters.

Alexander Zharskiy is very good in negotiations. He is a good manager of big teams which are working on complex tasks. We always give him wide discretion for the negotiation of our position, and he is able to propose new ideas and solutions for atypical problems. Chambers Europe

Includes advising and representing:

Shareholders

on the sale of the Modi business, a retail chain of goods at affordable prices, in favour of GEM Invest, a Russian investment company.

Kraft Heinz

on the sale of its two affiliated companies in Russia – baby food manufacturers producing more than 30 000 tons of dry and thin cereal per year.

Stockmann

on the acquisition of Lamoda, the CIS group companies which operates the leading fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform as well as on restructuring of the shareholder loans and compliance with Russian sanctions.

VEON

on the sale of VimpelCom to Russian top management for RUB 130bn.

AmRest Group

the largest independent chain restaurant operator in CEE, on the sale of its business in Russia under KFC franchise with over 200 restaurants for EUR 100m.

Stora Enso

on the sale of Russian harvesting, sawmills and packaging businesses in several limited liability companies.

Eastnine

a European investment company, on the sale of a stake in the Russian fashion retailer Melon Fashion Group JSC, owning Zarina, befree, Love Republic and Sela brands, in favour of Sistema PJSFC in part of preparation of the Russian law transaction documents and supporting the transaction closing.

VimpelCom

one of the four largest telecommunications companies in Russia, on the establishment of a joint venture with 4 federal operators-competitors, aiming at joint development and use of 5G radiofrequencies in Russia.

A multinational company, trading in commodities, metals and energy resources

on the acquisition of a 10% stake in Vostok Oil LLC – the biggest deal in Russia in 2020.

AliExpress

a leading e-commerce player in Russia, on several investment rounds in KazanExpress, a Kazan-based marketplace specialising in express delivery.

TJX Companies

the leading off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the U.S. and worldwide, on the US$225m acquisition of a 25% stake in Familia, Russian low-cost clothing retailer.

Uber

in a deal establishing a joint business Yandex Taxi, Russia’s largest online taxi-booking services, with Yandex as well as the subsequent sale of part of the joint business (incl. Yandex.Food, Yandex.Shop, Yandex.Delivery, Self-Driving Group businesses) to Yandex for approximately US$1bn.

Komatsu Ltd.

on the acquisition of a majority stake in BOT Leasing Eurasia, a company providing leasing services with respect to machinery and equipment.

Аsna

a leader in the pharmacy retail market in Russia, to raise over RUB 1bn in equity investments from a major Russian bank.

CEFC China Energy Company Limited

on the acquisition of 14.16% shares in a Russian oil company.

A shareholder of Solopharm

one of the largest liquid dosage form plants in Russia, on the sale of a minority stake to a leading investment fund in Russia.

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated

on the acquisition of Bayer Animal Health business.

ERGO International AG

on the sale of ERGO Life Insurance Company to Rosgosstrakh and the sale of non-life business in Russia to RESO-Garantia.

Puma Energy

on a joint venture project with Renova group regarding construction of a fuel terminal at the airport.

UFC

in creation of a joint venture with RCIF and Mubadala, which will focus on the development and expansion of UFC’s (the largest MMA media promotion in the world) business in Russia and CIS.

Bayer AG

on the acquisition of Monsanto Company, a publicly-traded, American multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation.

A shareholder of Veropharm

one of the leading generic product producers in Russia, on the sale on shares to Abbott Laboratories for US$600m.

North Atlantic Drilling Ltd. and Seadrill Limited

on a long-term investment and co-operation Agreement with a Russian oil company.

ALRUD Corporate and M&A Practice Team held a client event “ALRUD Summer M&A Talks ‘24”

****On 19 June 2024**** an event ****“ALRUD Summer M&A Talks ‘24”**** arranged by Corporate and M&A Practice took place at Ararat Park Hotel Moscow. During the event ALRUD Partners Alexander Zharskiy, Anton Dzhuplin, Sergey Khanaev, and a guest speaker Investment banker ****Pavel Vlasov**** discussed the latest trends and tendencies in 2023-2024 with reference to the recent M&A transactions and shared the findings of their own research on the terms of M&A transactions successfully completed by ALRUD team over the last 3 years. The speakers also focused on the major aspects and specifics of structuring transactions through closed-end investment funds and investment partnerships, the advantages and intricacies of such structures, and the best practices for the efficient use of these tools. This topic was of great interest to the audience, guests actively asked questions and got involved into discussion. After the content part, the Partner and Head of Practice Alexander Zharskiy summed up the discussion and invited the guests to enjoy the informal networking during the cocktail reception at the outdoor patio “Kremlin” giving a unique view of the Bolshoi Theater and the Red Square. Many thanks to all the guests for participating in the summer event arranged by ALRUD Corporate and M&A Practice and for their positive feedback!

21 June 2024

ALRUD team supported a transaction on the sale of Modi

The shareholders (heirs of Igor Sosin) sold the Modi business (a retail chain of goods at affordable prices) in favour of GEM Invest, a Russian investment company owned by Vladimir Paliy. ALRUD team provided the comprehensive legal support to the seller, including structuring the transaction, drafting legally binding documentation under the Russian and English law, advising on the regulatory and sanctions aspects both under Russian and EU law, supporting the transaction closing and international settlement. ALRUD team working on the project was led by Alexander Zharskiy, Partner of Corporate and M&A Practice, and included Senior Associates Kristina Akalovich and Roman Vedernikov, Associates, Olesya Klesheva and Arsen Simonyan.

29 May 2024

ALRUD team advised Kraft Heinz on the sale of its baby food business

ALRUD law firm represented the interests of Kraft Heinz in the sale of its two affiliated companies in Russia – baby food manufacturers producing more than 30 000 tons of dry and thin cereal per year. Chernogolovka was the buyer. ALRUD team provided full legal support of the transaction and advised on the transaction approval procedure in Russia. ALRUD team working on the project included the Partner and Head of the Corporate and M&A Practice Alexander Zharskiy, Partner and Head of the Competition/Antitrust Practice German Zakharov as well as Counsel Oleg Ezhov, Senior Associate Daniil Lozovsky, Senior Associate Ilya Khodakov, Senior Associate Ksenia Erokhina and Associate Natella Kortiashvili.

14 May 2024

ALRUD Team successfully advises VEON on the exit from the Russian Market via sale of VimpelCom (Beeline brand) to Russian top management

VEON is a major telecommunications operator in the CIS and several Asian countries that provides communications to more than 150 million users every day. VimpelCom (Beeline brand) was previously part of VEON Group. The ALRUD team advised VEON on comprehensive legal support throughout all the stages of the transaction: on the initial stages of the transaction, the ALRUD team advised VEON on general issues related to the structuring of the transaction and advised on the auction sale process with several potential buyers; ALRUD lawyers subsequently supported VEON with negotiating transaction documents with the Russian top management of VimpelCom led by Alexander Torbakhov. This included complex issues associated with structuring the redemption of VEON Eurobonds taking into account Russian and international regulatory restrictions and a disruption in communication between the National Settlement Depository and Euroclear/Clearstream; on the final stages of the transaction, ALRUD represented VEON in negotiating commercial terms of the brand’s division and the operating activities of VEON Group and VimpelCom, as well as in complex issues involving the finalization of the transaction (including interaction with the registrar and broker). Supporting such a major and multi-faceted transaction would not have been possible without the full-service concept of ALRUD law firm. We not only provide comprehensive, high-quality legal assistance, but also integrate our services into our clients’ strategic goals. The ALRUD team that worked on the project under the guidance of Corporate and M&A Practice Partner Sergey Khanaev and Head of the Corporate and M&A Practice Alexander Zharskiy included a cross-functional team from the Corporate, Competition/Antitrust, Commercial/IP and Tax practices: Partner German Zakharov, Senior Associate Anna Grosheva, Senior Associate Ksenia Erokhina, Senior Associate Daniil Lozovsky, Senior Associate Sergey Artemiev, Senior Associate Kristina Akalovich, Associate Eva-Maria Shakhmaeva, Associate Yulia Malchenkova and Associate Olga Yuz.

12 October 2023

Andrey Zharskiy, Alexander Zharskiy, and Alexander Kleschev spoke at the conference «M&A Deals in Russia: Through Difficulties to "Completion"», organized by AEB with the support of ALRUD

On May 23, 2023, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) held a conference «“M&A Deals in Russia: Through Difficulties to 'Completion'». The conference was organized by the AEB Finance and Investments Committee, chaired by Andrey Zharskiy, Partner of Corporate and M&A Practice in ALRUD, with the sponsorship support from ALRUD. Alexander Zharskiy, Partner, Head of Corporate and M&A Practice in ALRUD, moderated the first session which focused on the M&A market results, trends, and forecasts for 2023. Alexander Kleschev, Senior Associate of Corporate and M&A Practice in ALRUD, spoke at the second session on financial issues in M&A transactions. More information about the event can be found here.

24 May 2023

ALRUD experts held the webinar "Foreign Business in Russia: How to manage your divestment in 2023?"

On February 9, experts of Corporate/M&A Practice held the webinar 'Foreign Business in Russia: How to manage your divestment in 2023?' It has been almost a year since foreign companies started divestment of their Russian assets. During this period ALRUD has been successfully steering the clients through complex and ambiguous legal landscape providing full service legal support at every stage of exit process. Alexander Zharskiy, Partner and Head of Corporate and M&A Practice, Sergey Khanaev, Partner of Corporate and M&A Practice and Alexander Kleschev, Senior Associate of Corporate and M&A Practice, discussed: Key trends of divestment transactions during 2022 and estimations for 2023 Overview of transaction participants (i.e. potential bidders, financing parties, GR, IBs, appraisers) Genesis and snapshot of Russian counter-sanctions regulations applicable to exit scenarios Specifics of M&A transaction documents and lessons to learn for 2023.

09 February 2023

ALRUD experts held the webinar “Foreign Business in Russia: Practical Aspects of Exit Strategies. Impact of latest Russian counter-sanctions regulations”

On October 6, 2022, experts of Corporate/M&A and Competition/Antitrust Practices held the webinar “Foreign Business in Russia: Practical Aspects of Exit Strategies. Impact of latest Russian counter-sanctions regulations”. Alexander Zharskiy, Partner and Head of Corporate and M&A Practice, Sergey Khanaev, Partner of Corporate and M&A Practice, German Zakharov, Partner of Competition/Antitrust Practice, Alexander Kleschev, Senior Associate of Corporate and M&A Practice and Anna Grosheva, Associate of Corporate and M&A Practice summarised recent market experience for strategies and options considered and implemented by foreign investors in Russia. The speakers gave overview of legal and practical aspects that should be taken into consideration, including the following: Exit strategies and options; Payment of dividends; Using cash of Russian companies; Liaising with Russian authorities and examples of consents; Key aspects and legal effect of Presidential Decree No. 618; Legal regime under the Presidential Decree No. 618 and Presidential Decree No. 520; Legal and practical consequences of Presidential Decrees violation. Legal initiatives. The webinar was a great success with the audience.

06 October 2022

Alexander Zharskiy spoke at the webinar “Crisis Update: Sanctions and Countermeasures. Session on M&A”, organized by AEB

On 9 September 2022 Alexander Zharskiy, Partner, Head of Corporate and M&A Practice, spoke at the webinar of the Association of European Business on “Crisis Update: Sanctions and Countermeasures. Session on M&A”. This session was dedicated to M&A: transaction trends 1h2022 & outlook 2h2022. Alexander spoke on “Key deal terms on the exit of international companies from the russian market – fire sale specifics”. More information about the event can be found here. Recording of the event in Russian is available here. The Association of European Businesses is the main representative body of foreign investors in Russia. Founded in 1995, the AEB is an independent non-profit organisation of over 500 European and Russian companies.

09 September 2022

ALRUD Conducts Survey of M&A Market in Russia and CIS

ALRUD Law Firm and the international research, analysis and news agency Mergermarket conducted an Exclusive Survey of the M&A market in Russia and the CIS in late 2021 to coincide with ALRUD’s 30th anniversary and presented the results of the survey at a separate webinar. The insights gained from the survey are based on the responses of 100 respondents to over 20 questions and are backed by analytical and statistical data. We conducted our survey among practitioners from investment banks and PE firms, in-house counsels and legal advisors. The survey presents an outlook for the M&A market in Russia and the CIS in 2022, the key drivers and challenges that parties involved in M&A deals might face, how the market is developing, trends in the industry as well as legal hurdles in M&A transactions. This material will provide an in-depth understanding of the market and is of practical use to both M&A experts and businesspeople. Following the link to read this survey. The ALRUD Corporate Practice team has become one of Russia's market leaders over its 30-year history, and is regularly engaged for major corporate deals. Mergermarket is one of the leading international information and analytical agencies for the M&A segment, with a wide network of journalists and analysts specializing in M&A issues that covers 67 locations across Europe, North & South America, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific area.

14 February 2022

Webinar: “Results of an Exclusive Survey of the Russian and CIS M&A Market” co-hosted by ALRUD and Mergermarket

In late 2021 ALRUD Law Firm together with the international research, analysis, and news agency Mergermarket conducted an exclusive survey of the Russian and CIS M&A market to coincide with ALRUD’s 30th anniversary. Its insights are based on the responses of 100 respondents to over 20 questions and are backed by analytical and statistical data. We conducted our survey among practitioners from investment banks and PE firms, in-house counsels, and legal advisors. We present the results of our research, and invite you to take part in our webinar: “Russia and CIS M&A Market Survey Results” 8 February 2022 l 15:00-16:00 (Moscow time) During the webinar, ALRUD Partners and Mergermarket Global Managing Editor Nick Cheek, will discuss: Russian and CIS M&A market outlook for 2022 Key drivers and challenges M&A deals participants will face Development results and industrial focus trends Respondents accounts of legal hurdles in M&A deals Key speakers: Alexander Zharskiy, PhD in Law, Partner, Head of M&A/Corporate practice, ALRUD Law firm Anton Dzhuplin, Partner, ALRUD Law firm Andrey Zharskiy, PhD in Law, Partner, Advocate in Russia, Solicitor in England and Wales, ALRUD Law firm Nick Cheek, Global Managing Editor, Mergermarket The ALRUD Corporate Practice team has become one of Russia's market leaders over its 30-year history, and is regularly engaged for major corporate deals. Mergermarket is one of the leading international information and analytical agencies for the M&A segment, with a wide network of journalists and analysts specializing in M&A issues that covers 67 locations across Europe, North & South America, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific area. Language: English, simultaneous interpretation into Russian. Participation is free of charge. Click here to register your interest. Registration is required and is considered valid only after confirmation from our side.

31 January 2022

	Pravo-300, 2023 recommends Alexander Zharskiy for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions (High Market), Pharmaceutics and healthcare, Financial and Banking law.
	Chambers Global, 2022 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A.
	IFLR 1000, 2021-22 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A.
	Best Lawyers, 2022 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A, Capital Markets Law, Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Real Estate.
	Chambers Global, 2021 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A.
	Chambers Europe, 2021 Chambers Europe, 2020 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A.
	The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2021 includes Alexander in Hall of Fame for Corporate / M&A, Banking and Finance; recommends in TMT.
	Who’s Who Legal,Global Leaders Corporate Governance 2021 and Life Sciences - Transactional 2021 and M&A 2021 recommends Alexander as a leading practitioner.
	Best Lawyers, 2021 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A, Capital Markets Law, Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Real Estate.
	Chambers Global, 2020 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A.
	Chambers Europe, 2020 recommends Alexander in Corporate / M&A.
	The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2020 includes Alexander in Hall of Fame for Corporate / M&A, Banking and Finance; recommends in TMT.
	Who`s Who Legal, 2019 recommends Alexander in Life Sciences: Transactional, Corporate: Merger & Acquisition, Corporate: Corporate Governance, Trade & Customs.