Boris Ostroukhov Has Been Appointed Head of the Customs and International Trade Practice at ALRUD

Boris Ostroukhov, Of Counsel, has been appointed Head of the Customs and International Trade Practice at ALRUD. This appointment reflects the sustained growth of the Practice and marks a new stage in its development. Boris has headed the Practice since September 2026. Maxim Alekseyev, ALRUD Senior Partner, will remain actively involved in the Practice.

In his new role, Boris will be responsible for the strategic development of the Practice and for interaction with ALRUD’s other practices.

In recent years, foreign trade-related risks for business have become increasingly complex. Changes in international trade, reflecting such trends as the move towards regionalisation rather than globalisation, instability in international logistics, the growing role of customs authorities and the expanded use of trade defence measures with respect to foreign goods in local markets, are creating new challenges for ALRUD’s clients.

These factors are causing a growing business need for the expertise of the Customs and International Trade Practice.

The Practice’s lawyers advise clients on a wide range of issues relating to customs law and international trade law.

The key areas of our expertise include structuring import and export transactions, assessing customs risks, and advising on export control, customs valuation, classification of goods and proof of origin. The Practice’s lawyers support clients during customs audit inspections and in customs related disputes.

For more than 10 years, another key area of the Practice’s expertise has been advising on trade defence measures for domestic markets and representing Russian and foreign companies in anti-dumping investigations in the Eurasian Economic Union. ALRUD is one of the few Russian firms with unique experience in supporting anti-dumping investigations in a number of foreign jurisdictions, including Turkey, India and Brazil.

Boris has been working at ALRUD since 2008. For more than 10 years, he has been representing clients in anti-dumping investigations in Russia and abroad, advising on customs law and export control, working on major import and export contracts, as well as participating in dispute resolution, including customs disputes. Over these years, Boris has made a significant contribution to establishing and strengthening the Practice’s expertise. Today, the Customs and International Trade Practice is especially valued by our Russian and foreign clients and is ranked in the top tier of Russian legal directories such as Pravo-300 and Kommersant.

The Customs and International Trade Practice works closely with ALRUD’s other practices, which strengthens the firm’s full-service position and enables it to provide clients with comprehensive legal support on a wide range of matters involving international trade.

In multi-jurisdictional matters, ALRUD cooperates with leading law firms in their local markets, where our clients operate.

Maxim Alekseyev, Senior Partner, noted:

“Boris has been one of the key experts in our Practice for many years and has done much to shape its current standing. His appointment is a recognition of the results achieved and a reflection of our approach: we support lawyers who are ready to take responsibility for developing different areas of the business. I am confident that the Practice will continue to strengthen its position under Boris’s leadership”.

Boris Ostroukhov commented:

“Customs regulation and trade defence measures today have a critical impact on our clients’ business models, their supply chains and their access to markets. Our task is to provide clients not only with legal support on individual matters, but also to help them shape risk management strategies that ensure sustainable operation in Russia, the EAEU and international markets”.

Boris graduated from Moscow International University and obtained his PhD in Law from the Russian Foreign Trade Academy. He was also a member of the working group responsible for preparing a number of provisions of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. Boris is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA). From 2016 to 2019, Boris represented the Russian legal community at the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA). Boris's professional expertise has been recognised by the Russian Pravo-300 rating and by the leading international ratings The Legal 500 EMEA, IFLR1000 and Best Lawyers.