Foreword
The traditional practice of companies conducting business overseas is supposed to be an appeal to a large multinational law firm that has offices in countries in question. However, a large scale company usually means high service costs, sometimes lack of strictly individual approach accompanied by considerable administrative costs.

Another option is to independently search a legal company in such a country. However, the choice of a legal counsel without knowledge of the relevant service market has been always a serious risk which might cause significant losses.

An alternative comparing to transnational legal firms is a partnership network of medium and small size law companies. They are in a position to render services of an international character under lower prices providing individual approach to each of the clients.

The Partnership Network Customs & Corporate Lawyers position themselves, first of all, as a group of companies-partners that can take over rather complicated and even atypical cases in which a client might want not just to get standard documents, appeals to the courts, acquire some advice and gather opinions but feels the necessity to get analytical skills, considering the whole case and developing a scenario of an action plan. In particular, a client might prefer to predict feedback of his opponents, to develop some special counteraction, etc.

The legal companies united in the Partnership Network Customs & Corporate Lawyers are mainly  medium size companies, addressing to which a client can count on the fact that each case will be dealt by the senior partners of a national company, and it will not be forwarded to a younger lawyer or an  inexperienced trainee.

The Major of Innovative Project
The Partnership Network Customs & Corporate Lawyers combines the classical idea of a professional alliance of legal companies with innovative ideas meeting the highest requirements of the modern business community.

The network Customs & Corporate Lawyers widens the spectrum of participants’ abilities on the territory of the above mentioned regions because they offer services of the united working groups possessing power resources and access to the unique experience thereof at national markets.  It turned out that nowadays it is becoming more and more important to accompany clients’ projects beyond the national jurisdiction. Such an approach provides the increase of the rendering services quality; it also gives an opportunity to harmonize national and international standards of legal services.

In order to get legal assistance of the highest standards the businesses have only to appeal to a national company operating under the logo stating its affiliation with the alliance:
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Partners
The Partnership’s companies that have already joined the alliance  render the full spectrum of services  at all the regions of the Russian Federation and countries of CIS. They also represent interests of their clients abroad thanks to tight contacts with the leading legal companies of the countries in question. Further development of the alliance in the nearest future and joining legal companies from other countries (we kindly invite them to do so on the basis of a franchise license agreement) will enable foreign businesses introducing themselves on the Customs Union  and CIS markets to apply to the alliance’s services. Prerequisites of successful operations – deep knowledge of political, economic and social processes taking place in Russia and beyond its borders.

On Alliance’s Practices
Among the key practices of the companies- participants of the Partnership Network Customs & Corporate Lawyers are as follows:

• Legal escorting investment projects;
• Tax legislation and taxation disputes;
• Corporate practices;
• Commercial practices;
• Antitrust regulation and restrictive business practices;
• Land law, real estate and construction practices;
• Settlement of commercial disputes;
• Intellectual property issues;
• Export control of dual-use items;
• Law of master and servant;
• Banking practices;
•  Customs law and foreign trade regulation;
• Legal support of exhibition activities and settlement of IP disputes arising in connection with international exhibitions;
• Administrative and legal support of  business; and
• Legal defense of business (including criminal cases).

Alliance’s lawyers possess deed knowledge of the Russian  and CIS legislation and are recognized as the leading ones. For many years the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation  have been involving them as independent experts while elaborating drafts of new legislation regulating different economic spheres.

All the companies-members of the network Customs & Corporate Lawyers are independent, however permanent contacts between them through the Main office of the network Customs & Corporate Lawyers in Moscow, and/or directly with each other, as well as regular conferences, workshops and seminars within the network allow any newcomer to develop strong ties with the members of the affiliated network, to provide high level of cooperation in processing joint projects.

Thus, within this innovative project the basic standards for servicing clients are being established, and they are (by the way) the most particular ones covering ethical area as well. The alliance’s participants are in a position to exchange services and forward clients; hereby they implement the united basic standards in collaboration with clients applying the same disciplinary and pricing policy.

So, tasks set up be their clients are fulfilled in due time and taking into consideration all the nuances of local and international legislation and law enforcement practices – in strict compliance with confidentiality requirements. 

List fo Clients
The list of firms that took advantage of services provided by the companies participating in alliance Customs & Corporate Lawyers (both legal and concomitant assistance) includes such distinguished  brand names as:

• Motorola
• Samsung
• Pepsi
• Gillette
• FedЕx
• DHL
• Solvey
• Alrosa
• Don-Stroy
• Bank «Turan Aleem»
•  National Pension Fund «Soglasie»
• The Russian Union of  Autoinsurers Philip Morris
• Baker Hughes
• Gazprom
• JSC VSMPO
• AVISMA
• INDAR
• FARMAK , etc. 

Basic Foundations of the Network Operation
FIRST PRIORITIES – quality of services rendered, responsibility, efficiency, individual approach, overall legal support and guaranteed compliance with confidentiality requirements.

MAJOR VALUES – employees, lawyers and advocates are the most respected experts in their branches of law and foreign economic activity. The Alliance  is constantly widens the spectrum of the rendering services in order to secure quiet and confident business development of their clients.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS – clients that have been fully satisfied by the services of the Alliance companies. Grounds for long-term cooperation are mutual understanding and common success. Each and every prospective client is of great importance to the Partnership Network Customs & Corporate Lawyers – no matter whether it is a transnational corporation or an ambitious local company.

Conclusion
Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) introduce many opportunities for business development to both local and foreign companies. In order to fully take advantages of the rapidly developing economies of these States, businesses might need the knowledge and professional consultations of experienced local lawyers of countries in question.

And we are ready to meet this demand. Please contact us and we will find the best way to be of any assistance to you.